NY chicken lover!!!!

[Cass]

check

please

 

[Cass]

Hello every one hope every ones doing good I just have a few questions what would be a good insulation for my hen house .what is preening . And how would I post pics of my chickens so can share with every one thanks have a good night every one

Can't help you with posting pictures. See other's posts regarding that.

Preening has been explained.

Coop insulation is not needed or even desirable unless you live in Iceland....and even in Iceland they bred their chickens for cold hardiness and don't insulate coop. You don't want the inside of your coop to get wet, so it needs to be sound enough to keep the weather out. You need ventilation to keep the ammonia and water vapor from building up. (first is problem in summer and second problem in winter. Ventilation solves both.) Chickens wear a Down coat, year round. More chickens are lost to excess heat (lack of ventilation can cause that too) than ever lost to cold.
Somewhere I saw a coop with the entire front was a huge glassless window; chicken wire where glass should be. The coop was south facing and the window area was left open all winter. The roosts were in the back of the coop away from the window so the wind didn't blow directly on the birds.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

check

is in the mail.

 

[NookNook01]

check

Yo'self before you wreck yo'self!!

 

[JLaw]

Jaylaw - I need one of those bucket things for our sump pump. Right now it's just a small hole. A lot of digging to be done though. Never caught a mouse in ours though.

I did go around the basement with "Stuff" and fill in many of the holes where mice can get in. What a messy job in the crawl spaces. I wore gloves but manage to get it on my clothes and on my arms.

From what it looks like they cemented around a 5 gal bucket then took/broke it out. Floor looks like they've laid cement at different times i'll have to take a pic later. One spot looks like they had a goat pen down there i thought of boarding it off and useing for baby chick area in winter but so cold down there don't know if i could make it work.

well back to work
jlaw

 

[brahmapapa]

I no longer count days. I candle and if they hatch they hatch. The less I stress and mess about the better things go.

i don't count days either, i make a general note as to approx when they should hatch so i am prepared with space for them to brood, but if any egg hasn't hatched a week after its approx due date its trashes.

 

[brahmapapa]

If I get another Incubator I will take you up on that offer but right now the bator is full (finger is hovering over the purchase button of a Hovabator right now LOL)

Melissa

well let me know if you want a few, i still get eggs every day.

 

[Breella]

I wish my dog was like this!
SO CUTE!!


Also, 24-48 hours until hatch!

 

[brahmapapa]

OK everyone am going to get another incubator which one should I get Brinsea or a Hovabator ? I have a Brinsea and this is the first time I have used it so have no comparison.

my recommendation is an R-COM, I can't recommend them enough, to my knowledge they are the only bator that actually adjusts the humidity, all others just monitor it and you have to adjust the humidity. My hatch rates are great. They are expensive but worth every penny.

 

[miquwid]

Thank you Rancher and everyone so much for your thoughts. You have no idea how much your words meant to me. Even though I've never met any of you I knew I needed to cry over my computer with all of you before I told anyone else. Knowing that I'm not alone when things like this happens makes all the difference in the world. Since I'm letting my chickens live out their natural lives I know I'll have to do this again but hopefully it won't be because of my ignorance. I know I was being a big baby about it but at least I know that you guys would understand. I guess this will also help prepare me for when my 12 1/2 year old dog leaves my side. I'll need grieve counseling after that.

Thanks again and I truly appreciate it.

Jay

We are here for you!

They are cute, and getting big fast! How's mama doing?

From what I've gathered from everyone else, insulating a coop is not always a good idea. Chickens produce a lot of heat so insulation in the summer can be very harmful and insulation in the winter can lead to frost bite if there isn't enough ventilation.

Preening is what a chicken does to clean it's feathers. Takes its beak and kinda runs it thru a feather to the edge. If that makes sense.

To upload pics from your computer there is a little button in above the message box you type in to post, looks like a picture of a mountain and sun I think? Click on that, choose browse and open the picture where it's saved to your PC, click upload and viola!

If not carefully done they end up eating the insulation anyway.

No insulation needed. Their feathers keep them toasty warm. Mine are in a hoop coop covered with canvas. All they need is a draft free house with good ventilation and to be kept dry.

We get snow and temps during the winter that can & does get in the single digits with wind chills below zero.

Under my pic is a link to my coop if ur interested in the set up. Everyone here is very friendly &

Agreed!