NY chicken lover!!!!

[Gramma Chick]

Quote: Tell him to do research on chicken coop fires and heat lamps

I don't know if you should give them options with the perches in the winter.

What do the rest of y'all think? They might prefer the skinnier roosts that they could curl their toes under , if it makes them feel more stable. Then they might use those exclusively and ignore the wider ones, and still get frostbite from the toes being exposed under the perch. The idea is to have all their toes flat so that their belly rests on the whole foot, keeping it warm.

mine roost on the skinny side of a 2x 4 no problem with frost bit toes

 

[tao chick]

anyone else have a chick that has failed to thrive ?
 It is 3 months - has not grown in a month or so .
It has this hunckered down stance ...tells me it doesnt feel well.
I started it on amoxilin to see if that helps it .
Most times I cant feel a crop ...it has never had stinky breath that I know of ( crop issues )
I have seen it eat though...it does kind of pick .

Yes, I've had two. If I remember correctly, the first made it to 8 weeks old and was still the size of a 2 weeker and didn't feather other than wings. The second time I euthanized at about 3 weeks old as it was obviously unhealthy.

 

[boskelli1571]

I don't know if you should give them options with the perches in the winter.

What do the rest of y'all think? They might prefer the skinnier roosts that they could curl their toes under , if it makes them feel more stable. Then they might use those exclusively and ignore the wider ones, and still get frostbite from the toes being exposed under the perch. The idea is to have all their toes flat so that their belly rests on the whole foot, keeping it warm.

Mine have a choice of wide or narrow. The narrow perches are tree limbs - most of them choose to sit on the narrow ones...

 

[Beer can]

Ugh pyxis, PREACH. I have been trying to convince mr baunlee that a heat lamp in the coop isnt needed. I think right now he is so exhausted from work that he has given up the fight. I hope I have worn him down over the years. Hopefully this year I can succeed to our first year without heating coop. I'm back from school now so I have more pull. haha Buffalo though...cold as evah

Quote:

Thanks - like I said, I was 90% of the way to this conclusion on my own, and the "don't heat" votes definitely have it. The one modification I will make will be to lay a wider roosting plank in there. They currently have 4, all about 2.5 ft long and about 1.5-2" wide. They seem to like them ok so far, but to prevent frost bitten toes, I plan to screw a 2x4 (wide side up) on top of 2 of the 4 so they have width options.

Thanks again guys !

Very good funny article on cold weather coops in Alaska;
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/cold-weather-poultry-housing
Last paragraph:

"Oops! Heat!

Achem. I didn’t mention heat, because I don’t heat.

Heat, in fact any electric, greatly increases the risk of fire in your coop. A coop is a prime tinder box. It is full of dust as well as dry bedding, so it needs very little to start the entire thing blazing.

I do use heat lamps with baby poultry that have no mother to provide heat. So, there are sometimes that I use heat, but I do not use heat in the winter.

If you are worried about your poultry being cold, I would recommend adding insulation and wind blocks. Make sure you don’t block the ventilation.

I think that my poultry are much hardier without any heat, I also have frequent power outages so getting my poultry used to heat would be unwise."

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Another reason not to heat is that if they get chilly they eat. A well fed chicken taste better than one that stayed warm all winter.

 

[Metella]

No heat - no plastic and an entire open front on mine ... all hardware wire - of course - my coop is DEEP so they can choose to roost close to the wire front or further back and mine also like the narrower parts of the boards. Sawdust, hay and dander - a perfect mix to start a fire with any slight mishap - besides making the birds sicker .... just don't do it -

Feed them really well in the winter and make sure no rain gets into them - they should be just fine - especially the breeds you have.

Good luck and share pictures !!!

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I wish someone would tell my chickens to stay out of the rain. They play in it every chance they get.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

No, chicken girl, just a regular, run of the mill red sexlink. I was bathing them in flea and tick shampoo because I saw the two red sex links had body mites and leg mites. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone by giving them that bath, and I bathed all seven chickens that day. I figured that they all probably have the mites to some degree, since they all roost together.

I use topical ivermectin for external bugs of any type. A drop on the skin under each wing, a drop on each side of the vent and a drop on the neck where they can't reach while preening. Works great ! If you have bantams ( I do ) on them a drop under each wing and maybe one by the vent if you see bugs or eggs sacs at the base of the feathers.

Make sure they have acsess to a dust bath.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Have any of you herd about us getting 2 feet of snow up here soon?

 

[baunlee]

Thought this was a nice idea..wanted to share for any chicken friends that might have a kiddo(s) with special needs:

Empower Offers Quiet, One-on-One Time with Santa to Families of Children With Disabilities On Sunday, December 18, Empower will hold Sensitive Santa, a free sensory-friendly opportunity for children with disabilities to visit Santa. Every holiday season, families of children with disabilities forgo visiting Santa out of fear of how their child will react to the noise and crowds that go along with this popular tradition. Some children with disabilities, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder, are more sensitive to and are unable to process bright lights, loud noises or crowded areas. They may respond to such heightened surroundings by lashing out, yelling or engaging in repetitive behaviors, which can draw stares from passersby. That is why Empower is offering Sensitive Santa, where children can spend one-on-one time with Santa in a sensory-friendly environment. According to Empower CEO, Jeff Paterson: "Sensitive Santa ensures that every child gets the chance to visit Santa, to share what they most want for the holidays and to preserve the memory by having a photo taken. It is just Santa and the family with two Empower staff members taking photos. It is a fun, anxiety-free outing for the whole family." Sensitive Santa will take place in the afternoon, on Sunday, December 18 at Empower, 9812 Lockport Rd., Niagara Falls, NY 14304. It is free, but advanced registration is required. To make an appointment, please contact Robin Stevens at (716) 478-9528 or [email protected].