NY chicken lover!!!!

[Long Last Farm]

This is my first winter with chickens in the southern tier/wny, so I added extra pine shavings, covered the windows in the coop with plastic, and my DH made me two of those cookie tin water-warmers for the chick's water. I will be interested if the chickens go out in the snow, and also how easy ( or hard) will it be to keep their run cleared of snow.....

 

[jerseygirl1]

They still have ventilation, right?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

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I have to clean out the big brahma coop for winter. I cleaned out all the other coops, just have to finish that one.

 

[rancher hicks]

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I think it's the new BY poultry mag has an article on the cold that's really good. If your windows have glass I wouldn't cover them with plastic. Watch for humidity build up, if you see that there is not enough ventilation. As a rule I don't let the chickens out into the snow. Even if you clear it a paniced chicken can become stuck and suffocate or freeze to death very fast.
This is my second winter and I cover my runs with plastic on three sides. I have tarps over the top and shovel snow off. I put a bale of straw in to give them something to scratch in. Make sure they go to bed with a full gullet.

 

[rancher hicks]

So I drove to the "White Eagle" convention center in Hamilton and as expected the place doesn't look nearly as nice as the web page. I did see some goats but didn't get out of the car. I didn't see anyone around. I just wanted to take the drive to make sure I had some idea where I was going next week.

The historic building are in a bad need of painting. It was sad. I thought with the right crew it could be done quickly enough. Most needed scraping and priming first. Of course some would make it to be a more expensive job than needs be.

Still I'm going anyhow and hope I learn my $150 worth. Oh forget it's the ALBC convention in Hamilton NY. Doesn't look like anyone else on BYC will be going. I wish there was.

Got my papers in the mail, it didn't say how many people would be there. I'll probably be surprised to see how many do go.

Apparently for all the members on this forum none have ever gone to an ALBC convention. So let that be a lesson to you. Just cuz someone is a member doesn't mean they're real serious, they could just be using it as a ploy to make them sound and look good.

 

[kjmatson]

I am right in Hamilton, I would like to know when it is. Thanks for any info.

 

[AmyJ]

Hi everyone!

Just wanted to post on this thread, I have a few silkies and drakes up on BST if anyone is interested

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=414474


https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=414477

 

[Karen_at_LittleBrook]

Just stopping in to say hello to everyone here in NY. Hope everyone's summer was good. I've been so busy, getting on-line time has been a struggle. I got my first eggs on Oct. 23

from my 20 wk old Red Stars. It was great to get two firsts the same day!!! My Red Star girls had suddenly started squating so I knew it would be soon. I believe that I know have 3 RS's laying. My super tiny black/blue Silkie started squating last week. She is my smallest Silkie, all of 6"x6" if that. So one day last week I found a small (but much larger than I expected) cream colored egg. Yesterday I hung around and watched and sure enough, she layed another. Her egg's are big compared to her tiny size! So of my 18 girls, I only suspect 4 have started laying, and that includes little Alice. I do have a GLW that started squating a few days ago, also. They seem to all favor the same nest boxes and kind of line up and wait to use it, ignoring the other 4

We had a big frost here in Westmoreland/Rome this morning. It was my first encounter with partially frozen waterers. Both the inside and outside founts had a layer of ice. I'm looking at getting a heated fount for inside the coop, and yes... for my own sanity a coop heater! I found one at a place in Virginia for $119.00 I'm waiting for an email reply from them as I had some questions.
All my best, Karen

 

[rancher hicks]

Hi Karen , glad to hear your girls are starting to lay.

Rancher

 

[Cydney83]

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I understand your excitement! We have some new ones laying also and love to go out and see if we have a new one. I agree that was a heavy frost...no frozen water bowls. My silkies have not started to lay...well I think not....I have 18 new ones to start! Can I ask what you mean by "squating" ? Enjoy!