NY chicken lover!!!!

[Aria]

I would love to have geese too, but my younger son who is usually accepting and supportive hates geese. We camped in an area where there were geese, and one of them chased him all over with its wings out and neck extended. He was really fast, and the goose was really ******. The goose was about his size....he still can't find any beauty in those birds.

I AM WITH YOUR SON. WE HAD CHINA GEESE AND THEY CAUSED A BIG MESS. THEY CHASED
EVERYONE WHO CAME TO VISIT. AND US. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL TO ADMIRE. BUT
NOT 'my cup of tea". Regards, Aria

 

[rancher hicks]

19* f in the coop this morning. I actually caught some of the girls shivering when they came out for their food and water. Should I be worried?

What girls are these? Remember some breeds are more winter hardy.

I would make sure they have a full crop at bedtime. I realize folks like to feed whatever they choose but greens and non grains will not keep them warm. Save your scratch grains for the evening time. I make sure they have feed on demand. The winter time is not the time to skimp on feeding IMO.

Add more bedding to the floor if you think they need it.

I try to keep a full coop of chickens. This is why I wonder why folks downsize in the winter. Seems to me that's the time to upsize. The more bodies the more heat. Too, since they let up laying if you want eggs in the winter, I think it's the time to keep and access of hens.

I would stand in your coop, wet your finger and hold it up. See if there are any drafts. Ventilation is best up above to it draws the moist warm air that rises out of the coop.

I don't ferment feed, but I do buy the Agway Egg Producer Pellets that are 21% protein.

Of course there may be different opinions on the matter and you have to decide what's right for you. There's more than one way to skin a cat , you know.

 

[rancher hicks]

A thought on heat in the coop. Though I don't heat my coops or think it's necessary, but I respect those who do.

I realize there are those blasted "Heat lights" 250 watts and all. However, at one time I considered using one of those Oil filled radiator types in my coop.

My coop is divided by poultry wire so I had thought to hang the heater on that "wall" with heavy metal wire.

Or I suppose you could hang it with wire from the ceiling. Set on low it would be plenty to keep the coop above freezing.

Seems to me it'd be much safer than those heat lights. Of course you'd have to figure out how to keep them from roosting on it.

 

[Gramma Chick]

A thought on heat in the coop. Though I don't heat my coops or think it's necessary, but I respect those who do.

Seems to me it'd be much safer than those heat lights. Of course you'd have to figure out how to keep them from roosting on it.

Skin a cat ? AWWW
I would think the heat would stop them from roosting on it when it is on .
That would be a deluxe heater for sure .

By marquisella - I forgot to mention how cute they are .
Ive often thought a goose would be nice to keep the stray dogs out of our yard or a billy goat ...
No chance of us ever getting our own dog ..I can dream ...ZZZ...
I can see a dog being inside with us ..though ..not outside with the chickens ..I get very attached to any animal I have .

 

[Gramma Chick]

Quote:
thanks I will look

 

[ke5hde]

I found 2 duck eggs today e They were frozen solid and cracked wide open but they're laying finally. I guess it's time to start locking them up at night again. I actually prefer duck eggs so it'll be nice to have some again.

 

[Lynzi777]

I found 2 duck eggs today

They were frozen solid and cracked wide open but they're laying finally. I guess it's time to start locking them up at night again. I actually prefer duck eggs so it'll be nice to have some again.

After posting this morning about my duck not laying now for three days, I went out there to check to see if she laid it in the snow again and sure enough she did. It was stuck frozen in the ice/snow. I had to pour hot water over it to get it out without breaking it. Can't wait to start collecting eggs from them to hatch!

 

[Breella]

What girls are these? Remember some breeds are more winter hardy.

I would make sure they have a full crop at bedtime. I realize folks like to feed whatever they choose but greens and non grains will not keep them warm. Save your scratch grains for the evening time. I make sure they have feed on demand. The winter time is not the time to skimp on feeding IMO.

Add more bedding to the floor if you think they need it.

I try to keep a full coop of chickens. This is why I wonder why folks downsize in the winter. Seems to me that's the time to upsize. The more bodies the more heat. Too, since they let up laying if you want eggs in the winter, I think it's the time to keep and access of hens.

I would stand in your coop, wet your finger and hold it up. See if there are any drafts. Ventilation is best up above to it draws the moist warm air that rises out of the coop.

I don't ferment feed, but I do buy the Agway Egg Producer Pellets that are 21% protein.

Of course there may be different opinions on the matter and you have to decide what's right for you. There's more than one way to skin a cat , you know.

It was Blizzard, my accident prone white leghorn. Recently (two days ago i believe) she broke off a chunk of her toenail and lost quite a bit of blood before I found her and was able to get some pressure on it to stop the bleeding. There was once again blood all over the coop. If predators didn't know I had chickens before, between her recent spree of injuries they sure know now. I'm not sure what the total blood volume of a chicken is, or how long it takes them to replenish (takes us humans about 3 months to make new bloodcells) but her comb and waddles are not very pale so I don't think she has lost a considerable volume. She wouldn't leave the coop this AM, stood inside, feathers fluffed out and one leg up, shaking like a leaf. I caught Duane shivering too but he was outside hock deep in the snow digging for the fermented BOSS I threw out there to get him to turn up the leaves under the snow for the girls.

As for a full crop before bedtime I bring out a bowl of Fermented Feed before bed every night when I do my check. Frenchie gets her own bowl up on the roost (her feathers are coming back!!) and everyone else comes down to the floor to eat. I check the roosts, clean off the poop from the bars and quickly remove the days poop that was made while I was at work while everyone eats the food at my feet. I count everyone as they come back up and check for general wellness (did everyone come eat? Did everyone look alert and ok? Poop all looked ok?)

I'm currently fermenting Agway Starter/Grower which is 18% or 19% protein before it's fermented. They have free choice 24 hour access to a 5gal bucket feeder of the agway starter/grower that has oyster shell, grit, and DE mixed in. They also get a mix of fermented BOSS/Scratch grains/Corn in the early AM when I open the door and refill the water/break the ice.

I have the eaves at the back of the shed open for ventilation, I put up some old feed bags to stop the direct drafts from the north side. I have been removing poop on a daily basis to lower humidity. I'm also working on fighting this lice infestation, I'm treating with Permthrin dust for now since I had it on hand already.

 

[AQHAchick22]

I've been looking at muck boots and now I'm seeing ad's all over the place

Also I hate the deep litter method in the winter....ughhhhhh my toes are frozen from mixing up the bedding. Now I really do need these muck boots.

 

[featherz]

I bought my purple Mucks on Amazon for about $40 after an amazon coupon, so I am happy. Mucked around with them today - such a shame to mess up the purple!!