Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[taradye3]

Me either, @dheltzel
 ...not worth the possible tragedy of a fire. As for waterers I use the horizontal water nipples in my plastic bucket. I've ordered 250-watt mini stock tank heaters so my problem will be solved...no more frozen waterers. And the best part is...no more spilled/wet bedding!

Where did you order those from? That is the kind of waterer I use and have been racking my brain at how to make it thru winter!

 

[taradye3]

Hooper...I m in Missouri and have chickens who spent all last winter in a cedar tree. Some nights got 10 below and plenty of snow
I thought they'd surely die but no walking around in the am. didn't loose one nor were they harmed with frost bite so I'm very convinced even a slightly drafty coop won't harm them.

That is so good for me to hear! I am in missouri too! I only have one chicken, but she has decided to not use the coop or nesting box I have for her. She prefers now to wonder during the day and sleep in a tree at night. I'm nervous for our Missouri winter. I don't want to lose her. But she doesn't like her coop. I don't know what to do to keep her warm and safe through the winter!!!!

 

[iwiw60]

Where did you order those from? That is the kind of waterer I use and have been racking my brain at how to make it thru winter!

Hang on...trying to get the link now over at Walmart.com ... slower than heck this morning! Be right back!

 

[iwiw60]

Hang on...trying to get the link now over at Walmart.com ... slower than heck this morning! Be right back!

I got them on walmart.com here's the link to the page:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Allied-Precision-2261-7872-250-Watt-Aluminum-Bird-Bath-De-Icer/23136155

When I braved the elements and went out this morning to feed them a bowl of warm oatmeal and replenish their water bucket I was afraid that it was going to be disaster as it got down to MINUS 6 last night. But nope, everything was just fine..yay!

 

[iwiw60]

That is so good for me to hear! I am in missouri too! I only have one chicken, but she has decided to not use the coop or nesting box I have for her. She prefers now to wonder during the day and sleep in a tree at night. I'm nervous for our Missouri winter. I don't want to lose her. But she doesn't like her coop. I don't know what to do to keep her warm and safe through the winter!!!!

How SAD! Just one lonely chicken? She needs a friend or two....

 

[islandgirl82]

That is so good for me to hear! I am in missouri too! I only have one chicken, but she has decided to not use the coop or nesting box I have for her. She prefers now to wonder during the day and sleep in a tree at night. I'm nervous for our Missouri winter. I don't want to lose her. But she doesn't like her coop. I don't know what to do to keep her warm and safe through the winter!!!!

X2 on getting her a friend or two. They are flock animals and need companionship. You can get her to use her coop by closing her in it for a time (a few days to a couple of weeks). They're also creatures of habit and don't like change but eventually, going to the coop at night will become habit for her.

Did she have flockmates at some point and if so, what happened to them?

 

[astrologica]

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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[astrologica]

The two runs next to one another contain a Cochin mom and 4 10 weekers and the right one has a dark brahma mom and 3 8 weekers, btw.

 

[taradye3]

@islandgirl82 @iwiw60

I will check Walmart.com for one.

She did have two chick mates. I used to keep them in the coop all the time for fear of animals getting to them at night when they were younger. Then, when they got to be about 3-4 months I started letting them wonder when I was home and would keep them locked in the coop/run at night or if we were away. Then, at about 5-6 months I started letting them wonder during the day even when we weren't home and would put them in the coop/run just at night. They seemed to love it and really flourished. But then one day, one of them just disappeared. Never saw her again. So I went back to keeping them in the coop/run when I wasn't home. And a few days after I went back to doing that, the second one died. I have no idea why. She was very healthy. I posted on here about it and there was a comment about depression and not being able to be 'free' anymore. And I did NOT want our last one to die because if that too. So, I went back to letting her out during the day and putting her in the coop at night. Well one evening I forgot to go put her back in her coop, and she had already gone back in on her own. And she continued to do that every night. Go out when she wanted, and come dark, she'd go back in. But about a week ago, she started this whole sleeping in a tree thing at night.

I plan to get her some new friends next spring. I just was nervous about having young chicks during the winter.

Also, she is about 8 months old now and I have yet to find out first egg! I was under the assumption that she would be laying by now. Was I wrong to assume that? Of course, she very well could be laying somewhere around the property and I just haven't found it. Although, she pretty much stays just in this one area and I haven't found any there. But I don't know.

 

[islandgirl82]

@islandgirl82 @iwiw60

I will check Walmart.com for one.

She did have two chick mates. I used to keep them in the coop all the time for fear of animals getting to them at night when they were younger. Then, when they got to be about 3-4 months I started letting them wonder when I was home and would keep them locked in the coop/run at night or if we were away. Then, at about 5-6 months I started letting them wonder during the day even when we weren't home and would put them in the coop/run just at night. They seemed to love it and really flourished. But then one day, one of them just disappeared. Never saw her again. So I went back to keeping them in the coop/run when I wasn't home. And a few days after I went back to doing that, the second one died. I have no idea why. She was very healthy. I posted on here about it and there was a comment about depression and not being able to be 'free' anymore. And I did NOT want our last one to die because if that too. So, I went back to letting her out during the day and putting her in the coop at night. Well one evening I forgot to go put her back in her coop, and she had already gone back in on her own. And she continued to do that every night. Go out when she wanted, and come dark, she'd go back in. But about a week ago, she started this whole sleeping in a tree thing at night.

I plan to get her some new friends next spring. I just was nervous about having young chicks during the winter.

Also, she is about 8 months old now and I have yet to find out first egg!

I was under the assumption that she would be laying by now. Was I wrong to assume that? Of course, she very well could be laying somewhere around the property and I just haven't found it. Although, she pretty much stays just in this one area and I haven't found any there. But I don't know.

I do believe that animals feel more than we give them credit for but I wonder if a predator had gotten into your coop instead of her dying from depression. Mink is one predator that doesn't leave any obvious signs and that could be why your lonely girl doesn't want to be back in the coop and that means you need to reinforce it before you put anyone back in there.

As for the lack of eggs, she could be hiding them but if you're in the northern hemisphere, we're approaching winter and they naturally slow in production due to lack of sunlight. Otherwise, stress alone can be enough to stop them from laying. Losing her flock mates no doubt was a traumatic experience for her and would be more than enough reason for her to stop.