The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[mlowen]

I finished putting up the tarps and vinyl covers for the run part of my coop/run. I had a bunch of leftover 2x4 plexiglass panels that I used to cover the windows in the coop and I put some along the bottom of the south side of the run. The tarps I got were called "clear" but they have white fibers running through them, so they are great for light, but not great for seeing-so I put those on the far sides of the run. Home Depot has roles of 4 foot x 25 foot clear vinyl. It's pretty heavy and not too expensive--Frost King, $15.97. I built frames of 1x3's and screwed them onto the run on the south side (the side I "view" from) and then stapled the vinyl onto the wood with felt weather stripping on top. My theory is I can pull the staples out in the spring & roll up the vinyl for re-use, with the felt to make it easier to get needle-nosed pliers under the staples. We'll see....

 

[armorfirelady]

And I just want to say that my very favorite thing these days are winter gear pants.  Up until a couple of years ago, I just wore jeans, boots coats etc going out to check on the girls, or feed them or whatever.  Now?  I have the most wonderful thing, fleecelined windpants.  It makes all the difference in the world.  I bought a large mens size, and they go on super easy over whatever I am wearing, takes as much time as putting on a scarf.  THey aren't stiff and awkward either, you can kneel in them, I can crawl under the coop if I have to....I can put them on over jammies, dress pants, jeans, whatever.
absolute.best.thing.in. the. world.

I bought a heavy duty coat and pants from schmitts, they are like carhart a just a little cheaper. I actually got warm wearing them yesterday when I was moving the pop door around and getting the heated dog bowls set up. Waterproof also. And easy to move around in. Which is good being short sometimes heavy outer clothes make we walk like the little kid in his snowsuit from the Christmas story

Def going to be better when I snowblow or geocache in this weather. They are calling for 1 to 2 feet of snow the next couple of days. Yippee !!!! Not really

 

[RedRidge]

Mine are Schmidt... I like the overalls for women that zip up the front. Along with my Schmidt insulated overalls and coat I couldn't get by without my muck boot jobbers (very warm and dry and last forever - so worth the expense), and thinsulate lined deer skinned gloves (warm but not stiff).

I wear these all day every day in the winter so discovered years ago it's worth the expense. The Schmidt coats last me about 3-4 yrs - zippers are the first thing to go. Jobber boots I wear year round and they last a good 4-5 yrs with heavy use - the cheaper substitutes will NOT get you through a year. The gloves... Argh... I go thru at least 2-3 pair every winter but the heavier ones simply don't allow for any tactile ability. I try to stock up and buy 3-4 pair when they're on sale the end of each winter and always keep at least 2 pair at any given time on my glove tree next to the wood stove.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Wow! We had a cold one blow in yesterday afternoon and night. I wasn't able to prep my hoop coop for that and so some time after dark, I had to get out there with a flashlight and a bunch of s-hooks to put a strip of the billboard tarp on the north side of the coop to stop the wind from screaming through there. I was glad it slowed down at dark but still very cold and still blowing a little. I think it got down to 18 last night. I know, a long way from -14 but it was nice and warm yesterday morning... quite a drop in temps in a short amount of time.

I'd really like to check out those windpants as that is the biggest problem here. Please post a link. Thanks.

 

[armorfirelady]

Mine are Schmidt... I like the overalls for women that zip up the front. Along with my Schmidt insulated overalls and coat I couldn't get by without my muck boot jobbers (very warm and dry and last forever - so worth the expense), and thinsulate lined deer skinned gloves (warm but not stiff).

I wear these all day every day in the winter so discovered years ago it's worth the expense. The Schmidt coats last me about 3-4 yrs - zippers are the first thing to go. Jobber boots I wear year round and they last a good 4-5 yrs with heavy use - the cheaper substitutes will NOT get you through a year. The gloves... Argh... I go thru at least 2-3 pair every winter but the heavier ones simply don't allow for any tactile ability. I try to stock up and buy 3-4 pair when they're on sale the end of each winter and always keep at least 2 pair at any given time on my glove tree next to the wood stove.

Glad to hear the Schmidt pants and coats last a long time. I used to wear snow pants and they certainly don't keep you dry when your kneeling in snow or mud. I bought muck boots last year and love them. I also wear them year round. The Schmidt pants are toasty warm. I've learned to pay a little extra for quality stuff that will last you years. I still haven't found a decent pair of gloves but I did pick up a pair of heavy duty ones at TSC that have thin sulfate in them and I'm hopeful they will last amd keep my hands warm

 

[mlowen]

I discovered these gloves, last year, and I LOVE them!! They are flexible and keep my fingers warm enough to feed & water the chickens in the sub-zero temps we had last year. I found them, first, at an Agway and then ordered a bunch more from Amazon. I am still on my first pair. It looks like I'll be stocked up with them for my lifetime.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@RedRidge
Where do you get the deer skin gloves? A link for those!



@armorfirelady
Where do you get the schmidts brand?

@mlowen
Love the coop! Can you put a link to those gloves so I know I'm looking at the right ones?


And a link for the wind pants, please!

Links, links, links....

 

[RedRidge]

Schmidt outwear is found at tractor supply (tsc.com)... their version of carhartt.
I have found the gloves I love only 2 places. One was on line and I paid $50! :-0
But I haven't paid that since and find them periodically at the local farmers coop. Any place that carries the deer skin non insulated work gloves "should" be able to order them for you. I have 2 challenges... Finding the insulated ones and finding women's. I have tiny hands and wear a women's small. I have, one time, found them in kids size - wish I'd bought more at the time. When I do find them they are usually around $17/pair.

 

[mlowen]

@Leah's Mom: This is what was on my computer as I was looking at them on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Glove-3...166736&sr=1-6&keywords=atlas+insulated+gloves

 

[armorfirelady]

red ridge answered where to find them but I have another way to save on them. Try the kids sizes !!! My coat is a child's large saved $10 fitting in a child's, that pants are women's but I was surprised they had them in petite, I'm short so finding something the correct length is hard, and like red ridge s
Kids sized gloves always fit the best