NY chicken lover!!!!

[pharmchickrnmom]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I am from Hamburg,Ny. I have been doing a lot of research on chickens the last few months via the library & the internet. I def don't want a heat lamp. I thought the the insulation would help keep the bitter winds from penetrating the coop. My coop is made from cedar. I made sure not to block any ventilation holes. I just stuck it on the inside walls with thin piece of sub flooring over it so the hens won't peck at the insulation. I had a few pieces I put insulation on wrong side of coop and after reading your post I won't worry about fixing it so insulation is on that wall.

As for the plastic on the run I had read several different articles stating the the hens didn't / wouldn't go in the run during the winter if there was deep snow in it. Sometimes we can get 2-3 ft a day when it snows lol I just want to make sure I can let them out in the run when its snowing without worrying about them getting wet/frostbitten.

I planned on putting flat land scape bricks in the run area so that no critters can dig up under the run. Then put sand over it to make it easier to clean out. But then i thought they wouldn't be able to scratch and eat the grass thats planted there. Am i better just putting the bricks around the outside of the pen to keep critters from digging in?

Can anyone recommend a place to get young birds that are close to my area? I am guessing that they won't ship anything bigger than chicks? I was thinking of seeing if anyone was selling hens at our local county fair in a couple of weeks but I wanted to make sure I got hens that were hardy for the winter. I was thinking about barred rocks? They seem to not mind the cold and are suppose to be friendly.

Also I have a heated water bowl that is made for dogs. I have never used it for the dogs tho lol Can I just leave the heated bowl of water in the run fom them during the winter?

This is a pic of my newly put together coop. Tperson who I purchased it from says it will hold 3-4 large birds or 6 bantams. I am thinking if I start with 2 birds that would be plenty for a newbie. I am thinking I will need to make the run bigger tho since they will have the ground in that small area cleared in no time

Welcome to the site that can expand and enable your addiction! Now to your questions:
!. Now that we can see your coop, I would suggest the first thing you do is coat it well with a good wood sealant. I have looked at these coops and while they are cute, the wood will not stand up well to the weather we get unless you seal it well. A clear sealant should do.
2. You could put an apron of chicken wire down on the ground around the coop, bending the edges up onto the coop/run and then lay rocks or bricks on top of it. This should help deter digging by most animals.
3. I wouldnt use plastic to keep the snow out. We just placed bales of hay around ours and that blocked the wind and most of the snow. True, my divas dont like walking in snow so I just shovel out their run. With such a small coop as yours, you can get cheap bales of hay and just place them around the coop.
4.There are many different breeds that are winter hardy but it seems that you have taken a liking to barred rocks. I have barred rocks, wyandottes, rhode island reds and silkies. All are pretty good winter hardy birds. Barred rocks are certainly a nice bird, good personalities and lay nice eggs. Go on byc and look at the breeds section. I dont know who is close to you that may have some but peruse the craigs list ads and see whats being offered. You may find someone who is downsizing their flocks and have a couple of pullets to sell you.
5. A heated dog bowl works fine for winter if you use an outdoor extension cord and can put it in the coop. I dont advise putting it in the run as your chickens need access to water on days that they may not be able to get out. It will also get dirty quicker in the run. You will need to put it up on a platform to keep it out of the litter.
6.Two birds is a good start for a newbie, especially in such a small coop. However, keep in mind that if something happens to one of them, you will need to get another bird as chickens live in flocks and dont do well alone. Giving them an expanded run is a good idea as they will very quickly destroy the ground in the little run.
7. Start saving now because you are going to want a bigger coop and run in the spring! Oh--keep those questions coming because we like helping newbies become addicts.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Morning all. We got lots of big winds, heavy rain and some really cool thunder and lightning. We had one boomer that literally shook the ground and the house. I thought the dog was going to die right then and there. Everyone but the terrorists went into their coops before the storm hit. The reds hung out under their coop and then meandered in during and after the storm. They must have partied late last night because only the head roo was up and off the roost this morning when I went out to let them out. Teenagers.

I hope all of you made out well during the storm.

Rancher--hows the broody business going?

I think my silkies are going broody again. Too bad...Im not hatching any more eggs this year!

 

[stonykill]

Morning all. We got lots of big winds, heavy rain and some really cool thunder and lightning. We had one boomer that literally shook the ground and the house. I thought the dog was going to die right then and there. Everyone but the terrorists went into their coops before the storm hit. The reds hung out under their coop and then meandered in during and after the storm. They must have partied late last night because only the head roo was up and off the roost this morning when I went out to let them out. Teenagers.

I hope all of you made out well during the storm.

Rancher--hows the broody business going?

I think my silkies are going broody again. Too bad...Im not hatching any more eggs this year!

it barely rained here. Weather guessers

. What a joke they are. Tell us we are under tornado warning in my area, severe t storm warning, and ppppppppppppphhhhhhhhhhhhhttttttttttttttttt, it spit a couple of drops of rain. Weather guessers. THE job to have. WRONG as often as you want, and still have a job and get paid.

 

[featherz]

We are getting some light rain here now, but I don't think we got all that much and I didn't hear any thunder. At least the grass was greening up a bit this morning!

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

it barely rained here. Weather guessers

. What a joke they are. Tell us we are under tornado warning in my area, severe t storm warning, and ppppppppppppphhhhhhhhhhhhhttttttttttttttttt, it spit a couple of drops of rain. Weather guessers. THE job to have. WRONG as often as you want, and still have a job and get paid.

Hmmm...sounds like a government job to me...just sayin...

 

[stonykill]

Hmmm...sounds like a government job to me...just sayin...

 

[stonykill]

our band is playing tonight!
http://www.nivervillepub.com/

recent reviews of the band:
I wanted to let all the Pub Scout know...that when you come and see the Bob Tweek Band, you will not only hear great music, but will be meeting some great people. I remember when The Bad Boys first played...we all fell in love with them as people as well as musicians. You will find exactly the same thing when you come experience, The Bob Tweek Band! Let's have ourselves a great party at The Grand Old Roadhouse!

The Bob Tweek Band is a little bit heavier than our jam bands, and their female fronted vocals makes ballads sore and rock n roll that will get your feet moving. I have to say this is a pawrty band....so let's have a party! Bring hour friends and lets have some unbridled fun!



Female fronted, emotionally driven, rock n roll. This is rock n roll from our era, sometimes heavy, sometimes light...but songs that you know and can dance to...I have to admit, there are definitely some guilty pleasure songs in their portfolio. After their first gig at The Pub, people said WOW. After their second gig at The Pub, people said, Holy Chicken (OK, they said something else, but I want to keep it PG here on Facebook)

 

[greymane]

Hope you have a great turnout, Stony! We got a good rain, but no nasty stuff last night. It certainly hurt our Bingo turnout at the VFW, though.

 

[Glasshen]

We didn't have much bad weather yesterday or last night. There must have been some thunder in the region as my Newfoundland was feeling the need to hide in the bathroom, but then she was able to rejoin us. Personally, I trust my dog over the TV for weather prediction. She is much less annoying than the guy we have to watch on the local Today show...but best not get started on that. We did have lots of good soaking rain overnight, so there will be lawn mowing in my future.

 

[Nambroth]

Thank you everyone for your replies. I am from Hamburg,Ny. I have been doing a lot of research on chickens the last few months via the library & the internet. I def don't want a heat lamp. I thought the the insulation would help keep the bitter winds from penetrating the coop. My coop is made from cedar. I made sure not to block any ventilation holes. I just stuck it on the inside walls with thin piece of sub flooring over it so the hens won't peck at the insulation. I had a few pieces I put insulation on wrong side of coop and after reading your post I won't worry about fixing it so insulation is on that wall.

Can anyone recommend a place to get young birds that are close to my area? I am guessing that they won't ship anything bigger than chicks? I was thinking of seeing if anyone was selling hens at our local county fair in a couple of weeks but I wanted to make sure I got hens that were hardy for the winter. I was thinking about barred rocks? They seem to not mind the cold and are suppose to be friendly.

Also I have a heated water bowl that is made for dogs. I have never used it for the dogs tho lol Can I just leave the heated bowl of water in the run fom them during the winter?

This is a pic of my newly put together coop. Tperson who I purchased it from says it will hold 3-4 large birds or 6 bantams. I am thinking if I start with 2 birds that would be plenty for a newbie. I am thinking I will need to make the run bigger tho since they will have the ground in that small area cleared in no time

Hi there! A friend gets her chicks in Randolph, at a place called Just For Fun. They order from Cackle hatchery, I believe! That's about an hour from you. There are a few feed stores in your area, this might help: http://goo.gl/maps/uo10 You can always ask them, but it is late in the summer for chicks. Your best bet might be keeping an eye on Craigs' list and the listings here in the bottom of the forum to look for individuals with chicks or started pullets if you want hens this year. Beware buying started pullets from hatcheries-- they often de-beak them and there is a larger chance of disease. Oh!! The Erie County fair is coming up next month-- since you are right there in Hamburg you should go and check it out, maybe someone will have hens for sale. Read up on the forums here on how to select healthy hens!

Heated dog bowls work GREAT for coops! That's what I use. I never had any ice on my hen's water.

Your coop is a bit small-- which is good and bad, depending on many factors. I think that the 3-4 large birds estimate is being very generous unless they only sleep inside it. The birds will be very thankful for an expanded run.