NY chicken lover!!!!

[Pyxis]

 Pyxis, I will have white, black, blue, splash and maybe paint silkies for sale this spring. I am trying to find buff silkies and I will be all set!

GREAT! I'd love to take a paint or white silkie roo off your hands And if you have a showgirl roo, even better

 

[Pyxis]

Thanks, I will certainly try that! And I'm building one of these, if it helps anybody know what I'm talking about: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/a-frame-tractor-6x4

As for making the ramp longer, it's already angled so that my tiny OEGB can make it up it. Even the tiny little leghorn chick I have right now can make it. It's just the darn silkies. Maybe they just wanted a coop of their own and knew I'd do it if they were difficult. Those silkies, always plotting.

Ok, showed it to Ray...he says that upper angle should be 30 degrees and the lower end on the flat should be 60 degrees.   (I say, scrap wood, cut those angles and make sure before cutting the real wood for the construction)

Ok, showed it to Ray...he says that upper angle should be 30 degrees and the lower end on the flat should be 60 degrees.   (I say, scrap wood, cut those angles and make sure before cutting the real wood for the construction)

  I agree with Ray

Thanks you guys! I'll definitely be trying it.

 

[Cass]

We haven't closed the door for them, they normally sleep out in the open. Should I close the door? Do I need to suppliment their feed with anything since the grass is being covered with snow? Everything I read is telling me to baby them, but I can't bring them in my house, and I don't really want to get them a space heater! haha

Mine roost in the rafters. I shouldn't have to close the door, BUT racoons can climb and with their normal food sources all hibernating they can and will come from my eggs and chickens. So, yes, I DO close my doors at night, even in the summer. I just don't want anything evil and predatory to find out what I keep in my coop. (Plus if someone goes broody, she will be a prime target for a predator. I lost a broody hen to a raccoon that walked right in and grabbed her off the nest. She was at ground level, so easy pickings)

As far as suppliments, you will get a whole lot of opinions on that one. Those of us who have pet chickens in our coop do try to give them something interesting to do during the day. Hanging heads of cabbage and long spagetti noodles to fight over are popular in the winter. Scratch grains in the late afternoon helps the chicken generate heat over the cold winter hours. BUT you really don't have to give them anything extra. Just do what you do all summer with them and keep their feeder full (they will eat more of the feed you supply during the winter days due to decreased forage availability)

 

[ChickPrincess]

Yes! They are finally getting it (the waterer, that is). The australorps found it first, then a couple production hens. I have seen many, but not all, of the chickens using it. I have it a bit high for the big roos, so I'll put a block under it in the morning for the younger pullets.
The aquarium heater is working just perfectly so far. I have it set at a nice 75F.
I have a second 5 gallon pail to set up on the other side of the coop. I wanted to make sure the first one was going well before I opened up the second aquarium heater.
Phew!

 

[featherz]

Yes! They are finally getting it (the waterer, that is). The australorps found it first, then a couple production hens. I have seen many, but not all, of the chickens using it. I have it a bit high for the big roos, so I'll put a block under it in the morning for the younger pullets.
The aquarium heater is working just perfectly so far. I have it set at a nice 75F.
I have a second 5 gallon pail to set up on the other side of the coop. I wanted to make sure the first one was going well before I opened up the second aquarium heater.
Phew!

YAY! I knew they would. All my chickens use nipple waterers just fine - I even set one up for just out of the egg chicks and even they figure it out. I do switch to the heated waterbowls in the winter tho - maybe some year I'll try the heaters..

As for my winter coops, I lock in all my chickens each and every night AND they have electric fencing around the yard AND the coop. Too many predators around here. =( I have automatic pop doors on a timer so all I have to do is make sure the timer is changed around seasonally and we're all set.

My chickens have a flock block right now, but that's just because they had an extended period of no 'out time'. I throw a cabbage in now and then also - they love to peck that to death!

 

[vmdanielsen]

I am selling all of my Blue Laced Red Wyandottes. I have the ad in the For Sale forum, Chickens 8 weeks & older. This is the url.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/725549/liquidating-my-blue-laced-red-wyandotte-flock

I am selling them because I need to get back down to a reasonable number of birds, and I need the room since I also now have Silkies, Orps & Coronation Sussex that I'm working with.

My blue copper marans are beautiful!!!!

 

[vmdanielsen]

We haven't closed the door for them, they normally sleep out in the open. Should I close the door? Do I need to suppliment their feed with anything since the grass is being covered with snow? Everything I read is telling me to baby them, but I can't bring them in my house, and I don't really want to get them a space heater! haha

Closing their door,after making sure you have all of them is for their safety. It is another barrier that predators need to breech. Stoney has excellent luck with his birds roosting in trees!! (HI Stoney!) , but others have not. If you have an open heated dog bowl for a waterer in your coop it may prove to create to much humidity. Too much humidity is more of an issue to chickens than temperature.

I also sprout oats for Greens in the winter. Most people do not. Alot of things work, but I do agree with Stoney,,,,don;t baby your chickens!!!!

OH!! and welcome to the friendliest thread on BYC!!!

 

[stonykill]

Closing their door,after making sure you have all of them is for their safety. It is another barrier that predators need to breech. Stoney has excellent luck with his birds roosting in trees!! (HI Stoney!) , but others have not. If you have an open heated dog bowl for a waterer in your coop it may prove to create to much humidity. Too much humidity is more of an issue to chickens than temperature.

I also sprout oats for Greens in the winter. Most people do not. Alot of things work, but I do agree with Stoney,,,,don;t baby your chickens!!!!

OH!! and welcome to the friendliest thread on BYC!!!

well to be fair I have 9 coops full of birds and some that simply refuse to live anywhere but tree's. Luck, no.... I've lost a lot of birds. And trapped and killed a lot of predators. this year 16 racoons, 2 foxes, 1 bobcat, 3 possums, 3 weasels were killed. So the simple answer is LOCK THE DOOR! I easily lost 15 chickens in 12 months. Some however were from a fox during the day. Until I killed it. But some were at night by raccoon's. Like I said CLOSE the door and don't baby your chickens! Giving them treats is fine. By don't baby I mean heat and the like. Ultimately it will be the death of them.

 

[ChickPrincess]

YAY! I knew they would. All my chickens use nipple waterers just fine - I even set one up for just out of the egg chicks and even they figure it out. I do switch to the heated waterbowls in the winter tho - maybe some year I'll try the heaters..

As for my winter coops, I lock in all my chickens each and every night AND they have electric fencing around the yard AND the coop. Too many predators around here. =( I have automatic pop doors on a timer so all I have to do is make sure the timer is changed around seasonally and we're all set.

My chickens have a flock block right now, but that's just because they had an extended period of no 'out time'. I throw a cabbage in now and then also - they love to peck that to death!

I'll be the guinea pig to see if the heaters work to keep the ice at bay. I bought a Hydor, 50W aquarium heater on Amazon ($20.99, including free shipping w/ prime acct). I have it set at 75F, but will probably turn it warmer as we get in to the deep freeze. The cord is threaded through a small hole in the pail's lid and the heater itself is sunk right to the bottom (submersible) so it is closer to the nipples. Someone on another thread gave me the idea and said it has worked perfectly for them for several years now. I'll let you know in the spring how it does!

 

[rancher hicks]

ALIOOP - my dominiques were much to noisy. They would get in the coop first in the evening and then squawk like crazy until the others came in.

PYXIS - unless you have a source for Silky chick extras I'd advise against breeding them. Why? From my experience they don't lay well and aren't good eating. The auctions I've been to, they don't go for much. It would cost you more to drive the auction than you would get.

For your frame you may wish to go to Home Depot and buy some metal attachments. They will help with the angles. Look in the joist hanger section and you're sure to find something that you can use. They have an adjustable hanger.

NEWCHKNLVR - Do you have any pics? How many chickens do you have and how big is the coop? No matter what you read I don't recommend babying your chickens. Unless of course you choose to. I would not leave them open at night as predators will pick them off and that will be the end of them.