Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[NTBugtraq]

Oh and also, so far it's been very warm this week and I believe is supposed to be next week too (but still very cold at night) and I was planning on putting them in garage tonight but now it's dark so I think I will wait till tomorrow morning but anyway, when can they actually go outside outside? I know usually it's 6-8 weeks to fully feather and I am using MHP method so could maybe be anytime but I don't want them to be too cold. The garage is probably as cold as outside though and I don't have a coop built yet but I guess what I am trying to say here, and not able to do it very well apparently, is that by the time they feather out it will be like the middle of winter... I know they tolerate cold and all and I can't just put them from the house to the coop but do people put chickens outside in winter? Do I need to wait till spring? Or will they be fine? Also, like I said, it's really warm during the day right now so will they be shocked if I put them out in the garage and it's warm then suddenly really cold or will they be fine? Should I bring them in at night for a few days or should I just turn the heating pad up and stick them out there? I guess they have to get used to it sometime, right?

IMO, they will be fine at 4 weeks to go outside, as long as they have some wind protection (somewhere to get out of the wind), plus food and water of course. I put 4 week olds outside 1 week ago (no in and out, no break-in time, just out and done) and they have done fine, other than the problem that there were 38 and they huddled so tightly they've killed a couple in this one corner. 8 or 9 could not, IMO, create the pressure that could kill one.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Thank you for the information. I think I will put them out without adjustment then, especially since my mom keeps turning the heat on and I think they are too warm, one died of severe pasty butt the other night. They turned a week old yesterday so hopefully it won't be too long until they can go outside then. and you know, I actually wonder if it may be better to put them outside, with or without MHP, before it gets cold even if they're young? I know in the garage they should adjust about the same and it basically is the same as putting them in the "real" outside but I wonder if it may be better to put them out sometime this month while it's still relatively "warm" or at least before the snow falls so that can somewhat have time to adjust rather tham simply waiting until they're feathered and plopping them out there? And again, being in the garage is basically the same thing anyway, if not colder with the concrete.

 

[henless]

Thank you for the information.

I think I will put them out without adjustment then, especially since my mom keeps turning the heat on and I think they are too warm, one died of severe pasty butt the other night. They turned a week old yesterday so hopefully it won't be too long until they can go outside then. and you know, I actually wonder if it may be better to put them outside, with or without MHP, before it gets cold even if they're young? I know in the garage they should adjust about the same and it basically is the same as putting them in the "real" outside but I wonder if it may be better to put them out sometime this month while it's still relatively "warm" or at least before the snow falls so that can somewhat have time to adjust rather tham simply waiting until they're feathered and plopping them out there? And again, being in the garage is basically the same thing anyway, if not colder with the concrete.

Don't put them outside without some form of heat. Either the MHP or go get a heat lamp. Make sure they have a wind break.

I put last years chicks outside the day I got them. They ranged from 2 days to 1 week old. They went out in DH's shop, which was great for wind break. Temps got down in the 20's and they did great. This was the last week of February.

The minimum size coop you need is 8'x4'. Since you have a good amount of snow where you live, I would try to make it a bit bigger or else make sure you have a covered run. There will be a lot of days when they may not want to go outside.

You need to start building the coop now. They will grow faster than you think and will quickly outgrow their brooder.

Do you have your own thread started? If not, you could start one and it would be easier to keep all your questions in the same place. Be easier to reference back to them also.

Work on your coop! Your going to need it sooner than later!!

 

[bigmrg74]

Since I cannot free-range, I built along the side of my house. I have an 8 x 10 nesting room, and then 42' x 10' of roofed run (mesh on the south wall only), split into a 24' space and an 18' space. The 24' space is my main laying flock (currently housing 39 hens/pullets, 1 rooster, and 2 cockerels, but intended to hold 100 layers and 3 roosters), and I have 67 in the "young birds run" ranging from 4 weeks to 17 weeks. The young birds coop has ~300 sq.ft. of outdoor space (fenced and covered with mesh).

No pecking, no fights, everyone seems to get along, even though the pullets/hens are of different colorings. My project breed is multi-colored (breaking apart genes leads to many different colored birds), which makes it easier for them to integrate with others. It helps to have lots of roosts, I have 72' of roosts in both runs.

The biggest problem I am having is that very young birds are being squished by the mob in one particular corner. I have been trying various boards in the hopes of finding a solution, but it would seem they feel cold enough to keep pressing, and eventually a weakling ends up at the center. One reason not to have young birds at the beginning of winter, I suppose.

A picture of the corner would be be useful in helping you out.

Off the top of my head, maybe you could try putting a straw bale or two in the corner. would keep them all from pushing right into the corner, and the height of the bale would be enough that they would have to hop up on it. Only so many could be on the bale at one time, and that would be enough to keep them from crushing each other.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Don't put them outside without some form of heat. Either the MHP or go get a heat lamp. Make sure they have a wind break.

I put last years chicks outside the day I got them. They ranged from 2 days to 1 week old. They went out in DH's shop, which was great for wind break. Temps got down in the 20's and they did great. This was the last week of February. 

The minimum size coop you need is 8'x4'. Since you have a good amount of snow where you live, I would try to make it a bit bigger or else make sure you have a covered run. There will be a lot of days when they may not want to go outside. 

You need to start building the coop now. They will grow faster than you think and will quickly outgrow their brooder. 

Do you have your own thread started? If not, you could start one and it would be easier to keep all your questions in the same place. Be easier to reference back to them also.

Work on your coop! Your going to need it sooner than later!!

I'll definitely put heat out there. I think I'll go with the heating pad because I worry about the fire risk with the heat lamps. Only thing is though is that I'd have to get a very long extension cord to run out there because we won't have electricity out there. Although the basement door is actually pretty close and there's plugs inside so would probably go with that door. But it's still quite a distance and I'd need to figure out how to close the door. Anyway, point being, maybe I should just keep them in the garage and then put them in the coop when they're older? The adults don't need heat, right? And probably a stupid question but what's a wind break? Because I'm assuming it's a place to get away from the wind but I would have thought that the coop would provide that? Or do you mean like add walls or.plastic or something to the run so they have a break out there as well?

It's so amazing how hardy chickens are and especially little baby chicks. I've heard a couple stories now about similar things, it being in the twenties or teens or in the negative digits and them being perfectly fine, even young chicks. You always hear about how they need to be so warm all the time.

Yeah, that's about the size I was thinking but when I sti had the other one I was thinking about adding a little extension, maybe 4x4 as a roost thing and extra room, since 4x8 is only big enough for 8 and that's at the very limit so didn't wanna push it but now obviously I only have the 8 but I might still add it or something similar. I never even thought about taking into account the "snow days", youre so smart. Definitely will take that into consideration. Although, we have a family acquaintance who's my uncle's neighbors son and also I think manager of the local farm store and he has I think like... 50? Right now he said and he said that they'll be out walking in the snow and also that they don't really feel temperature through their feet and that he doesn't put heat or anything in and that he hasn't lost one in a really long time. Any of that true? Guess ot depends on personal experience? Will definitely make it as big as possible though! We have a couple pallets and we might buy some new wood too. We're actually thinking of just putting an addition on the dog house. Hopefully it won't be too difficult but we'll see. If I had gotten less I wouldn't even need an addition. oh well though.

I'll definitely start building though because you're right, it seems like so much time but it really isn't and once the snow falls I won't be able to do anything so I really need to get moving. Fortunately though, we're clearing out the whole bottom of the garage tomorrow though and just bought hardware cloth today so can make quite a big area hopefully so we'll see. Although I think my mom wants them to stay in a kiddie pool but not sure. Either way though, they'll either be moving to a bigger pool or a bigger space than either pool. But they can't stay in the garage forever and you're right that they grow fast, they already seem bigger to me and are starting to fly, so I really should get building. Especially given that I know nothing about building haha. Hopefully though since we're just adding an addition it won't take very long.

I do not have my own thread but that's a brilliant idea! I actually have started other threads before but it's usually just random, just when I actually have a question or story or whatever, but making a master post/thread is such a good idea and definitely much easier than trying to dig through long posts or dig up old threads! Will have to do that. Not really sure how to start itg though in terms of how to describe it or whatever.

I'll definitely start working though and thank you very much.

And you know, it's actually supposed to be really nice this week and I think next so maybe I should start working before the weather turns!!

 

[NTBugtraq]

A picture of the corner would be be useful in helping you out.

Off the top of my head, maybe you could try putting a straw bale or two in the corner. would keep them all from pushing right into the corner, and the height of the bale would be enough that they would have to hop up on it. Only so many could be on the bale at one time, and that would be enough to keep them from crushing each other.

Lolz, forgive me, but its a corner in a run...I really don't see how a picture will make that concept clearer. I thought about putting something in the corner (like a box), but then that just makes 3 corners for chicks to get stuck in. I am working towards a curved corner using a piece of melamine, but I have to figure out how to close the top opening (I have found 18 week old pullets inside 50lb cone feeders, and 3 week old chick inside a small brooder feeder...they jump up often having no clue where they are going to land...lolz). Meanwhile, they're doing natural selection.

FWIW, I am in cattle country and square bales are hard to come by. I could, more easily, buy a 10'-12' rolled bale, which doesn't help at all.

I am creating my own breed, and as such, it needs to thrive in my environment. Those that can't aren't viable for me. I'm not out to torture them, but those that live are what I am breeding towards.

Just a more on topic thought came to mind. If you live in a harsh environment, winter or summer, finding chickens that can thrive in such environments without a lot of supplemental help should be your goal. You want a bird that is happy where they are, not one that requires you to simulate an environment that is not like where you are. Just a thought...you might like the coloring, plumage, etc...but if the bird can't survive your environment you are trying to keep a fish out of water...

 

[Beekissed]

Quote:
I agree! It's just common sense to do so and it makes your life and the chicken's life better, as a whole. There are pretty plumage in most breeds, so if pretty is part of the goal, it's doable.

 

[NTBugtraq]

I agree! It's just common sense to do so and it makes your life and the chicken's life better, as a whole. There are pretty plumage in most breeds, so if pretty is part of the goal, it's doable.

I have learned a lot about what I can do to help every bird thrive. I have also read a lot about making an environment for a bird that should make it thrive. I don't think the two thoughts meet up. And since we are talking about taking birds through one of the two harshest seasons, we have a thread about it. But fact is, summer is even harsher than winter to most birds...but ok, that's not this thread.

Bottom line is that one bird can thrive, another cannot, in any given environment. Did you buy a bird that should thrive in your environment, or did you buy a bird based on its color or plumage? Its probably the most important question to the point of this thread. If you have the right birds for your area, then winter shouldn't seem daunting, to you or them. If not, then you are basically sayin; "I am raising the wrong birds for my area, how can I make up for my failing?"

I know you don't like my "harshness", but if you are trying to take an equatorial bird through a northern winter, you're the problem. I definitely do not know what breeds do well in harsh winters, but I know that those that survive, are breeding stock for my region. If you don't get that, then maybe this thread needs to be divided between "pets" and "produce".

BTW, I have to say, whomever suggested chickens running inside the house needs to have their kids checked...omg, chicken poo on the living room floor??

 

[Skeeter10]

keep me updated on your breed generating

 

[motleybeau]

NTBugtraq you are so right. I went through so many posts before it got cold (as i'm a first time chicken rancher), and was so worried about how my flock would do in the cold. But buying winter hardy breeds from nearby I've realized the best thing i can do is not baby them. I do have a heat lamp in the coop, for -20C to -30C nights but otherwise they have been absolutely fine in the cold.