New to BYC, hi there!

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DobieLover said:
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.


I think @pennyJo1960 was referring to the teeny pre-fab coop stuck inside the run. I don't know why that would have been left in there myself.
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In November, I added the Amish built, insulated coop with electricity and attached it to the run just in time for our brutal winter snow storms. I plan on selling the little coop inside the run once the weather warms up. We’re still below freezing at night and early morning, snow on the ground and waiting for the ground to defrosted and then I will remove it. Right now it is kinda a spa for the girls…I put their dust bath in it. 🤣🐥🛁
Debbie292d said:
Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

I'm in Wisconsin and hear the farm stores are selling out fast here too. I hatch silkies and can't hatch fast enough. I'm guessing you live in the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks area? Just a wild guess. I grew up in MN, but moved to ND for several years, in Fargo, Thompson, and Minot.
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I’m closer to Fargo/ Moorhead but go to GF often for work. I felt awful for my girls this past winter. Many subzero days in November and again in February. Other than a pale comb and no eggs, the girls did well with the radiant heater even when the coop was below zero. I was worried about them getting frost bite so that why I installed the hygrometer. Everything I read said keep the humidity down to prevent frost bite. They definitely want to free range now that it is warming up but the lake is still frozen, ice still on the grass, no leaves on trees/bushes so nowhere for the hens to take cover. i don’t want them roaming until I can build some chicken tunnels or chicken tractor. Too many hungry hawks, eagles and foxes roam my yard. We have a huge flock of 20-25 wild turkeys roam around the lake so I worry about avian flu. I know they are safe in the run but that doesn’t keep them from trying to run out the door every chance they get.
 
LakeGirlHens said:
In November, I added the Amish built, insulated coop with electricity and attached it to the run just in time for our brutal winter snow storms. I plan on selling the little coop inside the run once the weather warms up. We’re still below freezing at night and early morning, snow on the ground and waiting for the ground to defrosted and then I will remove it. Right now it is kinda a spa for the girls…I put their dust bath in it. 🤣🐥🛁

I’m closer to Fargo/ Moorhead but go to GF often for work. I felt awful for my girls this past winter. Many subzero days in November and again in February. Other than a pale comb and no eggs, the girls did well with the radiant heater even when the coop was below zero. I was worried about them getting frost bite so that why I installed the hygrometer. Everything I read said keep the humidity down to prevent frost bite. They definitely want to free range now that it is warming up but the lake is still frozen, ice still on the grass, no leaves on trees/bushes so nowhere for the hens to take cover. i don’t want them roaming until I can build some chicken tunnels or chicken tractor. Too many hungry hawks, eagles and foxes roam my yard. We have a huge flock of 20-25 wild turkeys roam around the lake so I worry about avian flu. I know they are safe in the run but that doesn’t keep them from trying to run out the door every chance they get.
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When we started raising chickens here about 8+ years ago, we had a huge humidity problem, so facing the same temps you refer to, we had to do something. I was also afraid of them getting sick as mold can start growing if it's above 70%.

Since we have silkies and frizzle silkies, we have always had an oil-filled radiant heater that keeps the coop from freezing (40F). We had switched them to a 5-gallon DIY nipple bucket so no open water, and horse bedding pellets on the floor to absorb the poop. We also put an exhaust fan in with a vent. Humidity can be often in the high 70s or 80s, yet the coop will be in the 50s or 60s.
 
Jenbirdee said:
Oh, that makes sense but actually to me it also makes sense to leave that in there it has purpose. Maybe a naughty bird time out booth lol
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Maybe I should hold off selling it until I integrate the chicks if I can get some chicks. I was thinking when the chicks get fully feathered I can keep them in the tiny coop so the hens can get acquainted with them. Right now the hatcheries are sold out until June and farm stores are selling out in a couple hours after their truck delivers them. My husband and I drove 1.5 hrs to get two on Sunday but they were sold by the time we arrived.
 
Debbie292d said:
When we started raising chickens here about 8+ years ago, we had a huge humidity problem, so facing the same temps you refer to, we had to do something. I was also afraid of them getting sick as mold can start growing if it's above 70%.

Since we have silkies and frizzle silkies, we have always had an oil-filled radiant heater that keeps the coop from freezing (40F). We had switched them to a 5-gallon DIY nipple bucket so no open water, and horse bedding pellets on the floor to absorb the poop. We also put an exhaust fan in with a vent. Humidity can be often in the high 70s or 80s, yet the coop will be in the 50s or 60s.
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I have a flat panel radiant heater mounted directly across from their roost. I have a nipple water (heated) so minimal moisture. I installed vinyl flooring and pine shaving in the coop but cleaned the poop daily even in subzero. Deep litter wouldn’t work when the poop was frozen. I might need an exhaust fan because the ambient humidity is very high living on a lake. It is 29 degrees with 94% humidity outside but my coop is 38 degrees with 56% humidity. I have 3 sets of vents but there were times the wind was blowing snow through the vents so I had to put an air filter fabric over the vent to keep the snow out. It was a learning experience battling elements. A lot of trial and error. At first, we didn’t have a roof on our run, just hardware cloth. After the first snow, I realized they needed a roof. My son and husband spent a few hours installing a metal roof on the run. I also wrapped 3 sides of the run in plastic but the door and one small section next to the attached coop didn’t have plastic to allow air flow. That was a mistake. 25 mph wind blew the snow right in the run. Next winter I’m going to use greenhouse panels instead of plastic.
 
LakeGirlHens said:
I have a flat panel radiant heater mounted directly across from their roost. I have a nipple water (heated) so minimal moisture. I installed vinyl flooring and pine shaving in the coop but cleaned the poop daily even in subzero. Deep litter wouldn’t work when the poop was frozen. I might need an exhaust fan because the ambient humidity is very high living on a lake. It is 29 degrees with 94% humidity outside but my coop is 38 degrees with 56% humidity. I have 3 sets of vents but there were times the wind was blowing snow through the vents so I had to put an air filter fabric over the vent to keep the snow out. It was a learning experience battling elements. A lot of trial and error. At first, we didn’t have a roof on our run, just hardware cloth. After the first snow, I realized they needed a roof. My son and husband spent a few hours installing a metal roof on the run. I also wrapped 3 sides of the run in plastic but the door and one small section next to the attached coop didn’t have plastic to allow air flow. That was a mistake. 25 mph wind blew the snow right in the run. Next winter I’m going to use greenhouse panels instead of plastic.
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Not sure if greenhouse tarp is cheaper than panels, but anything with UV protection lasts 10X longer than without. We use greenhouse tarp on a growout pen and into its 3rd winter still looking good as new. That's nice as it lets light in.
 

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