Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[CanaDawn]

I wouldn't count on just the single Silkie doing much hatching; my birds - all 5 or 7 of them - lay and protect 24 eggs or so, and when they think they have enough, they all sit on them, taking turns getting food and water; they do all this procreating in an elevated small Dogloo, and after they've brooded the chicks for some number of days, they kick them out of the Dogloo, and the chicks must go down the ramp to get to the ground, where some of the mothers teach them about doing all the things they need to do to stay alive. The male Silkies are not excluded from the family, and the free ranging LF birds, both cocks and hens, leave them alone, even with free access to the Silkie pen. That's how my Silkies do it, on their own with no supervision, and in a tight single family unit, the more hens the merrier. They didn't lay eggs their first year and didn't get broody for long periods of time; when one hen went broody and stopped laying, they all did, but they are quite prolific layers when they are laying. Your one hen might incubate a broodi, but I think her chances would be better if she could sucker some of the other hens into a co-hatching arrangement with her. My Silkies didn't like the ramp, either. They would go down to get treats or yummy leftovers, but we had to gather them up and lock them in at night. ''Twas not fun for awhile.

About watering strategies in small places: in my small Silkie coop, I have used the light bulb in the cinder block technique to heat small 1 gallon milk containers fitted with one or two horizontal nipple drinkers to good effect. I put foil over the opening of the block and fasten the milk jug to the wall with small bungees to keep the birds from tipping it over. I use this with a Thermocube, and everything works well, especially if I drill a small hole in the milk jug cap. If you make a couple of these, it is easy to just switch them out when they run out of water. A100 watt bulb was enough to keep the waterr from freezing on my coldest days (-26C). Keeps 5 gal bucketfuls liquid, too. Speaking of cold and small spaces: last winter my Silkies stayed in a small Dogloo, and on really cold snowy nights, I worried about them. So I filled a gallon milk jug with hot water, wrapped it in a towel, and put it in the Dogloo with them: to my surprise, even on the coldest nights, the water in the milk jug remained unfrozen. The power of Silkie heat: it is amazing.

You are smart to know your limits and keep them applied. I could very well do with a tenth the number of birds I now have (I mean, how many eggs can a person eat in a day.?). Blessings

hmm, interesting about the brooding. My childhood birds would sometimes tagteam a hatch, but then would from what I could tell, rear them alone. This silkie is firmly determined when she's broody, so I would chance a few eggs under her, but wouldn't bother trying to max production (see: limits!) She's quite productive (although at this exact moment, all of the birds are laying....somewhere......as they freerange in the summer, and have been sampling various nest spots. I am stumped this time! Although the Seramas aren't as productive as the Silkie, I would have expected a couple or three eggs a week from each of them....brats.

My Silkie won't consider the ramp at all, prefers to plummet/fly to the ground if she's in the raised coop. Currently she sleeps on the lower area instead of using the ramp to return up to the top (the others roost on top of the coop, which is inside a shed) The lower area wasn't accessible last winter because I shut them into raised area to maximize the heat retention - this is the aspect I am possibly going to change for the upcoming winter...the ramp becomes an issue....did you adjust your ramp design or slope to encourage them?

I just swapped waterers morning and afternoon last year which worked, but I think I might try a small heating arrangement (although frankly, I think that would increase my fire risk more than the heat lamp does, in the setup I had last year, so I held off). I did fill with very warm/hot water, but now that you mention it, I might try blanketing the bottle with some of that silver bubblewrap stuff, and see if it lasts as liquid longer, because often it would just have frozen around the outside inch on milder days, and that might keep it unfrozen a few hours longer.

Quote: That amount of water consumption fits with my experience of larger birds in cold weather - they still need quite a bit. We used to give the bigger birds bowls of snow and my girls were interested when I put snow in their coop, but I thought it would be hard energetically on the Seramas to have to melt their own liquid. I still think it would be harder on them than water, so I'm actually going to try a few experiments in the chest freezer after reading your suggestions. (Because then I won't have to wait until my fingers are freezing and it's dark at 4pm to know if it works at the scale I need). Maybe it's my girls' habits, but they are very very skilled at filling things with bedding, poop, and dust, and getting wet, so something more enclosed is a better choice for this mini-ranch, too. With a small coop, everything is so close together that I find it is tricky to stop their scratching from filling anything set in the coop with shavings and poop. That's what is motivating me to consider setting it up so they can use the lower level this winter.....if I can sort out the ramp in a way that meets with Silkie Approval....(or move everything to the lower level, which might work better anyhow)

 

[CanaDawn]

My hens are also very good at asundering.

I suppose one could rig up some way to attach the bowl to the step, maybe via some holes drilled into the "lip" near the base (not sure of design of bowl re the wiring location) or a wire frame that attached to one side of the steps and then swung over the bowl and clipped to the far side to hold it in place.

 

[coop410silkies]

Yup.  And my perspective ended up "I do not have room for a dogbowl waterer, nor height for an open bowl to be raised up enough not to just be a bowl of bedding".  Doesn't work for every situation.
My Silkie will never fly to a 5 ft roost and is piss-poor at "hopping up" as well.
Glad it works for you, and perhaps someone else will find it helpful.

CanaDawn, I see by your reply here that you probably do not have room for a heated cinder block in your Serama coop. I can imagine that, because my little Silkie Dogloos don't have this kind of space, either. That is why I originally put up small hoop shelters - so that they could have a sheltered space for their food and water. You CAN mount and heat horizontal nipple waterers on the outside of the cage if you can make the nipples available to them on the inside. They can fit through holes, spaces in fencing, mesh, whatever. The nipple waterers can also be fashioned from smaller sturdy plastic containers, and they tend to stay very clean. The nipples are mounted on the sides of the container, and you can set the waterer down on whatever surface or height you wish. When the water is heated, they continue to work in all but arctic temps, but you may have to fiddle with them some in Manitoba temp zone. You could use heat tape to wrap the container and dispense with the light bulb and cinder block. But I'm thinking you've got things pretty well figured out. I just wasn't thinking about how small a space you might have. If any good ideas come from this little dialogue, I will be happy. blessings

 

[CanaDawn]

CanaDawn, I see by your reply here that you probably do not have room for a heated cinder block in your Serama coop. I can imagine that, because my little Silkie Dogloos don't have this kind of space, either. That is why I originally put up small hoop shelters - so that they could have a sheltered space for their food and water. You CAN mount and heat horizontal nipple waterers on the outside of the cage if you can make the nipples available to them on the inside. They can fit through holes, spaces in fencing, mesh, whatever. The nipple waterers can also be fashioned from smaller sturdy plastic containers, and they tend to stay very clean. The nipples are mounted on the sides of the container, and you can set the waterer down on whatever surface or height you wish. When the water is heated, they continue to work in all but arctic temps, but you may have to fiddle with them some in Manitoba temp zone. You could use heat tape to wrap the container and dispense with the light bulb and cinder block. But I'm thinking you've got things pretty well figured out. I just wasn't thinking about how small a space you might have. If any good ideas come from this little dialogue, I will be happy. blessings

Oh, ok! There's another thought. I'm in Alberta, but it's pretty much like Manitoba, temperature-wise. That would actually work pretty well, as the coop/cage is mesh sides and top (and I close off one side in the winter with a wood top and plastic curtain over the mesh to give them draft protection). With an outside mount, heat tape wouldn't be at risk of being pecked and otherwise asundered, which is why I didn't go that route last winter. When you say "fiddle with" what would I have to do with the nipples so that they would work at temps that are typically -15C to -20C but regularly -30C to -40C? I had assumed they wouldn't work in such cold, but if they will, I would like to get some now so they get a chance to use them before winter hits. I feel like if they use them, that would also help keep them working..?

What I have works well enough to winter the same way as I did, but improving it would include having water available more consistently. I really don't have room in the winter for a cinderblock or any of the heated dishes I have ever seen, but an outside mount would work well, if, as you say, the nipples will work in the cold. Do you have a brand you would suggest?

If I go with using the lower part and the shed (And maybe the run, if they're interested on the warmer days), I would have more space, but also somewhat more heating challenges - but those would be easier to work around than the water issue. If they weren't so tiny, I feel like I would have less concern about heating, but they did do very well last winter, so I'm starting to treat them rather more like the standard size birds I grew up with instead of fretting that they are substantially different.

Thanks! I'll take a few measurements tomorrow and start plotting for a system upgrade, featuring nipples and heat tape. I bet it won't be as much fun as it sounds out of context.....

 

[EaeMre]

I thought I'd start a new thread today so everyone can post what they are planning to do to help winterize their flocks and coops/runs for winter. Share your ideas, things that have worked well for you, things that haven't worked so well. I'll start off with this: First of all, I do not free-range, so my run (which is attached to the coop) is quite large for my 4 girls. It is approximately 9' x 16' with a sloped roof for easy snow removal: I purchased a 100' roll of 6-mil clear plastic, 10' wide and I'll be "wrapping" my run with it leaving about 12" or so at the top for ventilation. The winds can get pretty bad during our winter storms so I'll be securing it to the posts using those cheap wood furring strips (I think that's what you call them) top to bottom on each post. With it being 6-mil it should hold up really good. I figure when it's not snowing and even though it may only be +20 outside, even the minimal warmth from the sun will heat that area up pretty dang good. So there you have it, my first idea. PLEASE SHARE YOUR IDEAS AND TRICKS YOU'VE USED!!

 

[coop410silkies]

My hens are also very good at asundering.    I suppose one could rig up some way to attach the bowl to the step, maybe via some holes drilled into the "lip" near the base (not sure of design of bowl re the wiring location) or a wire frame that attached to one side of the steps and then swung over the bowl and clipped to the far side to hold it in place. 

ah yes, when it comes to chickens, "asunder" can be quite the appropriate verb. I still think an exterior water source, with a horizontal nipple poking through to the inside is a good way to go. The flat backed smaller buckets will will work really well for this. One of the really nice things about having a little gang of Silkie chicks running all over is watching the mamas teach their little ones how to use the nipples. The little babies have to stand up on their little hairy tippy toes, and some of them just can't quite reach. So I put a nipple in a clean milk jug, filled it with water, and set it on the ground for them. Problem solved. They are smarter than I look. I am looking for a PM, but just don't know how to find it yet. More Blessings

 

[CanaDawn]

ah yes, when it comes to chickens, "asunder" can be quite the appropriate verb. I still think an exterior water source, with a horizontal nipple poking through to the inside is a good way to go. The flat backed smaller buckets will will work really well for this. One of the really nice things about having a little gang of Silkie chicks running all over is watching the mamas teach their little ones how to use the nipples. The little babies have to stand up on their little hairy tippy toes, and some of them just can't quite reach. So I put a nipple in a clean milk jug, filled it with water, and set it on the ground for them. Problem solved. They are smarter than I look. I am looking for a PM, but just don't know how to find it yet. More Blessings

PMs are top right of page, if you mean Private Message
"they are smarter than I look"

Is that a typo? I love it!
I really do think the exterior source will improve things a lot. I was thinking about the larger small animal waterers, but of course I was thinking that those ball valves won't work like the nipples do (I don't think?) But I could certainly buy a litre milk jug next time and use that. They're quite flimsy, but the heat tape is so gentle a heat it should be fine.

Anyone ever used those thermostatic plug ins?

 

[coop410silkies]

PMs are top right of page, if you mean Private Message
 "they are smarter than I look"   Is that a typo?  I love it!
I really do think the exterior source will improve things a lot.  I was thinking about the larger small animal waterers, but of course I was thinking that those ball valves won't work like the nipples do (I don't think?) But I could certainly buy a litre milk jug next time and use that.  They're quite flimsy, but the heat tape is so gentle a heat it should be fine.

Anyone ever used those thermostatic plug ins?

no, that is not a typo, but I am hoping you will forgive them anyways.

If you do decide to use the horizontal drippers - and I've used both the vertical drippers and horizontal types - remember that they may not screw in properly to very thin materials; the holes can split or crack and start leaking, and the vertically mounted drippers are, in my experience, much more touchy to mount. Plus you have to hang them and you can't apply any sort of heat from the bottom. The horizontal nipples are spring loaded and less prone to freezing up. I have had my best successes with heavy duty recyclable milk containers from Farmers. Can't get them in liter/quart sizes here, but heavy duty water bottles might work if I get hard pressed. I HAVE used the Thermocubes, and mine have all worked flawlessly. My major complaint with them is that they won't fit in outdoor recepticals here, and in order to get them plugged in, you have to use a socket extension of some proper sort. Best regards

 

[CanaDawn]

no, that is not a typo, but I am hoping you will forgive them anyways.

If you do decide to use the horizontal drippers - and I've used both the vertical drippers and horizontal types - remember that they may not screw in properly to very thin materials; the holes can split or crack and start leaking, and the vertically mounted drippers are, in my experience, much more touchy to mount. Plus you have to hang them and you can't apply any sort of heat from the bottom. The horizontal nipples are spring loaded and less prone to freezing up. I have had my best successes with heavy duty recyclable milk containers from Farmers. Can't get them in liter/quart sizes here, but heavy duty water bottles might work if I get hard pressed. I HAVE used the Thermocubes, and mine have all worked flawlessly. My major complaint with them is that they won't fit in outdoor recepticals here, and in order to get them plugged in, you have to use a socket extension of some proper sort. Best regards

Forgive? I love it! Great little turn of phrase and I may just use it myself, if you don't mind!
I'll have to have a closer look at the nipples to see which way I will have to use them, but this is very useful as starting information. Ill have to look up Thermocubes as I'm not sure I know what they are.

ETA OH! Thermocubes are the thermostatic plug ins I was asking about, so yes, yes I DO know what they are....silly me.

 

[coop410silkies]

Forgive?  I love it!  Great little turn of phrase and I may just use it myself, if you don't mind!
I'll have to have a closer look at the nipples to see which way I will have to use them, but this is very useful as starting information.  Ill have to look up Thermocubes as I'm not sure I know what they are.

ETA OH!  Thermocubes are the thermostatic plug ins I was asking about, so yes, yes I DO know what they are....silly me.

as long as it doesn't go viral. The horizontal nipples are not easily found; I think there's only one distributor here in the U.S. of A, , and he gets them from Europe, maybe Britain. I bought mine from him off ebay, but I think he can be found here on BYC. I have a little night that I plug in to the Thermocube (they have two outlets), and it comes on when when the thing turns on the power to the heater(s); when the outside temp drops to around 0C, the light comes on, and I can verify from a distance that my "heater" has power. That's how I know they work.

I meant please forgive my typos. (A BYC member uses that phrase in either her avatar or signature line, and I find it simply brilliant.). BLESSINGS