North to Alaska!

[Alaskan]

Or raise cain.

 

[Member 482121]

I lived in Kodiak for 29 years, but now live in Southeast Alabama. I miss the fishing and the duck hunting in Kodiak (deer hunting is better here in Alabama--more comfortable to hunt from blinds than going up and down mountains where the terrain is treacherous, the weather terrible, and the fog can come down suddenly making you get lost). What I do not miss about Kodiak is the cost of living and the high property taxes. Here in Alabama the cost of living is about 45% lower than in Kodiak. In Kodiak I had a 3-bedroom, 2- bath house with a small garage attached to the house, and 1/2 acre of land. We spent $2300 a year on property taxes. We have a larger house in Alabama, with a big garage/shop at 15 yards from the house, and 43 acres of land. Last year we paid 59 dollars on property taxes. Yes, Alabama has state income tax, but not for retirees/senior citizens. Our pensions would not have allowed us to maintain the same lifestyle we enjoyed while employed in Kodiak. Here financially we are doing better than we did in Kodiak when we drew full salaries. It takes a while to get used to the humid heat, here, but I never got used to the very short daylight hours in winter and constant bad weather all year long of Kodiak.
This winter, though, has been pretty cold even here, and I had to add one more heat lamp in the chicken house to the one I already had there. And it's still unseasonably cold. Alaska is beautiful, no doubt, but expensive as heck. And if you like to hunt and fish, you are stuck with the crowds on the road system without a boat or a float plane or a track vehicle--unless you live in a remote village, and not many people can cope with that lifestyle and its costs and lack of comforts.

 

[Aae]

I'm in Homer, 11 hens and one rooster.

 

[Alaskan]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Kasilofchrisn]

I'm in Homer, 11 hens and one rooster.

Welcome!
I'm in Soldotna. So not too far from you.

 

[aplckee]

Hi! I posted in another thread about this but someone suggested I try posting here as well so I'll be pasting what I wrote there, to here!

[ https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/looking-for-someone-to-watch-my-chicken-alaska.1266326/ ]​

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(Anchorage, Alaska)

I will be going out of town very soon and need to find someone who will be able to watch my chicken while I am gone. I have been trying to find someone that can but no such luck so far. Every time I think I have found a solution or someone who can watch her, it always ends up not working out. I am in a panic mode and quite stressed out about it as my flight is coming up really soon and have not been able to find anyone who can watch her.

She is by herself atm. I plan to add another chicken(s) soon but for now it is her by herself as she was given to me as a baby. This is why she is really important to me as I have raised her since she was a baby and don't want anything bad happening to her.

Circumstances make it so that it won't be possible for her to be taken care of at my place while I am gone so she would have to be taken to whoever will be taking care of her. This also adds all sorts of complications to this already complicated situation .

She does lay eggs. So far she has been doing so everyday. But she is also going through a molt. Even though she is going through a molt, she is still laying eggs which worries me as I heard it is not good for their health when they lay as they go through a molt (?)

I will be gone for around 3 months.

If you or anyone you know is able to watch over her while I am gone, please let me know! I am also down to try looking at any boarding facilities that you guys may recommend. So far I have yet to find one that will take care of chickens.

I am beyond stressed and worried about this so I am hoping to find a solution soon! Thank you guys!

 

[Alaskan]

Try Alaska flock talk on facebook

 

[Anc66chickens]

Hi I just joined this group and another member recommended I come over to this thread since I live in Alaska, Anchorage to be specific. I wanted to ask a question I don’t have any chickens yet but plan to order some in the coming days and I could have nine but my winter coop is a greenhouse it has 72 square feet of floor space would 8 chickens be better in such a space. Especially if their winter outdoor activity would be going out into the chicken tractor I’m going to build over the winter? Thanks in advance

 

[Alaskan]

Hi I just joined this group and another member recommended I come over to this thread since I live in Alaska, Anchorage to be specific. I wanted to ask a question I don’t have any chickens yet but plan to order some in the coming days and I could have nine but my winter coop is a greenhouse it has 72 square feet of floor space would 8 chickens be better in such a space. Especially if their winter outdoor activity would be going out into the chicken tractor I’m going to build over the winter? Thanks in advance

9 would be max, fewer would be better.

Chickens in a greenhouse in Alaska are fantastic, except for the lack of ventilation.

If you can have a wide open greenhouse door, that connects to a ventilated building, that works (that is what I have). Or you can replace the greenhouse door with a door that is half ventilation but baffled in some way if needed.

Also... my greenhouse has 2 doors. One door goes into the chicken shed, and stays wide open all winter. The other door is the exterior door, and since it is on the ground, it will NOT open as soon as we get more than an inch of ice or snow.

For me it isn't a problem, since I can access my greenhouse from the door that goes to the shed, then coop... and the coop door is 2 full steps above ground level.

Winter access can be an issue.

 

[Anc66chickens]

Ok great thanks for the information! What breeds would you suggest I’m set on heritage breeds and right now I’m thinking of getting speckled Sussex, Dorking, Faverolles and maybe crèvecoeur. I’ve heard that sometimes you have to brush ice off of the crèves beards I’m prepared to do this as often as necessary, are any of these a really bad idea? Any other thoughts welcome. Thanks