Official BYC Poll: What’s the most challenging part of chicken keeping for you during winter?

[DonyaQuick]

If the humidity is that high where you are, and in your coop too, we had issues when we first started about 9 years ago. The windows would weep and ice over and the walls ran it was so bad. We had zero ventilation, doh, and hubby didn't believe me in the beginning until he saw that. I am surprised we didn't kill any chickens as mold can start growing at 70% humidity, and higher than that, they'll be susceptible to URIs, plus the ammonia that builds up will cause those too.

My main coop is a 12x16 converted shed with 20-something square feet of ventillation that's way above the chickens' heads when roosting. 12 chickens in there currently; never had respirtory issues with that or even my smaller, more minimally ventillated coops (ignoring a couple of dingy birds snorting the odd piece of feed that I then have to pick out...). Never had mold inside that coop or my various smaller ones despite the riddiculous humidity here. Outside though is another matter for any surface that has regular contact with rain/snow/dew/frost. I actually have to be really careful with outdoor beddings like straw because of that. My husband is building a new structure right now that had some exposed untreated wood, and even in this winter's bitter cold it got some mold going because of melting snow in the sun (I don't think it was even ambiently above freezing when the mold set in, just sunny!). But I think there must need to be more than high ambient humidity with otherwise dry surfaces to get mold growing since I've never seen it here on protected surfaces that don't also get some sort of more direct moisture.

 

[chickengr]

I live in a hot dry climate. our soil cannot absorb too much water. when it rains for 2-3 days my coops flood. predators looking for an easy target are my other concern.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

This is interesting. Never heard of battery zappers for mice.

Victor M250BSR-3 Indoor Electronic Humane Mouse Trap - No Touch, No See Electric Mouse Trap - 3 Pack https://a.co/d/gOoXik9

Traps have worked well in the house, in the pigeon loft & in the coops.
My loft & coop have a design so you open the door to enter & you enter a hallway where I store the feed cans, then the actual chickens or pigeons sections have their own doors, so the hallways are pretty clean, no wood chips & I do a quick broom sweep of molting feathers. I set the traps behind the feed tins on the floor. They work fine as long as no debris gets in them. They're not designed for outside weather like rain, etc., but as cold as the coops & loft get, below freezing, the traps still work. I do change the batteries & refresh the dab of peanut butter every season. So far so good. Of course any traps will work best if no other food sources are more easily accessed. With pigeons, they eat every morsel, I only feed a certain amount. Chickens nibble all day so their feeders always have food, so it may take longer for Mice to find the Traps, but they will eventually find them.

Pic taken whike standing in a coop hallway. No wood chips are in the hallway

 

[WaterfowlsPoultry]

(large rant up ahead.)
Obviously keeping them from dying to those annoying critters!
I swear... as soon as winter hits all these predators suddenly crave a good mccrispy chicken sandwich. I have to
1. keep foxes away from the coop. hang up sensor lights that will scare them off when they make movement.
2. make sure Owls are not present. But all you can really do is make sure the chickens are safe by locking them in because whatever the heck organization or something is stopping you from loading lead into them.
3. Coyotes. COYOTES. They're like wolves stupider uglier cousins nobody wants around. What do I even say about coyotes that has not already been said??
4. Oh yeah, You know that thing about 'Keeping your chickens locked up so Owls don't get in there.' Forget that! Raccoons exist now! have fun keeping that door shut!
5. Uh oh! They aren't even safe during day! Hawks swoop down and grab them too.
6. And to make it worse. Now you have random stray dogs during day that absolutely hate the idea of a bird living peacefully and they'll stomp their way over to your property, and if you don't have a fence protecting they will absolutely tear through your birds. Not even eating them. just kill them, that's it.
And there's probably even MORE I have not talked about. But these are some I started dealing with. Maybe I'm overreacting a bit but oh my golly jolly GOODNESS these predators are annoying to deal with.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

(large rant up ahead.)
Obviously keeping them from dying to those annoying critters!
I swear... as soon as winter hits all these predators suddenly crave a good mccrispy chicken sandwich. I have to
1. keep foxes away from the coop. hang up sensor lights that will scare them off when they make movement.
2. make sure Owls are not present. But all you can really do is make sure the chickens are safe by locking them in because whatever the heck organization or something is stopping you from loading lead into them.
3. Coyotes. COYOTES. They're like wolves stupider uglier cousins nobody wants around. What do I even say about coyotes that has not already been said??
4. Oh yeah, You know that thing about 'Keeping your chickens locked up so Owls don't get in there.' Forget that! Raccoons exist now! have fun keeping that door shut!
5. Uh oh! They aren't even safe during day! Hawks swoop down and grab them too.
6. And to make it worse. Now you have random stray dogs during day that absolutely hate the idea of a bird living peacefully and they'll stomp their way over to your property, and if you don't have a fence protecting they will absolutely tear through your birds. Not even eating them. just kill them, that's it.
And there's probably even MORE I have not talked about. But these are some I started dealing with. Maybe I'm overreacting a bit but oh my golly jolly GOODNESS these predators are annoying to deal with.

I have a higher than usual coyote presence on my land, thanks to a lone wolf that took up residence nearby. Trails on the far end of my property look like sled dogs trampled it.

 

[Shadrach]

Keeping my hands warm while I supervise the chickens ranging. Circulation in my hands is poor and when they are cold they just won't work; can't grip things right, can't do anything delicate and they are downright painfull. I'm more worried about me getting frostbite than the chickens getting frostbite.

Water freezing which is a popular concern, if that can be said, isn't really an issue in the part of the UK I live in. I'm there every day and should the water freeze they don't go without for long. Chickens can in fact go for days without water if they have access to forage in cold conditions. They can pick up enough water for survival from the plants they eat.

 

[gtaus]

Raccoons exist now! have fun keeping that door shut!

I might have a suggestion to that problem. I use a hasp latch set with a carabiner...

I don't know if any raccoons have tried to get into my coop, but they would have to figure out how to open the carabiner and remove it. So far, 4+ years, no raccoon attacks...

They aren't even safe during day! Hawks swoop down and grab them too.

I live on a lake and we have Bald Eagles and hawks overhead all the time. I cannot let my chickens free range. I have a nice sized chicken run and just stretched bird netting across the top. Bird netting is inexpensive, and I have never had an attack. I'm sure they see the netting and just go elsewhere for a meal.

Sorry you have such a bad predator problem.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I'd be singing a different tune if I hadn't used the half inch welded wire for the pens. We get the usual foxes, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, neighbors loose dogs, owls & rodents, but we have Many More Hawks than where I used to live. We are on the migratory hawk & bird flyway, so there are numerous hawks of many varieties & falcons & eagles here All Of The Time. I wish my flock could free range but the only times they are out free is when I am right out there with them. If I did not build the predator proof pens, I surely would not have any flock left.

The pens

 

[TOMTE]

I'd be singing a different tune if I hadn't used the half inch welded wire for the pens. We get the usual foxes, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, neighbors loose dogs, owls & rodents, but we have Many More Hawks than where I used to live. We are on the migratory hawk & bird flyway, so there are numerous hawks of many varieties & falcons & eagles here All Of The Time. I wish my flock could free range but the only times they are out free is when I am right out there with them. If I did not build the predator proof pens, I surely would not have any flock left.

The pensView attachment 4027437View attachment 4027438View attachment 4027439View attachment 4027440View attachment 4027441View attachment 4027442View attachment 4027443View attachment 4027444View attachment 4027445View attachment 4027448View attachment 4027449View attachment 4027452View attachment 4027453View attachment 4027454View attachment 4027451

Wow, great setup! Those hawks sure are bold, aren't they? I absolutely adore them... Just not around my chickens!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Wow, great setup! Those hawks sure are bold, aren't they? I absolutely adore them... Just not around my chickens!

I do love wildlife & I get many good photo opportunities but yeah...keeping the flock safe is priority. Knowing they're safe, give me a more positive perspective to appreciate nature's visitors. It's just a good thing we do not have Bobcats or Bears here.