And as a side note-the cookie tin heaters worked awesome. We bought the 16 gauge 25' outdoor extension cord for $8 at WalMart and used it just like you do Romax. Ran it along the side of the house and spliced it and put plug-in receptacles in each of those pens. It's plugged into the receptacle on the back of the house. So when it's above freezing all I have to do is unplug it at the back of the house and it cuts power to all the water heaters in those pens. What a relief.
***OKIES in the BYC III ***
- Thread starter Buckguy20
- Start date
Beautiful sunshine! Cold but at least its sunny. Been outside puttering around. Built nextboxs on the outside of the A-frame pens so I can collect the eggs without reaching inside and trying to find the nestbox! Let the icelandics out to range while I was outthere. They sure do love to run and fly and do acrobatics!They do more playing than eating bit I guess thats good for them too. Couple are laying but they are pretty sporadic about it.But I sure do like them.
All this talk about heating for the chickens got me to thinking about when I was growing up,I believe the chickens were much hardier back then. WE just made sure they had a good shed to roost in ,sometimes the door blowed open at night but they did okay. They always had a big "chickenyard" to run in with several water pots around. They got a drink when it thawed in the morning or after we kids got home from school.They got all the table scraps and a good feeding of grain once a day. But I don't remember ever finding any that died from the cold or diseases or anything else excpet maybe an occasional dog attack. Hens would hide their nest and bring off big clutches of chicks and raise them all. Only extra feed the chicks got was maybe some commidity oats or cornmeal! Anyway jujst rambling but wondering if we don't sometimes do to much for our birds and foster the keeping and breeding of inferior or weak stock. Maybe we neeed to harden them off a little! Just say in!
Big Happy Birthday goes out to Renia today!
All this talk about heating for the chickens got me to thinking about when I was growing up,I believe the chickens were much hardier back then. WE just made sure they had a good shed to roost in ,sometimes the door blowed open at night but they did okay. They always had a big "chickenyard" to run in with several water pots around. They got a drink when it thawed in the morning or after we kids got home from school.They got all the table scraps and a good feeding of grain once a day. But I don't remember ever finding any that died from the cold or diseases or anything else excpet maybe an occasional dog attack. Hens would hide their nest and bring off big clutches of chicks and raise them all. Only extra feed the chicks got was maybe some commidity oats or cornmeal! Anyway jujst rambling but wondering if we don't sometimes do to much for our birds and foster the keeping and breeding of inferior or weak stock. Maybe we neeed to harden them off a little! Just say in!
Big Happy Birthday goes out to Renia today!
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Most of my chickens I have today get treated just like you said. I keep good feed and make sure they get water everyday. I have a few roosters and some hens that have their choice to roost inside or outside. They have always roosted outside by choice. I even went out 3 nights ago when it started getting cold and put them in their house. There is a large yard light next to where chickens are so it aint ever total dark. By the time I got done checking the rest of the pens, they had come out and flew back up on their outside roost. Got down in the mid teens 2 or 3 nights and snowed one night and they chose to stay out. Chickens are a lot tougher than most think. Or alot stupider
Now on the flip side, I have put heated waterers in my pigeons in the past. I take 5 gallon buckets with removable lids and about 3 inches above the bottom of the bucket I cut 3 2" holes with hole saw around the bucket. I then drill a small hole in lid and run a extension cord inside the lid. Then I bolt one of the little cheap ceramic or plastic light sockets to the bottom side of the lid. Hook up extension cord to the light socket and place a 25 watt bulb in it. I have taken galvenized sheeting and make a cone and attach to top of lid so birds dont set on it. Works great and by the outside chance it gets so cold the 25 watt dont do the trick, put in a larger bulb.
Most of my chickens I have today get treated just like you said. I keep good feed and make sure they get water everyday. I have a few roosters and some hens that have their choice to roost inside or outside. They have always roosted outside by choice. I even went out 3 nights ago when it started getting cold and put them in their house. There is a large yard light next to where chickens are so it aint ever total dark. By the time I got done checking the rest of the pens, they had come out and flew back up on their outside roost. Got down in the mid teens 2 or 3 nights and snowed one night and they chose to stay out. Chickens are a lot tougher than most think. Or alot stupider
i don't plan on heating the coop, but it would be nice to have the water not ice in the bowl...LOL!
the banties are another story.... i am tempted to give them some heat- the little silkie girl snuggled into my coat last nite... sure did a number on my heart! and of course the seramas and emily the one legged game hen is inside..
the banties are another story.... i am tempted to give them some heat- the little silkie girl snuggled into my coat last nite... sure did a number on my heart! and of course the seramas and emily the one legged game hen is inside..
- Sep 5, 2010
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I agree 100%. The "20 years" thread up on the flock management forum is a good outline. I give my birds shelter, clean water, good food and protection from hoodoos. If one acts sick, I don't bring it in the house for snuggletime...my house is my house, not a chicken hospice!
(Speaking of course for backyard egglayers and meat birds...not showbirds)
I agree 100%. The "20 years" thread up on the flock management forum is a good outline. I give my birds shelter, clean water, good food and protection from hoodoos. If one acts sick, I don't bring it in the house for snuggletime...my house is my house, not a chicken hospice!
(Speaking of course for backyard egglayers and meat birds...not showbirds)
Quote:
I'm not going to do any kind of heat unless it gets below zero for the ones inside buildings. But I've got three 8x8 covered pens against the north side of the house that don't have an actual building to go into. I *am going to visqueen those pens because the wind is bitter on that side and those are the ones I think I'll put the popcorn can heaters into. Just for when it's below zero.
No coop would be really tough, will they have something to shield them from snow & ice?
All of mine have coops, even the moderns but I am worried about them because of the long legs.
I'm not going to do any kind of heat unless it gets below zero for the ones inside buildings. But I've got three 8x8 covered pens against the north side of the house that don't have an actual building to go into. I *am going to visqueen those pens because the wind is bitter on that side and those are the ones I think I'll put the popcorn can heaters into. Just for when it's below zero.
No coop would be really tough, will they have something to shield them from snow & ice?
All of mine have coops, even the moderns but I am worried about them because of the long legs.
I think someone said (many pages ago) that Moderns would do well with plenty of dry hay to snuggle down into for warmth.
I agree that we can overprotect our birds and eventually weaken their system's genetics.
A Poultry magazine article several months back gave this information on keeping chickens during freezing weather: Keep them dry, provide a windbreak, make roosts available in the dry, fresh water and good feed. The author said fresh air is necessary to remove the ammonia gasses and moisture from the roosting area...more dangerous to the birds than the cold. He said many of the respiratory issues with our chickens come from the ammonia and moisture rather than the cold. Pictures showed screened doors exposed to the south that allowed in the sunshine and fresh air. They were not blocked and there was snow on the ground. He did say that during harsh winds or blizzards, he would cover the doorways with shutter doors.
I'm still an old softy at heart and try to "rescue" one of my birds when it is ill. I treat it first in the hen house in a quarantine pen. If that doesn't work, I will bring it in....I'm finding that those usually don't make it. My MIL who raised 1500 chickens at a time, said you have to get tough and culling a sick bird is more humane and safer for the flock.
I agree that we can overprotect our birds and eventually weaken their system's genetics.
A Poultry magazine article several months back gave this information on keeping chickens during freezing weather: Keep them dry, provide a windbreak, make roosts available in the dry, fresh water and good feed. The author said fresh air is necessary to remove the ammonia gasses and moisture from the roosting area...more dangerous to the birds than the cold. He said many of the respiratory issues with our chickens come from the ammonia and moisture rather than the cold. Pictures showed screened doors exposed to the south that allowed in the sunshine and fresh air. They were not blocked and there was snow on the ground. He did say that during harsh winds or blizzards, he would cover the doorways with shutter doors.
I'm still an old softy at heart and try to "rescue" one of my birds when it is ill. I treat it first in the hen house in a quarantine pen. If that doesn't work, I will bring it in....I'm finding that those usually don't make it. My MIL who raised 1500 chickens at a time, said you have to get tough and culling a sick bird is more humane and safer for the flock.
I think I only go with the no heat since the ice storm when there would of been no way to provide them with it & it could of cost them.
AT present the moderns are in this coop with the doors covered except for a 6" strip on one side for natural light, the bottom is completely covered since there is nothing down there. They have deep litter so for now we are only keeping an eye on them.
AT present the moderns are in this coop with the doors covered except for a 6" strip on one side for natural light, the bottom is completely covered since there is nothing down there. They have deep litter so for now we are only keeping an eye on them.
Quote:
I'm not going to do any kind of heat unless it gets below zero for the ones inside buildings. But I've got three 8x8 covered pens against the north side of the house that don't have an actual building to go into. I *am going to visqueen those pens because the wind is bitter on that side and those are the ones I think I'll put the popcorn can heaters into. Just for when it's below zero.
No coop would be really tough, will they have something to shield them from snow & ice?
All of mine have coops, even the moderns but I am worried about them because of the long legs.
It's these pens here.They have roofs and snow or ice doesn't get in there. They also have dog houses with straw and the pen floors are covered in lots of straw. I want to visqueen all along the front and the end though so no wind blows through. Do you think they'll be alright when it gets below zero with the visqueen? There only about 4 birds in each pen.
I'm not going to do any kind of heat unless it gets below zero for the ones inside buildings. But I've got three 8x8 covered pens against the north side of the house that don't have an actual building to go into. I *am going to visqueen those pens because the wind is bitter on that side and those are the ones I think I'll put the popcorn can heaters into. Just for when it's below zero.
No coop would be really tough, will they have something to shield them from snow & ice?
All of mine have coops, even the moderns but I am worried about them because of the long legs.
It's these pens here.They have roofs and snow or ice doesn't get in there. They also have dog houses with straw and the pen floors are covered in lots of straw. I want to visqueen all along the front and the end though so no wind blows through. Do you think they'll be alright when it gets below zero with the visqueen? There only about 4 birds in each pen.
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