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Be careful what you wish for... I hoped for a broody or two to get a self sustaining flock.... and ended up with about 20 crazy ones. Last 2 are 5 year old Sussex hens... just gave the coronation Sussex chicks on Wednesday. The light Sussex hen got chicks 2 weeks ago (along with 2 other of my mix hens). Apparently broodiness is contagious.
 
Okey dokey!

My fence install got delayed a week. My Dodge Ram-driving friend had to work late and couldn't pick up the materials. So bummed. The good news though, is it gave me time to spend today to better plan my transformed yard, from placing the yet-to-be-planted deer pear in the chicken yard, to salvaging some coop skirting from the waste lumber pile, to finally fixing and refilling my earthworm farm bins with compost, to filling and covering a compost pit in the new chicken yard, to finishing building my rooster apartment/rain shelter, and of course making final layout plans for the fence. Between purchased material and salvage, it looks like I will have 700 sq ft yard in a piecut shape with 8x8 coop plus rooster apartment for my main flock, a breeding/broody/quarantine yard 70sq ft with separate coop (my current TSC, big enough for 6 adult birds including breeding roo or 1 hen with chicks), and room for a 300sq ft growout pen with separate coop, which I can build now because I am about to sell my old motorcycle to a friend. I can raise chicks spring and fall, and sell point-of-lay pullets and meat cockerels when available! And I can start breeding my Pennyred Giants, a backyard giant dual-purpose breed I have been planning (based mainly on Jersey Giant, Red Marans, Brahma, and Rhode Island Red). I feel so blessed today!!!
 
Ok pa peeps.....first year with chickens. I’m in northwestern...anyone here up my way? I’m looking for winter advice. We are converting an 8x12 shed into a coop as currently they are separated into 2 coops. Chicken math got the best of us of course. Was planning on roosts that run the length of a long wall and a short wall. We currently have 20 chickens... 4 1 week old and 2 5 week olds the rest are older. Anywho....we are making poop boards for under the roosts. I was going to use sand so I can scoop poop but hubs thinks it will be too cold to use sand....so what do y’all use? Also thinking of a think layer of straw on the floor as we are covering the wood with either a tarp or vynal flooring for easy cleaning. I also read where u can make a “wall” with the straw for them to huddle in if necessary. And add more straw at times as well. So any advice...opinions etc. are welcome for a first winter for my girls and boys. O the breeds we have are Barnevelders, Barred Plymouth Rock, buff Orpington (roo) accidental black sexlink, Rhode Island Reds, and the rest are Light Brahmas, o and 1 Australorp almost forgot her lol
 
Jandsloch said:
Ok pa peeps.....first year with chickens. I’m in northwestern...anyone here up my way? I’m looking for winter advice. We are converting an 8x12 shed into a coop as currently they are separated into 2 coops. Chicken math got the best of us of course. Was planning on roosts that run the length of a long wall and a short wall. We currently have 20 chickens... 4 1 week old and 2 5 week olds the rest are older. Anywho....we are making poop boards for under the roosts. I was going to use sand so I can scoop poop but hubs thinks it will be too cold to use sand....so what do y’all use? Also thinking of a think layer of straw on the floor as we are covering the wood with either a tarp or vynal flooring for easy cleaning. I also read where u can make a “wall” with the straw for them to huddle in if necessary. And add more straw at times as well. So any advice...opinions etc. are welcome for a first winter for my girls and boys. O the breeds we have are Barnevelders, Barred Plymouth Rock, buff Orpington (roo) accidental black sexlink, Rhode Island Reds, and the rest are Light Brahmas, o and 1 Australorp almost forgot her lol
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I'm in Erie county. I would suggest 2 roosts on just one 8-foot wall. That way they can huddle together. Also make the roosts wide enough for the chickens toes to lay mostly flat so they can sit on their feet to keep the toes from getting frostbite. I use a poop board and I use sweet PDZ and a kitty litter scooper. In winter the poop will freeze solid but if you have enough sand/PDZ the poop won't get stuck on the board and it's pretty easy to clean. I did have issues with frostbite on my rooster's comb last year but I've had everyone else tell me that it's an issue with ventilation, not the temperature. Make sure your coop has plenty of ventilation. My new coop has 3 open windows and I'll have to figure out how much to leave open or cover up this winter. I also plan on making a covered run for them to get some outside time in winter too. I've also heard to throw scratch grains/cracked corn on the floor and let them dig for it to help them warm up and have something to do.
 
Jandsloch said:
Ok pa peeps.....first year with chickens. I’m in northwestern...anyone here up my way? I’m looking for winter advice. We are converting an 8x12 shed into a coop as currently they are separated into 2 coops. Chicken math got the best of us of course. Was planning on roosts that run the length of a long wall and a short wall. We currently have 20 chickens... 4 1 week old and 2 5 week olds the rest are older. Anywho....we are making poop boards for under the roosts. I was going to use sand so I can scoop poop but hubs thinks it will be too cold to use sand....so what do y’all use? Also thinking of a think layer of straw on the floor as we are covering the wood with either a tarp or vynal flooring for easy cleaning. I also read where u can make a “wall” with the straw for them to huddle in if necessary. And add more straw at times as well. So any advice...opinions etc. are welcome for a first winter for my girls and boys. O the breeds we have are Barnevelders, Barred Plymouth Rock, buff Orpington (roo) accidental black sexlink, Rhode Island Reds, and the rest are Light Brahmas, o and 1 Australorp almost forgot her lol
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Here's mine - this wall is 8 ft as well. I'm going to build something underneath there for a dust bathing area.

IMG_0658 (1).jpeg
 
FluffyButt789 said:
Here's mine - this wall is 8 ft as well. I'm going to build something underneath there for a dust bathing area.

View attachment 1913207
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Awesome info and pics thank you. Would the thick side of a 2x4 be better than the thin side? That’s what I was planning. And good idea about putting them together. Looking into PDZ currently :) I’m in southern Crawford we don’t get all the lake flakes you get but just the same temp wise.
 

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