The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[SallyinIndiana]

Chaos here is my coop. We had strong winds and almost 6 inches of snow, this pic was taken this morning. The bottom on each side of the door is open to air. The top halves are covered but still gets ventilation since they are not tight. The right side has about 6 inches open at the bottom the length of the coop. The back side (south) has a plexiglass window and the pop door is below it. The rest is covered in canvas but the bottom half is not tight so still ventilation but keep the breeze out. The left side is covered with canvas as well. But again bottom half is not tight. (I roll them up for summer) in the 2 sides about 8 inches up is 2 vents about 3x6 inches for ventilation. They are lower than the roost.

It was in the low 20s last night with freezing rain, high winds and snow. This morning the water and ff which are outside were frozen. I just dumped them and refilled the water. My guys didn't want to come out either but they finally got hungry enough to come out. I am going to keep the water & food outside as long as I can.

A little snow did blow in a corner but the rest of the DL was dry. As long as there are no drafts ventilation is good. We normally are in the 20s most all days during the winter and last year their roost was in front of an end that was only covered on the top half. The bottom was left open. No frozen feet or frostbite roosting right in front of it. It's the humidity in a coop that causes frost bite not the cold

I learned last year they wouldn't freeze. When u check on them at night after they are roosted put your fingers in their feathers and on their feet. Bet they are warmer than you are

Eta: their roost is right next to the plexiglass window. They are usually fighting on who gets to roost next to it

it's not air tight since its canvas siding with duct tape to hold it to the plexiglass.

Great coop. I love it every time I see it.
Skipped the last 15 pages or so. Sorry but I got way too far behind to catch up so I'm just jumping back in.

 

[armorfirelady]

Thanks Sally. I have to admit I am pleased with it. I still tweak it here & there but all in all I am very pleased.

And I will probably put a couple hales bales on the right side as a wind break. Prevailing winds are usually south east but it does change lol

 

[lalaland]

Well, the chickens are alive after the cold night last night. We got a dusting of snow, though, and they are not happy. They didn't want to come out of the coop, even for breakfast! A few of them ventured out, but then went back in. Their left-over ff from yesterday was frozen solid, as was their water dish. So I scraped out the ff onto the leaves in the run as best I could, then put more in and put one of the two containers in the coop (usually I have them outside under the coop deck).

They eventually came out, and now are happily foraging in the weeds near their house. I've spent the day so far attaching 1" rigid foam insulation to the thin OSB panels I used to cover up the windows that have been covered for the winter. Also the big (2' x 5') window in the door, since glass isn't a very good insulator! They already have fiberglass insulation in the walls, and I'm working on putting about 5" of dirt on the roof, but I'm not there yet (that's a lot of buckets of dirt to haul up a ladder).

I was worried about them last night, seeing how cold it was supposed to get with wind chill (it ended up only getting down to 28 F, but with winds gusting up to 35mph). I hope they don't have too much wind inside the coop. I've covered up most of the windows, so I hope they have enough ventilation! It's a 6'x6'x6' coop for 9 chickens, and they now have 4 square feet of ventilation, all near the top of the coop (2 sq.ft. on the front wall & 2 on the back wall). But the ADOR1 has all those holes on the side for the gear to catch, and it's right under their roost. So I worry about it being drafty on them as they roost, but I don't know what to do about that except block off the pop door hole every night after they're tucked in and remove it every morning. But then, what's the point of having an automatic door?

In the summer they have way more ventilation! Then they have 24 sq ft then. Is 4 sq ft enough for winter in that size coop with nine birds? I use the deep litter method.

I also can't decide if I should have their ff and water inside the coop or outside. It seems like it would add humidity inside, but freeze faster outside. Thoughts?

I keep both food and water outside. I do use big plastic heated dog bowls...keeps spilled food and excess humidity out of the coop. My coop is an old construction trailer, so I can put both water and food under it, it is about 3/5 feet off the ground.

When I have had a coop that was on the ground, I put the food and water underneath a picnic table to keep the snow off (mostly). If you decide to keep food and water outside, you could probably rig up something as a "roof" (even a plastic sled or cardboard box on top of buckets, etc). If you kept it outside, you would also leave more room in the coop for them. When it is 30 below windchill or worse, I do bring food and water inside and leave them locked up. I probably don't have to, but....

It gets to 10 below in my coop, or a little colder, depending on whether any sun warmed it up during the day. bitter cold to me! but they have all been fine.

Now, this year I have a rooster with the biggest wattles I've ever seen, and I know they get wet when he drinks out of the bowl. I am going to try to keep them pretty greased up to see if I can keep them from freezing. its gonna be an experiment!

 

[armorfirelady]

I had put a shelf inside to hold the heated dog bowls for food and water. I really think I will move it outside for the winter. It's suppose to be warmer this weekend so I will probably move them then. It will give them another few feet of ground space and I thing I will grab a couple big pieces of wood to stand on end around inside so they have higher areas if needed.

The dog bowls are made for outside so might of move them out there. They will def stay cleaner and make the girls go Outside at least to eat

 

[delisha]

I have always fed and water outside no matter the weather. Even on those days that the snow never stops..They will run out and grab a mouth full of food and run back in. If it is too bad..they might not come out at all. They do just fine. They eat snow too for water if they are too..*chicken* to brave the weather. I do feed and water indoors in the brooder for chicks. I have chicks right now that are a week to 4 weeks old still in the brooder. I have not decided what i am going to do with them this winter. I hate the thought of them not getting on the ground all winter. They have dirt for the yard and grass plugs..but that is not enough for all winter.

I had my first young adult male dead in the coop this morning. Frozen solid. I got him about 6 weeks ago and just put about 6 girls with him. I think they might have killed him...sheesh. He is frozen solid so I did not do an autopsy yet.

 

[armorfirelady]

Delisha I plan on doing that as well. Last year they kicked shavings into everything. Since the dog bowls are made for outside they will be fine. Today they finally adventured out when they got hungry.

Sorry to hear about your Roo. I never would of thought hens would kill a Roo. Looking forward to your findings.

 

[Pozees]

I have no idea what happened there. It's not from a Barred Rock egg, so must be fathered by a Barred Rock.. It has a beard, so it makes no sense! Could be Phoenix over a barred Naked Neck...





But that would make the chick a male.. sex linked.


And it is 13 Weeks in this picture. Single comb. I was thinking it was female, but now that you asked how I got here.. I'm thinking it may be a black sex link...

Wait.. Maybe it was from Tina's egg... with the father being Cletus (a BPR)... That's the only other option, and the one I'd guess if it were a female. Tina had a bearded silkie mother (but is not expressing the beard herself). This could be hers...

Anyone have any genetic thoughts on this?

I was trying to remember what I read recently on a list of dominant and recessive traits and I think I read that crests are dominant, so does Tina have a crest? I know I should know this, you have posted her picture, I just can't remember. I don't remember about beards. Females carry one set of genes and males two, right? So if Tina was carrying the recessive gene and not expressing, Cletus would also have to carry it for it to be expressed, wouldn't it? Barring is sex linked, you are right, but I don't remember whether it's dominant or recessive, and if it was a BPR father wouldn't it be the female chicks that were barred?. Sure looks like a BPR over a Houdan to me. Very pretty chick. I love that it doesn't look like the crest will distort the comb, which I have seen in several pics of Cream Legbars.

 

[Pozees]

P.S. I would probably try that again if you can figure out what made that chick, I really like it.

 

[jime]

Looks like everybody is offline, I need some advise.
I just came form putting my chickens and duck to bed and I catch the barn owl attacking my pastel call duck, as soon as I arrived the owl flew and my little guy try to run but was to weak, so I grab him and put him in a bucket with wood shaving I had handy until I close the rest of the coops.
All the time I took to close coops7 of them the owl was yelling at me and pretty close to me as well (this are barn owls we have two and they are not afraid of us at all my husband gets pretty mad with them because they sit in one side of the house one and the other side the other and the talk to each other (around 3 in the morning) and my husband gets outside and screams at them and they answered him and not even move. Any ways I got my baby inside the house , clean the punctures (2 of them ) if I keep cleaning they keep bleeding so I just wash the guy and put him in a nice laundry basket with wood shavings and hope he is alive tomorrow.
Now I see that Nustuck is good but I don't have it handy, will coconut oil work as well I have lots of that should I put it in the holes directly, should I stich the holes , they are perfectly round.
I was thinking if by tomorrow he makes it then he will be just fine and should just keep putting some antibiotic in the form or coconut oil.
What do you guys stink I am worry and nervous and confuse.
Your help will be pretty much appreciated.

 

[armorfirelady]

Try the coconut oil. I have used it with bumblefoot with decent results. I know Aoxa used it on her hen who had frostbite also. It's suppose to be good for healing.

I know I can give hens oregano, basil and garlic also as antibiotic herbs and health boosters but I don't honestly know of it will work for ducks also?