Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[iwiw60]

Get an older analog timer like this... They might not carry this exact model in the store but they will carry a similar one for under $10...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Woods-500...nical-24-Hour-Lamp-Timer-White-50000/21682990

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Woods-500...for-Lamps-and-Appliances-White-50001/21683001

Thanks @MeepBeep .. I'm confused between the two. One is a "2-conductor" and the other is a "3-conductor"....does that mean one will take a 2-prong plug and the other will take a 3-prong plug? As you can clearly see, I am not electrical-saavy!!

 

[iwiw60]

OK, well you can buy a screw in adapter for the (I assume) light socket, then just get a simple timer that you use around Christmas time that can work from dusk to dawn or switch to 2 hr, 4 hr, 6 hr or dusk to dawn. The timer comes on at dusk by the optic eye and you adjust to the 2,4, 6 hr or full duk to dawn, around $10 bucks at WM or Lowe's or Home Depot. http://www.walmart.com/ip/Brink-s-44-1065-2-Brinks-Outdoor-Digital-Timer-with-6-Cord-Black/34038268 OOps! I assumed you wanted one at night.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Westek-TM12DOLB-Westek-TM12DOLB-1-Outlet-Timer-Outdoor-Rated-Black/21615525
This is a programmable one. Of course nothing is easy, you will need this to plug into the socket adapter
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=rel&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

Which is this http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1
Sorry, simple when you have all three parts. LOL Good luck.

Thanks @RnRRidgerunner .. I'll check those out today for sure!

 

[iwiw60]

Me again...lol
To go back to water heaters, would a regular aquarium heater work rather then the 'bird feeder' type?

You should avoid any "aquarium heater" mainly because most, if not all, are made of glass, and also because it won't do the job. I use a bird bath de-icer that resembles a mini stock tank heater. What I like most about it is it turns on at 43 degrees and turns off automatically if the water hits 58-60 degrees.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Allied-Precision-Deluxe-Bird-Bath-Heater-and-De-icer/17365953

I ordered two, one for the coop and one for the run. While they are a bit pricey I have to say when they arrived I was very impressed with the quality of construction. Very solid and well built.

 

[jeepgrl]

Is there any such thing as a simple timer for an electric light (in my coop) that is not hard-wired? I like to keep things simple (brain matter disintegrating as we speak). I don't need "7-day programmable blah blah blah" .. just a simple timer that will turn the light bulb on at 5am and off at 8am. I just want to be able to plug a simple timer into the existing light and then to the main plug for the juice...

ANYONE??

They sell timers like this for christmas lights outdoors! We had one, and it was VERY simple to use. You just like then on dash up with what time you want it to come on and then line the off dash with what time you want it off. then plug it in, and have your lights plugged in to the timer. They worked great for our christmas lights. I'm new to the chicken thing, so I can' speak on that side of it.

 

[iwiw60]

They sell timers like this for christmas lights outdoors! We had one, and it was VERY simple to use. You just like then on dash up with what time you want it to come on and then line the off dash with what time you want it off. then plug it in, and have your lights plugged in to the timer. They worked great for our christmas lights. I'm new to the chicken thing, so I can' speak on that side of it.

Where did you get it? What's the name?

 

[jeepgrl]

Hey everyone! This thread is awesome! I saw a coop and the guy had laid lanolium (spell check) / laminate flooring underneath the bedding to help make the cleaning easier inside the coop. Being new to the chicken thing, I thought this was a great idea, plus would help cut down on absorbing the poop smell in the wood. Any thoughts?
Thanks!

 

[iwiw60]

Hey everyone! This thread is awesome! I saw a coop and the guy had laid lanolium (spell check) / laminate flooring underneath the bedding to help make the cleaning easier inside the coop. Being new to the chicken thing, I thought this was a great idea, plus would help cut down on absorbing the poop smell in the wood. Any thoughts?
Thanks!

Yes, it works really great. But when you buy it, buy about 12-18" more both width and length, that way you can have it up the walls a little bit...understand(??) I use pine wood shavings, but be careful if you go that route because they come in 'fine' and 'curly' (for lack of a better term!). You don't want the fine wood shavings, they pack down and get just awful. I use what I call the curly/fluffy stuff and it's great.

Best of luck to you!!

 

[iwiw60]

Are you looking for an inexpensive (in other words...cheap!) way to heat your waterer during the winter? Here's one idea:

http://citygirlfarmingblog.com/2013...ater-less-than-four-minutes-and-four-dollars/

DIY Chicken Water Heater: Less Than Four Minutes and Four Dollars


NOTE: Be sure to read the "Update" section at the bottom of the page. Turns out a 25-watt bulb wasn't sufficient, and she added a tray of sorts for something else...just FYI!

 

[iwiw60]

Don't Forget to Gather Eggs More Often than Usual

If you have cold weather chickens, some may continue to lay during the winter, and the eggs could freeze. While this doesn’t really hurt them, exactly, it IS a risk for bacterial contamination, because the frozen egg contents expand, and can create tiny hairline cracks in the shell you might not see with the naked eye. The cracks can let bacteria into the shell. Of course, at cold temperatures, the bacteria doesn’t grow very quickly, but nonetheless, keeping cracked eggs is just not a good idea.

 

[jeepgrl]

Where did you get it? What's the name?

I got it from target or walmart. Its green with a steak to go in the ground