NY chicken lover!!!!

[boskelli1571]

I make mine in a 2 gallon bucket. Typically I make about a week's worth, and when it gets down to a day or two worth I add more dry food and water. They seem to like it best when it's the consistency of lumpy oatmeal. No matter how you do it, stirring it up good once every day is the most important part.

How many birds do you have?

 

[shodack]

Only four. I don't fill the whole bucket, just about half way. If I filled it up it would be too heavy for me to haul around!

 

[shodack]

Have any of you used a birdbath deicer in your water? The ones I found say they are safe for plastic so I just might try it out. The blasted water is freezing before they have a chance to drink much of it and I feel bad. The coop is still much warmer than the outside temp so I know they are ok there but they need fresh UNFROZEN water at all times. And UNFROZEN just isn't going to happen today.

I thought about trying one, but decided to give the heated dog dish a try first. I'm very pleased, after yesterday and today, not frozen!

 

[Beer can]

@Chicken girl 15 I was going to use a birdbath heater in a five gallon bucket with nipples, I hear they work great. If the nipples freeze up in extreme cold it they say holding your hands on them for a little bit thaws them out, the water in the bucket doesn't freeze. I hope to have a couple next yr. Rubber pan will do this yr. I have mine a couple inches into the litter, only froze over night, grounds not froze yet. The other coop I have it outside where the sun hits it. Both only had a thin layer of ice on the surface from 7am to 1pm when I left for work.
I'm not worried, last two winters were subzero for months, I can deal with a few cold days this winter, going to be between 35 and 50 for the whole rest of the winter this yr.

 

[boskelli1571]

Only four. I don't fill the whole bucket, just about half way. If I filled it up it would be too heavy for me to haul around!

Ok - I have 30 birds so I will have to do some finessing I think.....

 

[BakerzDozen]

If it helps you to sleep knowing they're inside with you then by all means do so.  A couple of weeks inside won't hurt, but then you'll be torn when it comes time to move them out. 

I am going to bring the whole bunch in because our chickens aren't located on premises. They are a few blocks from my apartment at the home I own. We are required to live here at the building complex my husband manages. I hate it here but have little choice in the matter at this time.
Anyway, I think it will be the safest alternative as another problem developed a short time ago. My husband is going in for neck surgery next Tuesday. We just got word today that his operation is next week.
Complicated because I haven't driven in 4 years because of the narcotics I am on, I don't feel I am safe to drive. We have someone to care for the coop for 2 weeks to a month, but the broody makes it complicated.
And so life happens while you're making other plans.

 

[Devona]

Have any of you used a birdbath deicer in your water? The ones I found say they are safe for plastic so I just might try it out. The blasted water is freezing before they have a chance to drink much of it and I feel bad. The coop is still much warmer than the outside temp so I know they are ok there but they need fresh UNFROZEN water at all times. And UNFROZEN just isn't going to happen today.

I've used a birdbath de-icer for wild birds. I don't see why it couldn't be done for chickens. But I think it will only melt the middle of the container where it's sitting, when it gets really cold, so it might not work for large containers with a lot of water. Maybe a shallow container? And if you're hesitant to put it directly on the plastic container, you could support it on a couple of small rocks or bricks set inside the container

 

[shodack]

Ok - I have 30 birds so I will have to do some finessing I think.....

Oh yes! Check out the fermented feed thread in the Feeding and Watering your flock section- it has been So helpful for me!

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Ok - I have 30 birds so I will have to do some finessing I think.....

I have 20 getting FF and I make mine in a 5 gallon bucket. To start it I used 3 cereal bowls of dry feed and covered in water. Let sit 2 days and put 2/3 of it into the feed pan. Added 2 more bowls of dry and more water. Just kept adjusting the amount fed and made until they were getting it twice daily and I wasn't running out. Not it comes out to 1/3 a bucket dry covered by water and stirred daily. All that was worth the big fat shiny birds it gave me, plus the savings in feed. Well until the last week, cold chickens EAT A LOT!!!! FF twice a day and filling the hanging feeder every 3 days again.

 

[Devona]

So the extra FF left in the bucket doesn't spoil? Since you're not using it all out, and just adding to it?