NY chicken lover!!!!

[NookNook01]

vacation

.....all I ever wanted, Vacation happy to get away!!! Sing it with me Peeps!!!

 

[AQHAchick22]

If I bring some chicks to the Nassau tailgate tomorrow (they are 2 weeks old) how do I deal with heat problem?
I'm thinking ill bring my patridge rocks, a couple of americaunas, my egyptian fayoumi, and some of my buff orp/red comet mixes... and maybe some speckled sussex and australorpes depending on how I'm feeling. Do you know if we have to sell at the 6 chick minimum?

 

[Lapeerian]

Ok those with the hoop coop set ups how often to you have to replace the tarps? Do you just have enclosed area for nest boxes mainly or a roosting area in there? I like the idea of them I just thought would be too cold or have to replace tarps every wind storm.

Jlaw

These are pics of my hoop coop on a trailer frame when it was in progress. Built it a year ago, stored inside the horse barn over winter. Tarp is holding up well, so far. One thing different I would do to help the tarp hold up would to be protect the edge of the cattle panel with an old piece of hose cut open lengthwise and slipped over the panel edge. That is the major wear spot, where the panel intersections rub the tarp. This is just a regular heavy-duty tarp from Lowe's. For winter I would like to get the nice clear tarps, so more light gets in. The chickens are locked in only at night. This is a 6x8 trailer frame. Used the full cattle panel (although I would recommend cutting down, so the tarp actually reaches the 2' side wall - thought for next time). Tarp is 10x12. The first pic you can see the drop down door for chicken and people use. The upper half is a hardware cloth covered window that can be swung up so you don't crack your head when cleaning.

Can see in this second picture the framework underneath. Roosts are on either side, up about 18" from the hardware cloth floor. Center is 2' wide plywood (covered in green cow mattress cover). The front (away from the camera) has hardware cloth in the upper square. The lower square is where the nest boxes will go. They are currently happily laying in a large litter box in the coop or the Eglu in the barn.

The ultimate goal is to have this parked out in the pasture, following the horses in after each paddock rotation.

 

[miquwid]

Greetings from Rochester NY I'm trying to keep up. Anywho, was curious if anyone knew if ivy was safe for chickens?

 

[Cass]

Greetings from Rochester NY I'm trying to keep up. Anywho, was curious if anyone knew if ivy was safe for chickens?

It is my opinion that chickens won't ingest anything that will kill them. They sure will peck at ANYTHING, but actually eat it? Not unless it is food.

 

[miquwid]

Thanks!

 

[featherz]

I will buy some back. My hatch rates are really low right now and will need some more roos for breeding this fall. Let me know when you will have some to sell.

I will! Probably in a few weeks - still have to decide who I want to keep. Will try to get pics tomorrow - they are looking good!

 

[rancher hicks]

If they really need your help, have them come to you...it will be easier on you and you will have your chickens to vent to if needed....

They'll need to sell the house in AL and DIL can't handle the responsibility and three little kids by herself. She a young thing and can not leave her mother.

 

[rancher hicks]

This was one of the reasons why I took the waterers OUT of the coops and turned them into buckets of water in their run. At least the food will stay in the coop and they'll scratch around for it if their bowl gets emptied. But I am liking how much cleaner the coops are staying now that they're out of them every day and out in the yard.

I keep heated waterers and food inside the covered runs. The coop with non runs get fresh water everyday. Food for these coops is inside. Surprisingly the tarp covered hoop coop stays about 5* warmer.

Each LF chicken produces 10 watts of heat. Of course the snow helps insulate the hoop coop too and I think holds the heat inside. The key is to keep the humidity down. A humid environment will kill a chicken a lot faster than a cold one.

Personally these high coops offer no floor room aka walking room compared to a short squatty coop.

Our old house had 9 foot ceilings. Any guesses where the heat was? I opted for low ceilings in our new house.

 

[rancher hicks]

It is my opinion that chickens won't ingest anything that will kill them. They sure will peck at ANYTHING, but actually eat it? Not unless it is food.

I have Ivy near my chickens and they don't seem to bother it. Just like my Lemon Balm. They ate nearly everything in the garden but that.