Transitioning from roofed to roofless run

[countryladyNH]

It's like getting a cat! The husband resists at first, but then falls in love with the critter soon enough My husband wasn't too excited about the chickens at first either, and tried to argue the total number from 5 down to 3 chickens, saying that 5 was too much. Now he realizes that there's absolutely no practical difference between 3 and 5 chickens, and is not only okay with the 5 we have, but wants to add more because he got attached to the cockerel who died, and wanted to hatch eggs from one of his hens... which failed... now we want to order more eggs from his breeder and hatch chicks of that type again, for sentimental reasons, and I was thinking maybe we keep one female, but my husband says we should keep 2 or 3 instead, "just in case". The change in attitude warms my heart.

LOL, I know!
Last year hubby said he wanted 2 ducks and I said well I want one goose! ALL of the flock are his babies now. We have 8 hens---6 Buff Orpingtons and 2 Speckled Sussex, 2 ducks (Jemima and Charlotte), and pet Pilgrim goose, Mayflower.

 

[K0k0shka]

So much for my winterizing The umbrellas’ weak points - the joints where they tilt - gave under the weight of the snow... But even if they didn’t, it wouldn’t have mattered. Snow is blowing from all directions, including horizontally, and finding ways do get in the run anyway. I’ll need to just accept that I can’t keep snow out, and that’s that. The umbrellas do an amazing job in rain, and that’s what matters. Nowadays we only get snow maybe 3-4 times a year, and it melts within a couple of days, whereas rain we get year round. So, on snow days, the chickens will just need to hang out inside.

I’m very impressed by the heated dog bowl though! It dropped down below 0 during the night, low 20’s now approaching noon, but the water hasn’t frozen!

One unexpected and troublesome discovery - there was snow inside the coop, too! This is the coop’s second winter and I’ve never seen snow inside before. We got 8 inches in October, but everything was nice and dry inside. But this storm came with some serious horizontal snow... and I guess it was enough to blow snow in from the vents under the roof overhangs. I put plastic across the whole front vent now (it’s the biggest one) and haven’t seen any new snow inside. I’ll just leave the plastic there for the winter. I have plenty of other ventilation all around.

The poor chickens were huddled in their dry corner wondering WTF happened to their safe space

I cleaned up the snow, fluffed up the shavings and brought the heated bowl, their grit and eggshells, and a warm mash of crumble, hot water, scratch and sunflower seeds to keep them happy and occupied. Looks like they’ll be spending the day in there.

They had a nice breakfast, walked around a bit, one laid an egg, and they’re all hanging out on the roosts now.

This will need to be good enough for now. When it stops snowing, I’ll clear and stand the umbrellas back up and shovel the run.

 

[Folly's place]

Good work!
I really wondered about your umbrellas and snow, and high winds. Your new plan will be good...
Mary

 

[K0k0shka]

Good work!
I really wondered about your umbrellas and snow, and high winds. Your new plan will be good...
Mary

Thanks! I don't know what I was thinking... I guess because the umbrellas were so big and sturdy, I thought they could take it. None of the ribs broke, but the tilting mechanism is where they took damage. One of them is completely snapped in half right at the joint, another is warped, and the third (the big one) actually has no damage at all. I'll use them for rain, and fold them up when there's snow in the forecast.

 

[K0k0shka]

I took some time last night and cleared up the run. Stood the umbrellas back up, shoveled most of the snow out of the way, and dumped a bag of leaves to give the chickens a nice dry surface to walk around on (I'm so glad I collected leaves - I have around 30 large bags stashed away under the side porch right now). I brought their stuff back outside (heated waterer, eggshells and grit bowls) and coaxed them out with scrambled eggs this morning. They are SO happy to be back outside and not on snow! The snow I cleared is in a big mountain in a corner of the run, so it's still there for them to get used to and explore if they ever have the guts to.

 

[Folly's place]

Nice!

 

[City farm]

I took some time last night and cleared up the run. Stood the umbrellas back up, shoveled most of the snow out of the way, and dumped a bag of leaves to give the chickens a nice dry surface to walk around on (I'm so glad I collected leaves - I have around 30 large bags stashed away under the side porch right now). I brought their stuff back outside (heated waterer, eggshells and grit bowls) and coaxed them out with scrambled eggs this morning. They are SO happy to be back outside and not on snow! The snow I cleared is in a big mountain in a corner of the run, so it's still there for them to get used to and explore if they ever have the guts to.

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Looks great & a great space for them. What breed is the one eating? She is lovely. We have Cindy (Silverlaced English Orpington) that looks similar to your other one.

 

[K0k0shka]

Looks great & a great space for them. What breed is the one eating? She is lovely. We have Cindy (Silverlaced English Orpington) that looks similar to your other one.

Thanks! Yes, mine is a Silver Laced English Orpington as well. And the one eating is a Double Silver Laced Barnevelder.

 

[City farm]

We are in East Mesa, Arizona with a open run. One wall is a 6 foot block, shared wall. We might only get a few freezing days, no snow. For shade in the summer there are umbrellas for extra dark shade, 20X12 shade cloths and a small area with a metal corrugated roof. The outer walls are built with the hardwire cloth. The rest of the top/ sides above the 6 foot wall has bird netting/hardwire cloth.
I planted grapes to give more shade along with them loving the leaves as a treat. They grapes die back in the winter so they can still sun bathe. In the run I planted Mexican elderberry & a Arabian Lila, which they don’t eat. I grow other greens for them as a treat. Bermuda grass, straw or leaf debris from the yard for the ground, then that gets recycled into the garden beds or compost piles. Our sweet Cindy a Silverlaced English Orpington on one of the hay bales and the Arabian Lilac across from her. The new babies under the lilac. We also have ducks, next to the elderberry.

 

[City farm]

Thanks! Yes, mine is a Silver Laced Orpington as well. And the one eating is a Double Silver Laced Barnevelder.

Well, I guess I want another breed of chicken.. what color egg’s & how many do they lay a week.