Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[barbiegirl]

As a lizard owner, I do not use the lizard stones for heat. They have been known to cause burns to lizards. I don't think they would be good around hens either. Maybe someone can invent a heated mat type of thing to keep the eggs from freezing in the winter but safe enough not to burn down a coop.

 

[LisaYolkUm]

stake-------------do chickens get poison ivy? My free range in a poison ivy area.....................just didn't think it effected animals....................

 

[chippysmom327]

I don't think they do. I think the oils on their feathers and the feathers themselves would prevent them from getting it on their skin. But then again when they groom... They can eat it without ill effects.

 

[wingstone]

As a lizard owner, I do not use the lizard stones for heat. They have been known to cause burns to lizards. I don't think they would be good around hens either. Maybe someone can invent a heated mat type of thing to keep the eggs from freezing in the winter but safe enough not to burn down a coop.

Careful with any kind of heated mats, the warmers that we used for the little piggies also caused moisture build up if it got cold outside, it was not a lot but if you ran your hand across the cage it would be wet..
They are basically a long plastic heating pad.

 

[wingstone]

What's wrong with her eye?

This is the other eye in good shape.

I would look for a small puncture, looks lie a bite from something like a spider that she reacted to...

 

[dheltzel]

I would look for a small puncture, looks lie a bite from something like a spider that she reacted to...

Can you give a chicken Benadryl (the liquid for children) ?

 

[ErinsFlock]

Not if your birds are winter hardy.....my two cents,,,(I did use some of the spray foam insulation in certain spots to cut the drafts....)

Well my husband is happy to hear this, he says it makes a lot less work for him.

 

[ErinsFlock]

My roof is set on 2x3's therefore there is a 2½gap at the roof on each side (slopped roof). In addition there is an 8 inch by 6 foot window in the west side and a 20 inch by 6 foot window in the east side. The large window has a flap that can cover it but not seal. The pop door is always open.

Coop is 8x12ft.

That is a lot of ventilation. The roosts are located in the corners away from direct draft.

This past winter I covered nothing. All survived. Some frostbitten com's, but they recovered.

Breeds were SFH and orpingtons.

They are far sturdier animals than you may think.

Along the same lines, my rabbits are kept in roughly the same conditions and I was having litters over the winter.

Only issue was need to change water a couple times a day. There is no electric to coops or rabbits.

Fresh air. Fresh air. Fresh air.

Thank you, we have a lot of ventilation planned for our coop

 

[ErinsFlock]

I agree with this opinion...............this last winter was a tough one and my birds did well.....................everything about ventilation as being very important in winter.

keep the inside of the coop dry in winter is key

keep some roof for outdoor options with snow on the roof.......

summer............hotness is problem so ventilation is so important here too..............

if the chickens are winter hardy breeds............and healthy..............they should do well.  
Also if they have a smaller space to hang out together on a roost............they share their body warmth and dryness and don't get frostbite.

Birds with smaller combs and wattles ...........by their breed type are also less susceptible to frost bite.

Someone on this group did have a bird lose both feet due to frost bite..............so dry footing is very important.

I do have winter hardy breeds. Our new coop will be 6'x8' and we only have 4 chickens. I told my husband that I need more so that they can all keep warm together during the winter, I told him it's better for the chickens Haha. He must believe me because he agreed to it, it took me 3 years to talk him into getting chickens.

 

[ErinsFlock]

Welcome to all the new people from here in cambria County! Hope you all enjoy this thread as much as I do. It's a wealth of info and a fountain of advice when you need it. Not to mention ask the enablers lol. Speaking of which, if any of you have need of a blue copper marans cockerel, I have an extra lol.
I wish I had asked this in the beginning but then again, my hubby was insistent on insulating our coop when we built it. We probably put WAY more into it than we needed to. Ours is fully insulated, floor, walls and all. Even the nest boxes are enclosed inside an insulated shed lol. We'll see how it all works out this winter (our first year with chickens)

He sounds like my husband, I showed him the purina coop plans and asked him to make it. Next thing I know he comes home with loads of stuff for this coop, he takes his projects to the extreme. He loves to woodwork and build stuff as a hobby and I am not complaining! I am so excited for it to be finished, Who knew something like chickens would make me so happy!