NY chicken lover!!!!

[happyhensny]

Quote:
Isn't that funny how many states have the SAME town names. Probably aren't many Schenectady's out there though.

 

[critterranch]

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howdy i just have regular r-12 house fiberglass insul in my coop and i use a 75 watt for light. they use there body heat to stay warm never have had frostbite.
coop never goes below 20 but mostly never below 35-40

 

[TheBarnSwallow]

Thanks guys for the responses

.. If Jason and i end up buying a house out in the boondocks I want as much winter information as possible for if and when we get chickens

 

[marquisella]

Quote:
Fort Drum is in the northern part of the state, a lot colder than most other areas. I live in Central NY, it can get to -20 at times, and up at Fort drum it can hit -30

If you end up with chickens, all they need is a draft free coop, maybe with a light to help with the extreem cold. Otherwise, they will be f ine.

 

[happyhensny]

Quote:
Fort Drum is in the northern part of the state, a lot colder than most other areas. I live in Central NY, it can get to -20 at times, and up at Fort drum it can hit -30

If you end up with chickens, all they need is a draft free coop, maybe with a light to help with the extreem cold. Otherwise, they will be f ine.

Exactly!

 

[greymane]

Quote:
Fort Drum is in the northern part of the state, a lot colder than most other areas. I live in Central NY, it can get to -20 at times, and up at Fort drum it can hit -30

If you end up with chickens, all they need is a draft free coop, maybe with a light to help with the extreem cold. Otherwise, they will be f ine.

Exactly!

Up there, the six feet of snow around the coop will keep it partially insulated (kinda like an igloo).

(Just kidding...mostly.)

 

[Cass]

Quote:
Fort Drum is in the northern part of the state, a lot colder than most other areas. I live in Central NY, it can get to -20 at times, and up at Fort drum it can hit -30

If you end up with chickens, all they need is a draft free coop, maybe with a light to help with the extreem cold. Otherwise, they will be f ine.

Ahhh...Fort Drum can have days that the HIGH is 0....I'd definately have the option of some supplimental heat....be it a light bulb or small ceramic heater. And draft free is a definate must. Or get Islandic chickens. I hear they can free range in Iceland in the winter.

 

[MyBlackHen]

My coop is draft-free but not insulated. My chickens were fine all last winter. It was cold in the coop, not much warmer than the outside temperature. On nights that were below zero I turned on a heat lamp above their roost, but other than that, they did find on their own.

Unfortunately, my chickens hated the snow, so they were "cooped" up for a good two months! I have a large coop so they had plenty of room, but I felt bad for them. They just did not like walking in the snow. When it was less than an inch deep they would brave it, but after that they just turned around and went back inside.

I had a light on a timer during the day all winter long to keep their laying up - and it worked very well! I had plenty of eggs all winter.

Not looking forward to that cold weather just yet!

 

[Henicillin]

I am not a happy camper this evening. Our ratchafratchin' Pullet-Shut door has completely died after about a month of extremely poor performance. We've had four different batteries on the thing. The last two batteries have been essentially worthless, to the point that we've had to go out and shut the thing manually every night (it'd half-open in the mornings). Tonight the blasted door itself actually broke. DH is going to call the manufacturers (he can describe exactly what he's done better than I can) to see if we have any recourse, or if we're stuck with a pricey paperweight. We bought the thing in mid-July, so I hope that something can be done.

I'm holding off on the nasty review here on BYC until after we speak to them...

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
Fort Drum is in the northern part of the state, a lot colder than most other areas. I live in Central NY, it can get to -20 at times, and up at Fort drum it can hit -30

If you end up with chickens, all they need is a draft free coop, maybe with a light to help with the extreem cold. Otherwise, they will be f ine.

Ahhh...Fort Drum can have days that the HIGH is 0....I'd definately have the option of some supplimental heat....be it a light bulb or small ceramic heater. And draft free is a definate must. Or get Islandic chickens. I hear they can free range in Iceland in the winter.

Many of my Sumatra's are completely ferrel. They live in a big spruce tree in my front yard. Can't coop them, can't catch them generally. Winter doesn't bother them in the least. 26 inches of snow, out free ranging. 20 degree's below zero, they sit tight until it warms up to zero, then they free range. Ice storms, not a problem. Great hardy birds. Same in the heat. They just don't care and go about thier business.