Separate coops?

[Folly's place]

I use one outside of the coop in winter, when the flock free ranges. If it's so frozen that the ice doesn't pop out of it when I stomp on it upside down, I leave it out there in the sun (hopefully) and the ice comes out later in the day. That's why you will need two or three of them, and a jug to carry water out there.
Those of us without rocks everywhere can also have frost free hydrants everywhere, so water is available in winter without carrying it on the ice and snow...
Mary

 

[Homemade1]

The black rubber bowls work well if there's no electricity possible. They are cheap, get two at least, and trade them out. There can be issues with open bowls, especially if you have roosters with large wattles, or smaller birds, who get into the water, and then get frozen wet body parts. I'd get the smaller bowls; by next winter you will know how much water they dring daily, so you can choose the right sizes.
Mary

now I’m thinking. Guessing really with a shot in the dark This isn’t an actual question, but my brain immediately starts thinking of stuff like this. Not being familiar with these bowls at all, this maybe impossible. Definitely might not be worth the effort! Could a person set this on an elevated surface or raise it enough to use some of those nipples I have seen people use in the DIY water bars? nipple tapped into the bowl so as to let the water come out of the bowl and then cover the top with HWC or a solid material for a lid? This might prevent birds from getting in the water but they could drink the water from the nipple still?

not a suggestion as I’m sure established chickens wouldn’t want to change the way they drink and this might not be effective anyway. Just spitballing.

 

[NatJ]

I also would like to raise chickens to eat. From what I can tell, those will need to be kept separate with separate coop and run, correct?

If cornish cross, not really. Just a coop, or just a safe/covered run, not both. They're butchered when physically big but still young and stupid, so they won't go inside/outside reliably.

If you want dual-purpose chickens for meat, then a coop/run next to the first one might be a good place: raise the young ones, eat lots of males and some females, open a door between the two runs so the old ones and the new young ones can mingle. Having them side-by-side means they grow up with a constant look-don't-touch introduction.

If you raise the meat birds only in the spring/summer/fall, then you can let the egglayers have access to both spaces in winter, when the weather is more likely to be nasty.


Hatching eggs:

If you want to hatch chicks with broody hens, you could buy some bantams. The bantam hens can live with the full-sized hens and rooster most of the time, and then be separated when they go broody.

Why bantams?
a) bantams are more likely to go broody than full sized chickens
b) bantam eggs are smaller, so it's easy to sort which eggs came from which kind of hen. Collect eggs from the full-sized hens, then let the bantams hatch them.

If there are no bantam roosters, then there will be no half-bantam chicks from the big eggs.

 

[Folly's place]

I've never used the nipple waterers here. In warm weather, some people really like them, and there are threads here about that.
In freezing weather, without electricity, no way!
Mary

 

[aart]

how about these simple, solar powered lights for inside the coop?

What do you need lights for?
Headlight works for me to go out do exams and lock up at night.

ould a person set this on an elevated surface or raise it enough to use some of those nipples I have seen people use in the DIY water bars?

Vertical Nipples will freezer faster than Horizontal Nipples.
Don't think either will work without heating the water.

 

[Homemade1]

In freezing weather, without electricity, no way!

Thanks! nipples are a no go here, then!

What do you need lights for?
Headlight works for me to go out do exams and lock up at night.

I hadn’t planned on lights at all prior to today. I was only going off the mindset of light = better laying in the winter. HOWEVER, I’m all for less eggs in the winter and letting mother nature decide the best time for the chicken to lay an egg.

Vertical Nipples will freezer faster than Horizontal Nipples.
Don't think either will work without heating the water.

10-4 scratching that idea! Thanks for the info!

 

[Homemade1]

Hatching eggs:

If you want to hatch chicks with broody hens, you could buy some bantams. The bantam hens can live with the full-sized hens and rooster most of the time, and then be separated when they go broody.

Why bantams?
a) bantams are more likely to go broody than full sized chickens
b) bantam eggs are smaller, so it's easy to sort which eggs came from which kind of hen. Collect eggs from the full-sized hens, then let the bantams hatch them.

If there are no bantam roosters, then there will be no half-bantam chicks from the big eggs.

I like this A LOT! Is this a situation where the temporary wall could be used to separate the broody bantams from everyone else, or would they be better off given a separate shelter during this time?

 

[Homemade1]

If cornish cross, not really. Just a coop, or just a safe/covered run, not both. They're butchered when physically big but still young and stupid, so they won't go inside/outside reliably.

Would this apply as well to a Buff Orpington? Or is this more specific only to CX? Sorry I feel like I’m asking wayyy too many questions here. I don’t mean to seem like I’m basing this entire gig off this one thread. I need to go back and use the search function some more!

 

[aart]

better laying in the winter.

You need a consistent power source for laying lights,
very important that you have a timer that precisely controls the duration.

 

[Mrs. K]

I don't have electricity to my coop, and have gotten by for years that way. I do use two black rubber bowls, and carry my water in a gallon milk jug. Easy to handle. If you have two black bowls, fill one, next day, flip upside down in the sun, and fill the other. The ice in the first bowl will melt along the walls of the bowl and fall out. Saves stomping, but only works on sunny days. Cold dark days, and you have to stomp. They generally do not freeze solid until you are below 15 degrees.

I do use the nipples in the summer time. As in the heat, birds need water available at all times. They don't need as much water in the winter time. I worry about a bowl getting tipped over at 100 degrees. So I use a 2 gallon bucket, and fill it with water, and set it up. My chickens drink out of nipples in the heat of summer, and bowls in the winter.

I try and add birds each year, and so pullets lay enough eggs for eating. I also freeze eggs when eggs are plentiful in the summer, scrambled in muffin tins to use in baking. Or just a gallon of them for scrambled eggs when the family comes home. My frozen eggs will keep me from having to buy eggs for most of the winter.

As Ridgerunner states, there are a lot of tricks.

MRs K