OHio ~ Come on Buckeyes, let me know your out there!

[Spartan22]

Hello fellow Ohioans! I'm so glad it is supposed to be warm this weekend. I need to finish winterizing. When the water froze last week, I had to get my poor DH out of bed to run the electrical cords out to run the water heaters.
All we really have left to do now is put up plastic on the run. We got 6 mil plastic, so hopefully it will be thick enough not to tear easily. This is our first winter with chickens so we are a bit nervous about the upcoming months. Everything I have read says that they will be fine in their dry cozy coop but it's hard to not worry about the little fluff balls.

Last winter was our first w/ chickens, I was worried since we had one of the coldest winter in years. I bought a wall panel heater, installed in the coop and use to keep the temp to 20's when it was -10 and -15 for few days at a time. Works great no frozen eggs or waterer.

 

[ToniTalley]

Hello fellow Ohioans! I'm so glad it is supposed to be warm this weekend. I need to finish winterizing. When the water froze last week, I had to get my poor DH out of bed to run the electrical cords out to run the water heaters.
All we really have left to do now is put up plastic on the run. We got 6 mil plastic, so hopefully it will be thick enough not to tear easily. This is our first winter with chickens so we are a bit nervous about the upcoming months. Everything I have read says that they will be fine in their dry cozy coop but it's hard to not worry about the little fluff balls.

I staples the plastic on, then screwed down thin strips of wood (I used furring strips) around the edges and across the middle so the wind wouldn't rip up the plastic.

 

[ToniTalley]

I've decided to not use any supplemental heat this year, except for the heated waterer. Last year we had a heat lamp and there was a bit of frostbite.

 

[cabinchicky]

We don't winterize too much. Cover the run sides to block most of the wind with heavy tarps, 3. Water heaters and a heat lamp for when it gets -10. Have had only 1 in 3 winters get a touch of frostbite on her comb. We deep litter also, and it really puts out heat once turned. Coop temp will raise 20 degrees or more.But we all do things differently so what works for us we stick with or adapt. Still have windows barely cracked too.

 

[ToniTalley]

I might try deep litter method inside the coop this year, although last year I sort of did a modified deep. I still will have to open up the back of the coop to scoop out the poop board every other day, that lets out heat but that's just too bad. Not sure if using Sweet PDZ would make deeper litter not work heat-wise, but don't want ammonia fumes in there. I can't crack the window because one is on the plastic covered side and the other one is next to the roost. But I did drill a couple small holes in the protected wall of the coop up near the top for ventilation, and it's right above where the water is, hopefully the moisture that evaporates will find it's way out those holes. I'll be leaving the coop door open to the run unless it's below 0, since we did the plastic this year. Now I have to hope the waterer doesn't leak and make the bedding damp...I have to get the top on just perfect or it slowly drips out. Any methods that I read about and sound doable give me better ideas for my own coop!

 

[cabinchicky]

I use the stall sweeter in my litter and have since our first winter with the girls, just I get it in bags now and not small canister. My coop doors to the runs are being opened at a little after 6 a.m. till 5:30 p.m.and still only one single banty egg a day. When will the molt end???? I did open the windows wide today to sweep out the dust and let it blow out, silly birds run off like I going ti take the broom to them next.

 

[cabinchicky]

Minihorse! I was able to speak to a gentleman from S&C yesterday about quail. So once we have pens built for them I can get my string from them. I hope to have an incubator under the tree for this new adventure. May need to add a few bantam mottled cochins then too. Hope you are doing well Minihorse.

 

[ToniTalley]

I use the stall sweeter in my litter and have since our first winter with the girls, just I get it in bags now and not small canister. My coop doors to the runs are being opened at a little after 6 a.m. till 5:30 p.m.and still only one single banty egg a day. When will the molt end???? I did open the windows wide today to sweep out the dust and let it blow out, silly birds run off like I going ti take the broom to them next.

Yeah, I buy sweeter by the bag, now, too. And I also have been getting only one egg a day for a month now. We open the coop run door as soon as the sun is up really good, and they put themselves to bed at dusk.

 

[minihorse927]

Minihorse! I was able to speak to a gentleman from S&C yesterday about quail. So once we have pens built for them I can get my string from them. I hope to have an incubator under the tree for this new adventure. May need to add a few bantam mottled cochins then too. Hope you are doing well Minihorse.

I'm doing ok. Awesome on the quail! I have 2 separate breeding pens now for the winter. They're not laying but believe it's cause we ran out of oyster she for a while and I just started adding it back in their feed yesterday. Just raising a litter of meat bunnies and healing from my accident.

 

[cabinchicky]

Accident???? Oh my, I didn't know! prayers for you!