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

[ToniTalley]

At least it can last until spring as it is, although that would mean more repairs, lol.

 

[Outpost JWB]

Sounds about right here! Can't wait til tomorrow night when all these puddles are suppose to freeze over, water expands and POP! There goes the water lines.

 

[loujeany]

I am in northwest Ohio and have had several days in the 20's. birds seem to be doing fine with no artificial heat. I have researched both sides of the argument and I don't plan on using any artificial heat and was wondering how you other Buckeyes did last year with your birds when it was -20 and-30. I have plenty of ventilation about 6 inches above the roosts.

 

[Spartan22]

I am in northwest Ohio and have had several days in the 20's.  birds seem to be doing fine with no artificial heat. I have researched both sides of the argument and I don't plan on using any artificial heat and was wondering how you other Buckeyes did last year with your birds when it was -20 and-30. I have plenty of ventilation about 6 inches above the roosts.

It's 20s & lower 30s here in NE Ohio, my chickens are out in the covered run all day long, I have the pop door open for the coop all the time so they can go in and out as they wish. The coop has 2 louvre vents 9 ft up open all the time, 4 windows that remain half open except when it's extremely windy and when it's on the teens.

The coop has an emergency wall panel heater that I turned on for few days last year when it was -20s to keep their food and water thawed and the coop comfortable. None of my 3 large combs chicken got frost bites. Other than that, my 21 chickens are enjoying protected life in the coop and run.

 

[ToniTalley]

Last year my roos got a touch of frostbite and I was using a heat lamp and a heated waterer which is inside the coop. This year I am not going to use the heat lamp but I am using the heated waterer, but it just keeps the water barely above freezing. Instead of heat, I put up plastic around the coop run to block wind and rain, so far so good. I don't have that much ventilation, just two circular door knob size holes up to over the water, a back door that doesn't shut real tight, and the pop door is will be kept open unless it gets below 0. Then there is the missing over the coop and run, thanks to that last rain and wind storm. I am hoping the guys will get it re-roofed, but if not, the strand board will have to do with it's leaky joints.

 

[cabinchicky]

We use deep litter method. We turn it more the colder it gets, it heats coop up 20 degrees most times. Also water heater is out there and heat lamp only if below 0. pop door is open every day, windows cracked unless very windy plus an inch vent on north and south sides 12 ft long. have done this going on 3 winters and only when it was -50 did we have one hen who got a bit of frostbite on her comb tips.Coops are built of landscape timbers, minilogcabins, tarps on the runs west and south to block most of the wind as well. I just have to clear off a path in the snow when we get it. they can eat snow but not walk in it.

 

[Laurel Meadows]

I am in northwest Ohio and have had several days in the 20's.  birds seem to be doing fine with no artificial heat. I have researched both sides of the argument and I don't plan on using any artificial heat and was wondering how you other Buckeyes did last year with your birds when it was -20 and-30. I have plenty of ventilation about 6 inches above the roosts.

We don't use any heat sources for our adult birds either, and none had any frostbite last year even with temps inside the coops at -10 to -20F. (We worried about them a lot but they surprised us with how well they did).

My coops have 2x4's set wide side up as roosts so toes are not exposed. My floors are all raised off the ground and we use pine shavings cleaned often. In winter, I switch out the regular waterers to heated dog bowls full of water inside the coop. I don't fret over humidity because unless there is forced air or artificial heat inside a coop, the inside humidity is very close to the outside humidity. It didn't matter whether I had a big open bowl of water inside or outside. It typically was the same, so I decided to just keep it inside because they drink more often that way.

As long as there is space above your roosts for warmer air to rise, along with ventilation up high, you should be able to keep moist air from settling back on the birds. Mine tucked their heads under the wings on the coldest nights too.
All that said, this past summer we built 2 more coops and my husband fully insulated them with R-13 insulation (and insulated the original one too) because we felt that it would help keep them be more comfortable.

For the babies out there currently, I use a home made cookie tin water heater and set their chick waterer on it. For warmth, they have a brooder heat plate (Premier brand) so no risk of fire

All the coops have chicken doors open to the outside runs all day long unless there is freezing rain, then they stay closed. We also put up tarps up on the side of each run that gets the most wind.

 

[chicknmania]

http://www.dispatch.com/content/sto...stices-duck-hearing-iraq-veterans-appeal.html

Hopefully anyone in or near Coshocton can give this guy some support?? Such a sad story....

 

[Egg celent]

My big girl Ramona! How's your birds doing Ohio?

 

[ToniTalley]

Our birds are doing fine, it's hasn't gotten all that cold yet, although the pond has finally frozen over so they will have to do all their drinking from the heated waterer. No snow to speak of, so they are happy to come out of the run every day.