NY chicken lover!!!!

[lisa523]

My 3 layers have gone on strike! ! Not even 1 egg today.

Maybe they are molting.

 

[lisa523]

Im going to be putting up construction plastic on the two sides the wind hits so hard. Here it is the north and west side.

 

[boskelli1571]

I need advice too.

1. I don't have a fenced run. My chickens ate everything possible in the run I had fenced, so I let them roam the whole property now. Is this still feasible in winter? Would they even want to go out in deep snow?

2. I'm building my nipple watering system, which says 10 nipples is good for 30 chickens. Does that sound right? I'm thinking about this and confusing myself. I should just draw it out and do the research.

3. If your chickens have to be cooped for longer amounts of time, would you increase the ratio of square footage per chicken? I'm really confused about how many chickens I could keep in my coop during winter.

I put four of my 7-week old cockerels in their bachelor pad today. Right now there's 14 chickens in the bigger coop. Its floor space is about 8' x 10'. Surrounding the floor space is shelving, nesting and storage. There is a single roost that is 8' long between the top shelves. Do you recommend another roost?

I did read about Mareks and it is one of the reasons I've been shying away from buying chicks. For now I'll keep a closed flock and hope I can keep my chickens healthy without leaky immunizations.

Morning! I'm sure you've read the 'average' sq. ft/bird ratios - over winter I believe it's supposed to be 10/bird. Mine live in coops in a barn, so over winter they usually don't go out in the snow - their choice. I would think the barn has 150sq. ft for 30 birds. There is the occasional squabble, but generally they get along ok. The bantams have rails, peches etc. they even sit on the rooves of the coops, so I don't worry about them being picked on! I don't think it's the roost so much as the room - chickens are like kids - they get bored and start picking at each other.
Diversion therapy - cabbage tetherball etc. scratch tossed on the floor all help. Of course, I only have 4 bantams roosters - not sure how roosters are over winter, this is my 1st year with them.......
Your waterer sounds plenty big enough to be, but if you have the availability to put a small heated waterer somewhere else so that 'bully' birds can't guard the water - just a thought.

 

[boskelli1571]

Thanks . It' a bungalow style coop with 3 attached runs .

hold 6 chickens ...I have 5 now I ended up with 2 roosters out of 6 so I was able to rehome one of the guys . We installed 2 additional perches towards the top of the coop . They preferred them to the two that were on the bottom of the coop. It only has 3 nesting boxes . There is a latched cut out of wood that can be removed. I called the manufacturer as of right now the dont have an add on nesting box yet . But told me i could build one if I wanted or there might be one for purchase in the future .

Nice coop design! You probably need to protect the 'weather' sides of your coop - plastic, tarp, straw bales to keep a little bit of warmth in there. Have you got a heated waterer? You will be so happy to have one - it will save you from running to the coop every couple of hours to change the frozen water! Also, don't forget to pick up the eggs regularly or they will freeze

 

[tao chick]

Morning!  I'm sure you've read the 'average' sq. ft/bird ratios - over winter I believe it's supposed to be 10/bird.  Mine live in coops in a barn, so over winter they usually don't go out in the snow - their choice. I would think the barn has 150sq. ft for 30 birds. There is the occasional squabble, but generally they get along ok. The bantams have rails, peches etc. they even sit on the rooves of the coops, so I don't worry about them being picked on!  I don't think it's the roost so much as the room - chickens are like kids - they get bored and start picking at each other.
  Diversion therapy - cabbage tetherball etc. scratch tossed on the floor all help. Of course, I only have 4 bantams roosters - not sure how roosters are over winter, this is my 1st year with them.......
   Your waterer sounds plenty big enough to be, but if you have the availability to put a small heated waterer somewhere else so that 'bully' birds can't guard the water - just a thought.

I'm guessing that 16 is my max number for winter. The 18 plus whatever hatches over the next month will have to make due with cramped quarters until December when I can sell and process some down to 16. I have 10 that I won't part with. That means up to six more get to stay for the heart of winter in January and February. Writing that down has made me reconsider the size of the space the chickens have access to. I can open up a little more of the barn and get to enough space for 30 birds (the maximum amount of room in that section is 170 square feet but I prefer keeping a walkway when I enter the coop.) I just have to rearrange some things. Ugh. So much to think about.

 

[boskelli1571]

I'm guessing that 16 is my max number for winter. The 18 plus whatever hatches over the next month will have to make due with cramped quarters until December when I can sell and process some down to 16. I have 10 that I won't part with. That means up to six more get to stay for the heart of winter in January and February. Writing that down has made me reconsider the size of the space the chickens have access to. I can open up a little more of the barn and get to enough space for 30 birds (the maximum amount of room in that section is 170 square feet but I prefer keeping a walkway when I enter the coop.) I just have to rearrange some things. Ugh. So much to think about.

Well - if you do the 'ideal' math, my numbers are way over the allowance, but I don't have too many roos'. By my calculation, 17 birds for you would be 'ideal' - so a few more won't likely be a problem............

 

[Purpletie3]

...just raise bantams...there's room for 100 or so...JK
Quote:

 

[tao chick]

...just raise bantams...there's room for 100 or so...JK

So I often claim that my children ate my brain. I used to consider myself intelligent and on task. I now have three children and often feel scattered.
I used to be good at math then I got chickens. Now I've reconfigured the numbers so I will keep somewhere between 16 and 18 long term with brief stays (growing out cockerels and selling extras from hatch) from another 12 to 20 (depending on how my last hatches of the year go.) December will be an interesting month.

 

[myfivegirls]

Yeah, same here not going by the "ideal" sq. ft/ bird during the summer, and I try to get the numbers an little closer during the winter. Outdoors space is plenty, especially with the rotational grass paddocks. After the auction yesterday, the coops do look a lot more "empty", especially the one coop with multiple levels of roosts.

Today had a lady call wanting 4 laying hens, preferably ones hatched this year - after seeing my craigslist ad for the 1 - 2 yr old hens that I ended up taking to the auction.
If only she'd responded 24 hours earlier, she could have had some hens, but I thought everyone was done adding more this late in the year. Oh, well.
When I told her I did have some young pullets that wouldn't start laying until spring, she wanted ones closer to laying.

 

[Purpletie3]

So I often claim that my children ate my brain. I used to consider myself intelligent and on task. I now have three children and often feel scattered.
I used to be good at math then I got chickens. Now I've reconfigured the numbers so I will keep somewhere between 16 and 18 long term with brief stays (growing out cockerels and selling extras from hatch) from another 12 to 20 (depending on how my last hatches of the year go.) December will be an interesting month.

I have one and I am fried!!! Except for my students...add an extra 30! I think you will get a feel for your area to know if it is ok or not! If not, make soup!