Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[iwiw60]

ok, finally, I get some photos.
Stood out there today staring at the set up trying to imagine how to fix it to be more functional...
Shed from outside, doors open, typical unlovely garden shed, metal, with sliding doors:
.

cage set up, currently. They can't access the bottom part, the doors swing open to each side, wire front


Silkie and one of the two seramas, showing waterer and gravity feeder of crumbles, cage door open


perch area, with scratch hopper (yes, it's temporarily empty at time of photo!) There's sand and grit to the left, pine shavings on the rest of the floor.

I need to set up some kind of nest box.
They have been going out into an x-pen with a shower curtain top when the weather is decent.
The weather is NOT going to be decent, we've got lows in the -20C/-4F coming up in a day or two (If all else fails, I will bring them in for a day or two, but I don't have a space in the house or garage where they can overwinter.)

Any ideas? They are happily laying most days, despite the lack of specific nest box, they are right now contentedly scratching and pecking around in the cage, they use the perches and seem warm enough so far at night (but won't be by Monday...)

I do have a larger brooder lamp that is hanging from the center beam, but I turned it off after reading about getting them used to the cold. (Our farm hens naturally got used to it over the fall, as they were free range 95% of the time - these guys right now rely on me to put them in or out)

I'd like to know the dimensions on your shed...it looks like it could be made to function well for you. And how many chickens do you have? That will determine how many nest boxes you will need. What breed(s) are they also. What part of the country do you live in?? I'll be better able to help you with how/where to put things...

 

[CanaDawn]

I'd like to know the dimensions on your shed...it looks like it could be made to function well for you. And how many chickens do you have? That will determine how many nest boxes you will need. What breed(s) are they also. What part of the country do you live in?? I'll be better able to help you with how/where to put things...

typical garden shed, so I think probably 8' square
two seramas and a silkie
Northern Alberta.

 

[jtn42248]

typical garden shed, so I think probably 8' square
two seramas and a silkie
Northern Alberta.

I think the shed is fine for the birds you have. I am also guessing that the two screened door that open outward are for the entire pen? If so, you might cover the screen on the door on the right when the weather gets really cold. The heat lamp in the picture will warm the air at the open end and they can retreat to what will be a warmer space on the right of the pen. You probably are going to have a freezing water issue but that is easily handled. I would be cautious using a water "heater" in such a small area as there could be issues with additional heating.

Also, if you have the space, you could do some shed insulation simply by using bales of hay (9 bucks at Tractor Supply here) which will help to insulate the pen as a whole. Just be carefull with fire hazzards.

We are under a freeze watch here tonight, a week early, but I think we will be o.k. My bantams are still inside in a brooder and my big girls are all hunkered down and cuddling together.

Good luck.

 

[CanaDawn]

I considered and rejected water heaters so far. May look into an aquarium heater option, but for now will just keep what I'm doing. There's no easy way to handle frozen water issues in this climate...and it's complicated by the tiny size of the seramas, it seems like.
yes, the two screened doors are across the front of the cage, half of it covered by each door
The heat lamp that is on in the photo has only a 60W light in it. The brooder light is a 250W.
I'm planning to put straw around the outside of the shed ($3 a bale here, direct purchase) and maybe tape in a layer of foam insulation (since the birds are in the cage and won't be able to access the foam), and a foil bubble insulation sheet over the wire (good point re putting it over half)

We're way past a freeze watch, and are under a snowfall warning, and deepfreeze conditions.

I wondered about using a heated pet bed, after noticing them today in the store. The immediate cons to them that occurred to me was cleaning issues, and the birds scratching behaviour. The pro was the small heated surface, mild heat, safe system (designed for pets and for outside use), and heat from below. (and now thinking about heated reptile rocks.)

 

[mymilliefleur]

I live in Tennessee, but we still get some 0 F nights once in a while.
I keep my hens in fairly large A frame coops and net fencing. both ends are open to insure plenty of ventilation.
On cold nights when the temp drops into the teens I staple feed sacks over part of both ends to keep in extra heat.

I dump their water every night and refill it in the morning with fresh warm water, something they really enjoy.

I also give them extra sunflowers and organic corn.

Dust baths are also important. I have a large rubber bowl that I fill with dirt, wood ash, and sand which I keep in the run for them.

sunlight is also good for them if possible.

interesting topic BTW.

 

[jtn42248]

I considered and rejected water heaters so far. May look into an aquarium heater option, but for now will just keep what I'm doing. There's no easy way to handle frozen water issues in this climate...and it's complicated by the tiny size of the seramas, it seems like.
yes, the two screened doors are across the front of the cage, half of it covered by each door
The heat lamp that is on in the photo has only a 60W light in it. The brooder light is a 250W.
I'm planning to put straw around the outside of the shed ($3 a bale here, direct purchase) and maybe tape in a layer of foam insulation (since the birds are in the cage and won't be able to access the foam), and a foil bubble insulation sheet over the wire (good point re putting it over half)

We're way past a freeze watch, and are under a snowfall warning, and deepfreeze conditions.

I wondered about using a heated pet bed, after noticing them today in the store. The immediate cons to them that occurred to me was cleaning issues, and the birds scratching behaviour. The pro was the small heated surface, mild heat, safe system (designed for pets and for outside use), and heat from below. (and now thinking about heated reptile rocks.)

My Sebrights are small but easily half again larger than Seramas. They tend to be, by my limited experience, more hardy than we might think. Be careful about heat since it will impede the birds natural ability to regulate its own temp. You will need some I am sure but too much heat is always more dangerous for birds than too much cold. Wish I could get 3 dollar a bale hay. I go through a lot with my large chickens, ducks and geese. If you give them fresh water every a.m. and make sure it does not freeze during the day they should be o.k. in that regard. If you have not done so, put a thermometer in the side of the pen the light shines on and check the temp. You may want a larger wattage buld but play that one by ear.

 

[CanaDawn]

Wish I could get 3 dollar a bale hay.

I'm sure if you bought out of the field it would be cheaper than buying retail. Is that a possibility? That's straw at $3 a bale, too, not hay. Good hay is quite a bit more.

 

[CanaDawn]

If you give them fresh water every a.m. and make sure it does not freeze during the day they should be o.k. in that regard. If you have not done so, put a thermometer in the side of the pen the light shines on and check the temp. You may want a larger wattage buld but play that one by ear.

There's pretty much no way water won't freeze in the day. Starting very soon, our daytime highs will be in the 0F/-18C area regularly.

What temperature would I be looking for, if I set up a thermometer?

 

[jtn42248]

There's pretty much no way water won't freeze in the day. Starting very soon, our daytime highs will be in the 0F/-18C area regularly.

What temperature would I be looking for, if I set up a thermometer?

You may then either need to do some sort of water heater or take water out to them pretty often. However, if you can get the temp up with a heat lamp it should also keep the water thawed. I would try to get the temp above freezing definitely but remember that you are not trying to give them tropical heat. Just enough to allow them to regulate their own body temps. I would shoot for between 35 and 45 degrees.

I will check around for some cheaper hay/straw. We have a lot of that being grown and baled around here but it usually is those huge rolls that cost several hundred dollars. I have been buying costal which works for bedding and is still something that the ducks and geese can nibble at.

 

[CanaDawn]

yes, that temp would certainly mean no frozen water, but it will also mean a LOT of heating. This is my concern - that they will need it that warm, which is going to be very hard to do in that setup.