NY chicken lover!!!!

[rancher hicks]

With my chickens the rooster in the hoop coop was the only one with out frost bite on his comb. The coop I think needs more ventilation. Chickens exhale quite a bit of moisture.

While the runs are covered with plastic they aren't "sealed" up tight and some snow might get in if it's windy too. Mostly the floor stays clean and with a bale of straw to scratch in it stays nice. I might add some more straw if things get to messy. If it's not to cold I might leave the run door open since I snow blow an area of the yard.

With the exception of the new half hoop coop there will be no food and water in the coop. I get up and let them out early. I might toss some scratch in the coop in the evening or at night. I carry hot water to the runs each morning and afternoon so they have fresh water. I use gallon milk jugs and my wagon. I bring the waterers inside at night and this allows me to wash them if they are too dirty. It's work but at least it gives me an edge on keeping them healthy.

I realize there are those who have chicken "pets", but I just don't have that kind of room or time. I work toward hardy birds who can survive with little intervention.

 

[Glasshen]

Today I plan to take down the electric fence for the winter. That made me wonder if there is a way to run my heated dog bowl off the battery that in warm weather runs the fence. The dog bowl uses a plug, so last Year I ran a heavy duty extension cord. It looked a bit ghetto, and is sort of a safety "don't".

Yesterday my husband changed the door so that it swings out so I can put shavings on the floor for my modified deep litter experiment. Now there is a space above the door that is open. I plan to put hardware cloth there, and it will give me more ventilation. The girls only gave me two eggs yesterday, in protest of all the changes. Today they already gave me three! They seem to like the shavings, and since the big bag is in the coop, I think they e en spread a little more for themselves. Such helpers.

But does anyone know if the battery could be used in this way?

 

[rancher hicks]

Don't know about the bowl. I run a cord cuz it's the only way to get electricity to the coop. Since I run christmas lights around the garden I need the cords anyhow.

I am however open to donations to have permanent lectricity to the coop if anyone has a mind and doesn't want me to be ghetto.

No heated waterers yet though. In my mind it's just to tempting to not keep clean water in the buckets with water nipples. Plus it's hard to clean the waterers.

 

[Glasshen]

Rancher, I am sure your cords are way more tasteful than mine.

 

[Lapeerian]

Ok chicken folk, I have a work related request. This is for somewhere in NY, not sure what county, but thought this would be a great place to find this kind of info!

"We have a pending application from a small farm specialty meat market producer and are looking for any sources of information on pricing for ducks/Cornish hens and guinea fowl – wholesale or retail – birds to be farm dressed or slaughtered at USDA plant"

If anyone has information pertaining to this request, you may PM me. I will then forward it on to the appropriate person. Thanks!

 

[Cass]

10 eggs today. WHY didn't I put a light in the large coop last year? I don't have enough birds to feed them without them laying. Silly me, I chose breeds I liked, not ones known for laying ability. I'm learning tho. I have 2 hens of some production breed (person I raised them for decided she didn't want to add them "in the winter". Blah) I can't wait for them to start laying so I can hatch their eggs and have some more green eggs. (probably light green, since they will lay light brown eggs)

Rancher, I highly recommend heated waterers. Saves me a LOT of work. I go down once a day with 2 buckets, one empty, one full. I pour the left over water into the empty one and refill it from the full one. If I had to go own 2 or 3 times a day, they would be very thirsty, cuz I just wouldn't do it. Too lazy and hate the cold. I DO have permanant electricity to my coop however, so no lead cords strung across the yard.

Some people put their regular waterer on top of a cookie tin heater. I guess I could have done that, since I have a load of cookie tins around the house, but ordering the dog bowls online was far easier than cutting holes in a cookie tin. If I am ever allowed another coop, I do think I'll try the cookie tin thingy, just to save some money.

 

[Gramma Chick]

All plans of house cleaning have been cancelled due to stomach bug. Little girl had it last Thursday, hubby this Thursday and now me today. Hooray, just what I wanted. Knew something was wrong when hubby made eggs over easy this morning and felt ill just looking at them. I'm ok, as long as i stay laying on the couch and don't eat or drink anything. Tossed a couple pedialyte pops in the freezer for 'dinner'.

Sorry to hear your sick ..You must have a nice loving family . We always passed everything to each other when the kids were little ..We hugged 7 kissed alot so we shared our germs too

 

[rancher hicks]

10 eggs today. WHY didn't I put a light in the large coop last year? I don't have enough birds to feed them without them laying. Silly me, I chose breeds I liked, not ones known for laying ability. I'm learning tho. I have 2 hens of some production breed (person I raised them for decided she didn't want to add them "in the winter". Blah) I can't wait for them to start laying so I can hatch their eggs and have some more green eggs. (probably light green, since they will lay light brown eggs)

Rancher, I highly recommend heated waterers. Saves me a LOT of work. I go down once a day with 2 buckets, one empty, one full. I pour the left over water into the empty one and refill it from the full one. If I had to go own 2 or 3 times a day, they would be very thirsty, cuz I just wouldn't do it. Too lazy and hate the cold. I DO have permanant electricity to my coop however, so no lead cords strung across the yard.

Some people put their regular waterer on top of a cookie tin heater. I guess I could have done that, since I have a load of cookie tins around the house, but ordering the dog bowls online was far easier than cutting holes in a cookie tin. If I am ever allowed another coop, I do think I'll try the cookie tin thingy, just to save some money.

The thing is the birds back wash and I just can't stand giving them dirty containers. I do have two five gallon buckets with nipples but they get dirty too. I may give them a try but the heaters are expensive.

I've considered the tin can thing but it seems just to much work to me. My coops are all separated. I'm headed home Wed. I do hope everything is ok and it warms for a day or two so I can get the hoses in. Who knows I might be surprised and find they were taken in.

Glass - I use green extension cords and over most of the top of them is garden/patio lights There's some birds, dragon flies and flowers. What ever is on sale at the end of summer. I also have some Christmas lights. Makes it a little easier to see at night when I got out to close things up.

Lapeerian - please take care and gets some rest.

 

[Henicillin]

Our coop is wired with a connection from the garage. My husband ran the wiring through PVC piping on the ground and through the hollow tube at the top of the chain-link fence that forms part of the run. It's quite clever, and power to the coop can be cut off in an instant with a kill switch in the garage.

It looks like the two chicks that survived out of my hatch batch from Rancher are both cockerels. One is a Del, and the other one, the bluish-gray bird who seemed frizzly at first, has turned out to be an Easter Egger whose hackle and saddle feathers are coming in bronze. I'll be keeping the Del, and my sister will be getting the EE, along with a couple of random pullets. I'm also keeping my big sweetheart of a Jersey Giant/Sussex cross, and, of course, Flockmaster Captain Morgan. The others are going to freezer camp. I may just slack off and have Berkshire View process them for me instead of doing it myself, as it would take me approximately forever to do five birds at once on my own. I'm going to call them tomorrow for a quote.

Speaking of extra/mean roosters, this sounds like a great use for them. http://www.emerils.com/recipe/4687/Creole-Chicken,-Red-Beans-and-Rice-Soup

 

[vmdanielsen]

Our coop is wired with a connection from the garage. My husband ran the wiring through PVC piping on the ground and through the hollow tube at the top of the chain-link fence that forms part of the run. It's quite clever, and power to the coop can be cut off in an instant with a kill switch in the garage.

It looks like the two chicks that survived out of my hatch batch from Rancher are both cockerels. One is a Del, and the other one, the bluish-gray bird who seemed frizzly at first, has turned out to be an Easter Egger whose hackle and saddle feathers are coming in bronze. I'll be keeping the Del, and my sister will be getting the EE, along with a couple of random pullets. I'm also keeping my big sweetheart of a Jersey Giant/Sussex cross, and, of course, Flockmaster Captain Morgan. The others are going to freezer camp. I may just slack off and have Berkshire View process them for me instead of doing it myself, as it would take me approximately forever to do five birds at once on my own. I'm going to call them tomorrow for a quote.

Speaking of extra/mean roosters, this sounds like a great use for them. http://www.emerils.com/recipe/4687/Creole-Chicken,-Red-Beans-and-Rice-Soup

I have been to Berkshire view twice and have been happy with their work. Good luck!!