Ended Official BYC Article Writing Contest #11

[N F C]

Hello everyone! I’m new to BYC, and this contest has brought me out into the open, FINALLY, after about a year of learning from so many members with invaluable knowledge! Since I’m relatively new to keeping chickens, I have made MANY mistakes.

Earlier this year, my husband and I marveled over how we finally had all of the initial learning curves under our belt, had hatched over a hundred chicks, extended our barn three times, and made iron clad, predator-proof runs. We were thrilled to state that we had yet to lose a single chick this year! Sadly, our short lived experiences taught us that there will always be a learning curve, and we will continue adapt and adjust to new equations and (or) dilemmas to solve and conquer.

My husband is a civil engineer/contractor. After adding a significant boost to the elevation of our new grow-out pen, we happily deposited 53 five week old chicks, while celebrating how “safe” their new home was. Over the weekend, our area experienced heavy rains and all but 14 of those sweet baby chicks drowned. The water flooded over 15 acres of our land.

I love, love to write! (Please excuse any grammatical errors in this post as I am expressing my enthusiasm via my cell phone!) I just finished my master’s degree in education/reading literacy, and I cannot wait to share all that I’ve learned with the goal to possibly help others!

This this is my “go to” site for all things related to chicks and chickens, and I am thankful this opportunity motivated and inspired me to stop hiding and finally contribute!

Glad the contest brought you out of "hiding" @RainyDayFarms! Sorry to hear of your losses from all the rain. All experiences (both the good and the bad) teach us something and I'm sure your experiences will add to BYC so be sure to share whether through posting or article writing!

Nice to have you here with us!

 

[happy duck]

How many submissions do we have?

 

[ejtrout31]

well here is my article https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-wash-a-chicken.74997/

 

[ejtrout31]

how many articles do we have @sumi

 

[mixedUPturk]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/buffalo-gnats-and-what-you-need-to-know.75016/

 

[Kiki]

This is my article below


How to keep your chickens warm in the winter
View attachment 1791456

As winter approaches, finding ways to protect your flock from the cold can be difficult especially for smallholders who don’t farm poultry on a large scale.
While it’s true that chickens are hardy birds, if they aren’t kept warm enough, laying hens will stop producing eggs. While weaker members of the flock will become sick and find it difficult to recover in the cold weather. While some people use heat lamps to keep their coops warm, these come with the risk of starting fires if they malfunction or aren’t properly maintained. Here are seven steps to help ensure your birds are protected from cold weather.
Minimize drafts
Wind chill can increase the rate of heat loss from your coop. Because of this, as the nights get colder you need to make sure any air leaks are sealed as well. If your coop is new you shouldn’t find many gaps, but if it’s more than five years old then chances are that parts of it will have started to rot and will need to be repaired. The easiest and cheapest way to repair the holes is to screw a cut to measure piece of plywood over the hole. As long as your vent is working properly, all the other gaps in your coop should be covered to prevent the temperature from dropping too quickly.
Keep you coop well ventilated
View attachment 1791443
Although you shouldn’t have any large holes in the coop to let cold air in, you also have to remember not to reduce the air flow too much, as this will lead to serious problems like ammonia buildup. To guard against this you should ensure you have an adequate ventilation system in place. Vents should be placed towards the roof of the coop, where the cold air isn’t able to flow directly onto your birds. By venting out the warm, moistened air and replacing it with cooler, drier air, you will be able to keep the humidity down and prevent mold from growing in your birds’ bedding.
Ideally, your mesh vent will have a hatch that you are able to open and close. This way, you will be able to properly vent the coop during the day and close it up in the evening when it’s colder, or during periods of particularly heavy rain.
Use the Deep Litter Method
The Deep Litter Method is not only a sustainable way of managing the litter in your chicken coop, but it can also help to insulate your flock during cold weather. To start off with, simply layer pine shavings or similar organic matter over the floor. Instead of cleaning or replacing the waste your chickens accumulate, all you need to do is stir up the bedding with a light rake, and allow the natural movement of your flock to do the rest. If it’s made properly, and regularly topped up with pine shavings, the litter will begin to form a compost layer that welcomes good microbes in, and allows them to consume the unhealthy bacteria in the chickens’ waste. Not only does this help to insulate your coop in the winter months, but it can also help prevent infestations of lice and mites, as well as being a far easier way to manage waste. It is important you do not use cedar shavings, as these can be toxic to chickens.
Use sunlight to trap heat
like use dark colors to build you coop with.
View attachment 1791446
The days may be shorter in winter, but you can still use sunlight to capture heat during the day and help the coop stay warmer for longer during the darker hours. Well-insulated windows can act as a sun trap, especially if you have a dirt or dark slab floor, or if you make use of the Deep Litter Method.
Increasing the amount of thermal mass your coop contains will also allow it to retain heat for longer. Thermal mass is a measure of how well a material absorbs heat for later release. The more thermal mass is incorporated into your coop, the more steadily it will release heat after the sun has gone down. Materials like the compost floor, stone, or even concrete will retain more heat during the day, and release it throughout the night.
Make sure your chickens can roost
View attachment 1791447
Ensuring your chickens can roost is vital if you want them to stay warm, as chickens naturally roost together and will fluff up their feathers to keep themselves snug. As a general rule, your roosts should be built at least two feet off the ground. Having access to a roost that’s above the floor makes them feel secure, and keeps them out of contact with the cold ground.
In winter it’s more important than ever to make sure all of your chickens have room to roost comfortably. To check that this is the case, look in on them in the evening with a torch. If one is on the ground then there’s definitely not enough space, and the roosts will need to be expanded. Roosts should be built at least two feet off the ground.
Protect against frostbite
View attachment 1791457
In the coldest months or during freak weather, breeds with large combs and wattles may be more susceptible to frostbite. To give them extra protection, you can cover their combs and wattles in petroleum jelly to keep off the worst of the cold. Following the steps above should ensure that your birds remain happy and healthy throughout the winter months. With proper maintenance of the coop, and proper attention paid to your flock, you can ensure that your birds remain cosy and keep producing eggs, however cold it gets for the rest of us.

Please click on this link >> Create Article and copy and paste the above there...in an 'article' to enter this contest.

 

[TSA]

Ok I've done all that so is it entered automatically? Texas kiki

 

[TSA]

Here is my article

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/author/tsa.541843/

 

[Kiki]

Here is my article

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/author/tsa.541843/

Woot!
This is the entry.

 

[TSA]

Thank you so much for your help.