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

[JoshU]

Not sure when chickens molt,,,seen some rough looking chickens at a neighbors house...not sure what the deal was...mite,rooster or molting...still to much of a newbie...Never got this far last year...Mine got whack by coons in mid July...8 and 1 died a day later.Now I have 15 well fed and fat hens that are doing great!!! Getting 13 to 14 eggs a day.Yesterday went 15 for 15!!!!! So Iknow I have no slackers in the group!!! Winter is going to be interesting!!!! I have bushes to keep the north winds down,,,high trees to the west...Coop faces east....high ventilation,,door to get in and out..West has a 18 inch wire opening at the top,,,going tocut that to a smaller opening for winter...What kind of water heater and is it in the coop or outside????? Rather it be outside,,,cut down on the 'girls" making a mess inside.Straw inside on floor ,,pine shavings in laying boxes.Remarks???? Thanks ,,,,Kevin

Everything sounds good except where I live the prevailing winds come from the west. I have no ventilation on the west side. This keeps air fresh from the east or southeast but no draft. I use an east facing open front type coop with plenty of eave ventilation and there is little to no draft inside. If you use a heater outside, just make sure that the waterer is draft free as well. Some chickens wont go outside when it is cold and windy so keep it close to the door. If you notice they are not using it, bring it in. As far as molting, they are all different but shouldnt molt completely. It is either a bug or disease or rough roo issue. ALL is in my opinion of coarse.

 

[babymakes6]

Not sure when chickens molt,,,seen some rough looking chickens at a neighbors house...not sure what the deal was...mite,rooster or molting...still to much of a newbie...Never got this far last year...Mine got whack by coons in mid July...8 and 1 died a day later.Now I have 15 well fed and fat hens that are doing great!!! Getting 13 to 14 eggs a day.Yesterday went 15 for 15!!!!! So Iknow I have no slackers in the group!!! Winter is going to be interesting!!!! I have bushes to keep the north winds down,,,high trees to the west...Coop faces east....high ventilation,,door to get in and out..West has a 18 inch wire opening at the top,,,going tocut that to a smaller opening for winter...What kind of water heater and is it in the coop or outside????? Rather it be outside,,,cut down on the 'girls" making a mess inside.Straw inside on floor ,,pine shavings in laying boxes.Remarks???? Thanks ,,,,Kevin

let me see if I can find the water heater thread for you.

 

[babymakes6]

Found it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/cookie-tin-heater-for-water

 

[kmenchicks]

Not sure when chickens molt,,,seen some rough looking chickens at a neighbors house...not sure what the deal was...mite,rooster or molting...still to much of a newbie...Never got this far last year...Mine got whack by coons in mid July...8 and 1 died a day later.Now I have 15 well fed and fat hens that are doing great!!! Getting 13 to 14 eggs a day.Yesterday went 15 for 15!!!!! So Iknow I have no slackers in the group!!! Winter is going to be interesting!!!! I have bushes to keep the north winds down,,,high trees to the west...Coop faces east....high ventilation,,door to get in and out..West has a 18 inch wire opening at the top,,,going tocut that to a smaller opening for winter...What kind of water heater and is it in the coop or outside????? Rather it be outside,,,cut down on the 'girls" making a mess inside.Straw inside on floor ,,pine shavings in laying boxes.Remarks???? Thanks ,,,,Kevin

Last year we had straw/shavings mix on the floor and shavings in the nesting box. I cover the vent on the south side of the coop and just have the eve vents on the north side. There wasn't any draft last year. I also have a heated pet bowl in the coop (ran the cord through pvc so no one pecks at it). My girls didn't want to go out last year when it got around 20 or below.

 

[ketcham]

Thanks!!!! Just want the girls to get through the winter,,,along with me!!! haha!!! Saw a Wolly Bully,,All tan!!! No black at all.HUH!!! Thanks again..Kevin

 

[babymakes6]

I saw one like that the other day too!

 

[billyb]

The tsc store in medina is having a animal/ tack swap this Saturday from 9-3. Might try to get there.

How do you find out when thety are having meets at TSC?

 

[Heddielynn]

Hello! I am in Toledo, Ohio! Just started our adventure with Backyard chickens. So far we are in Chicken love. We have five ladies that are almost 8 weeks old. We got them from another fellow chicken owner. Three of our girls were hatched from Meyer Hatchery Rainbow pullet pack. We are waiting to see what two of them are. I think one is a RIR, and the other is ?. The black and white looks like a Cuckoo Maran, but some say a barred rock. We did get two from where we got the others that were from her own flock. We think those two are a Black Copper Maran and a mix between a Maran and Americana. I cannot wait to get our first eggs, but we have a while yet. If anyone want to look at my girls, I have posted pics. Let me know what your guess is...

 

[ketcham]

Need to look up and what is said about a all tan woolly bully...OK ,,,mild winter,,,I don't think so but I'll wait and see!!! To me ,,hot summer,,,cold winter...Enjoying the weather,,,getting a little to cool at night,,,it is mid Sept...Have fun....ps Good Luck on your chicks!!!! 12 to 14 weeks to go!!!! Kevin

 

[loanwizard]

I use a stock tank heater for my chickens. I have trough type waterers and a nipple system in 5 gallon buckets. Hopefully the nipples won't freeze but I keep the water inside and out of the wind.

Typically this is molt time.