Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[iwiw60]

Tuesday morning it's supposed to be 10*F and this is what we have for coops n runs for the adults and 8-10 weekers.
I'm currently looking for something called food grade glycerin to prevent the water from freezing but I could use some advise as a newbie in Northern VA (frederick county).

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I enlarged your photos...first off, you need to get some sort of roof on both of those "side runs" leading off the main coop asap. Next, I would wrap plastic around at least three sides of each of those runs to protect them from blowing winds and snow. I would also put plastic on both sides of that main doorway on the main coop, too. Leave the doorway itself uncovered which should give them enough ventilation. If your winds tend to blow "into" that doorway then you'll have to reconsider.

I would not use glycerin, food grade or not, in your water supply.Too many "what-if's" and not worth the risk. If you get hard freezes like I do here in Oregon the only way to go is with heated waterers of some type. Me personally? I use 2-1/2 gallon white plastic buckets fitted with horizontal (not! vertical) water nipples, with a 250-watt mini stock tank heater (also known as bird bath heaters). Example: this morning it was MINUS 6 degrees, but my waterer was just fine. Nothing froze up and the girls were happy as clams. If you're interested in the how-to's click on the link at the bottom of this post on Switching Your Girls Over to Horizontal Waterers.

I wish you all the very best!

 

[astrologica]

Thanks for the great advise. I know the photos are not the best quality. If you look closely, you can see I did wrap the sides of the large run with painters plastic. Should I do the back side? It only comes up a food and touches the bottom of the roost. I'm thinking it could cause a wind tunnel effect if I don't. If I get heated waterers, it will cost to the tune of 150.00 for three. That's a little steep when you consider how much we've spent out this month (a small fortune).
Going to check your link now...
Thanks again.

 

[astrologica]

iwiw60, I don't see the link. I did find a video on YouTube a week or so ago about using a birdbath heater in a cooler with PVC tubing and water nipples with some guttering underneath. I'll see if I can find it.
I think this is it:

 

[iwiw60]

Thanks for the great advise. I know the photos are not the best quality. If you look closely, you can see I did wrap the sides of the large run with painters plastic. Should I do the back side? It only comes up a food and touches the bottom of the roost. I'm thinking it could cause a wind tunnel effect if I don't. If I get heated waterers, it will cost to the tune of 150.00 for three. That's a little steep when you consider how much we've spent out this month (a small fortune).
Going to check your link now...
Thanks again.

Here's the link to my BYC page:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/lists/display/view/id/55267

When you say "large run" are you referring to the main (big) coop that is wrapped in Tyvek?? If so the only additional I would think you would need is putting up some of that plastic on either side of that main doorway.

It's those 2 small runs (brooders?) that come off either end of the big coop that need some protection...fast. At the very least slap up some sort of roofing on there and put some of that Tyvek on at least 2 of the windward sides for some better protection.

 

[tntchix]

@iwiw60 hey long time no chat. Question for you on the deicer how do you deal with the cord in the bucket? I haven't hooked mine up cuz I'm not sure if I should notch a hole in the lid or what?

 

[tntchix]

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/kennel-roof--cover-kit-10-ft-x-10-ft
I am putting this roof on this week. I am hoping the winds won't be an issue.

 

[iwiw60]

@iwiw60 hey long time no chat. Question for you on the deicer how do you deal with the cord in the bucket? I haven't hooked mine up cuz I'm not sure if I should notch a hole in the lid or what?

Yep, I ended up using my largest bit, drilled a hole in the lid, then took a sharp short-bladed knife and carved out what I needed to get the plug up and through it. Then I used those plastic zip-tie thingies and hooked it up to the rafter, on over to the coop, drilled (yet another!) hole in the coop to hit the electric panel thing. Works like a charm, but I have to come up with something in the spring to 'plug' that hole better. Not much, but a little bit of run dust gets in there, but it's thawed, it's flowing...I'm a happy camper and will deal with it for this winter.

On another note, remember this pic of my coop/run?

Well, if you'll notice the roof of the coop has a whopping 2" or so overhang....hellooooo!! I'm having problems with dampness on the floor of those two doorways due to snow and rain. I can deal with it for this winter with replacing shavings, etc., but come spring I'm sinking two more of those landscape timbers in...one off the far left of the coop (just outside this pic) and then forward to line up with that third landscape timber on the run. Yep, I'm going to build me an overhang/porch of sorts...NO more wetness come this next winter.........

Yikes! Does......it.....ever......end.....????

 

[tntchix]

Yep, I ended up using my largest bit, drilled a hole in the lid, then took a sharp short-bladed knife and carved out what I needed to get the plug up and through it. Then I used those plastic zip-tie thingies and hooked it up to the rafter, on over to the coop, drilled (yet another!) hole in the coop to hit the electric panel thing. Works like a charm, but I have to come up with something in the spring to 'plug' that hole better. Not much, but a little bit of run dust gets in there, but it's thawed, it's flowing...I'm a happy camper and will deal with it for this winter.
I can definitely do that then. No electricity but still have extension cord from fan in summer so until we get solar next spring...boom.
On another note, remember this pic of my coop/run?

Well, if you'll notice the roof of the coop has a whopping 2" or so overhang....hellooooo!! I'm having problems with dampness on the floor of those two doorways due to snow and rain. I can deal with it for this winter with replacing shavings, etc., but come spring I'm sinking two more of those landscape timbers in...one off the far left of the coop (just outside this pic) and then forward to line up with that third landscape timber on the run. Yep, I'm going to build me an overhang/porch of sorts...NO more wetness come this next winter.........
Not more holes!

Hey at least you are figuring out. I have no suggestions for how to prevent the dampness.
Yikes! Does......it.....ever......end.....????

Nope. I now have a book of what will change next spring. LOL

 

[ReillyJ]

Anybody else's chickens *seemingly* not eating much?

Had a REAL cold snap for the past 5 days or so here in W. WA and also they're molting and look PA-thetic! They kind of act that way, too, LOL..well one of them kind of does but it doesn't seem like they're interested in eating a lot.

I give them FF and pellets and they free range all day and have been, just seems like w/this latest cold snap, especially that they're not going through the food, you think it would be the opposite.

 

[tntchix]

OMgosh no mine are pigging out like crazy. Going to get some flock blocks tomorrow and see if it slows them down a bit.