NY chicken lover!!!!

[ChuckD05]

Did you find a home?!?

I have not

 

[NNYchick]

I’m in Saratoga County, NY. New to chickens and wanting to learn more about wintering them. Mine won’t be adults until December.

Welcome!
I agree with bigdumogre, my chickens have always done much better in the cold than extreme heat. If healthy and fully feathered they shouldn’t have any issues with our cold weather.
I’m in northern NY and this is the first year with large fowl. I raised bantam ameraucana, silkies, and old English game bantams the last 8years. None of the bantams had issues with the cold, the OEGB would snuggle into the silkie rooster if we had negative temperatures and none of my bantams would go out on the snow. I’m hoping the large fowl will be better about going out in the snow.
My coop is not insulated and I don’t provide heat. I put up corrugated clear panels on the large open windows in the front and back to prevent drafts a snow blowing in but still allowing air circulation. The first year we put up clear plastic and humidity in the coop was a problem. I used the same panels for the last 6 years putting them up in October and taking down around march/April and storing them. This year we have to replace them because they got brittle. The initial investment in the panels is bigger than plastic but because we could reuse them it ended up cheaper than buying a roll of plastic every year. I leave smaller awning windows propped open at the bottom all year to allow circulation air but not drafts. Deep bedding of pine shavings or straw to insulate the floor.
Start thinking about winter water, they have to have drinkable water all day. If you are home during the day and can go out and break up the ice the black rubber livestock bowls work. I have used both heated dog bowls and the heated metal waterers with a heated base. I prefer the metal waterer because it stays cleaner.
You mentioned you are still building the coop. Are they still in the house? If so you want to leave open the window where they are, you want them to start accumulating to the temperature swings that are happening now.
Now is also the time to take a hard look at you chicken math. An overcrowded coop is harder on both the chickens and the chicken keeper. Overcrowding causes more health and behavior issues to deal with especially in the times we have long stretches of bad weather and they don’t want to leave the coop.

 

[Bigdumogre]

hiii! does anyone near long island or NYC have sexed and vaccinated chicks, NPIP certified? I can't find any near me at this time and idk if i should be hatching eggs bc i cannot keep roosters. thanks.

Talmage Farm Agway in Suffolk around riverhead. You can also check their site to see what breeds are available. Really great mom and pop style shop and all the chicks I have gotten from them are perfect.

 

[Stacy A]

Good morning everyone, new member here, and I'm a new chicken mother of 6 months as well. So far so good, a few hiccups along the way but a year of research before diving in set me up for success I believe. My concern for this winter keeps nagging at me.....I know that chickens are hearty and if coop is handled correctly it shouldn't be a concern BUT, the cold and wind where I live in relentless. I live 1800 ft up on top of a hill 25 miles south of Syracuse. Open farm fields all the way around, we get snow when the village 2 miles below is getting rain. I worry about providing supplemental heat because we DO lose power through the winter and don't have a generator for the coop. I don't want them to be acclimated to warmth. Any feedback? Thanks and I look forward to exchanging with you all

 

[AntiqueB]

Don't worry about heat. But some clear tarps or plastic panels, and enclose at least part of the run to give them a wind-free place. Cover the roof of the run, too. They'll be fine.

What's a bigger worry is keeping water from freezing during those outages. Have a plan for that, be it solar panels or running out every couple hours with fresh water.

 

[Bigdumogre]

Don't worry about heat. But some clear tarps or plastic panels, and enclose at least part of the run to give them a wind-free place. Cover the roof of the run, too. They'll be fine.

What's a bigger worry is keeping water from freezing during those outages. Have a plan for that, be it solar panels or running out every couple hours with fresh water.

Great advice you do not need supplemental heat for the winter. They are hardy fully feathered birds so just keep the coop draft free but also make sure to have some ventilation in it. Many birds live in the wild in the now and do fine. And our chickens have access to water and food and shelter at all times. We tend to over think it.

 

[SheaLoner]

Good morning everyone, new member here, and I'm a new chicken mother of 6 months as well. So far so good, a few hiccups along the way but a year of research before diving in set me up for success I believe. My concern for this winter keeps nagging at me.....I know that chickens are hearty and if coop is handled correctly it shouldn't be a concern BUT, the cold and wind where I live in relentless. I live 1800 ft up on top of a hill 25 miles south of Syracuse. Open farm fields all the way around, we get snow when the village 2 miles below is getting rain. I worry about providing supplemental heat because we DO lose power through the winter and don't have a generator for the coop. I don't want them to be acclimated to warmth. Any feedback? Thanks and I look forward to exchanging with you all

Clear plastic roof panels, heavy vinyl shower curtains, tarps. Use these to block the wind. Make sure to leave ventilation up high away from where they roost. If you have access to electricity get a heated waterer. Don't worry at all about heating them. The only concern should be creating too Much heat with the greenhouse effect.
You shouldn't need to winterize the coop til we get actual snow and freezing temps.

 

[Bigdumogre]

I have a thermometer screwed inside my coop so i can look at it and see what the temp is. Try and keep it as well-ventilated as possible without making it an ice box in the winter. Deep litter method works great too at keeping temps higher. And old feed bags secured to the inner walls as insulation if need be.

 

[SheaLoner]

I have a trio of Silver Deathlayers available if anyone in the area is interested. 16wks from a local breeder. They are a small layer type, less flighty than Leghorns, great free range instincts. Like to roost. Herkimer/Utica area.

 

[Bigdumogre]

Beautiful death layers!! Too bad you are not closer.