Utah!
- Thread starter Naztrain
- Start date
- Feb 24, 2014
- 77
- 3
- 30
I'm in cache Valley. But I go down to salt lake weekly.
pfrosty, I just went and browsed your thread. Your coop is going to be AWESOME. Mine is just framed in under our 14 foot deck, nothing fancy at all. We had a nice coop under there, but I felt the chickens needed more space, so we sold off that coop, and framed in 9 ft by 12 feet of the deck. I know this year I'm going to have the either find a way to block off the hot air coming off the air condition units that are about 15 feet away or I'm going to have to cut out some more vents on the north side. Anyways....
Just my tips. The more ventilation, the better. At least that is what I was told. And its more important in the winter then in the summer. I don't even use a poop board, I'm thinking of putting down pallets/boards under the roosts this summer thought. But I use the deep litter method with straw, pine chips and DE. Its worked great all winter, and I had about 6 inches of straw or more under the roost now. And I had about 4-5 inches of straw on the floor in the rest of the coop to keep them warm, and off the frozen dirt. I'm thinking its time to get it all out, and they can go back to their dirt floor for the summer. I do have a ladder rooster then there, so they can choose where they want to be. I have the highest as 7 1/2 feet, and then a middle around 5 feet and then the lowest at 3 feet. I've seen them on all of heights, and don't worry, they can get up there. Just about all of them, except my Silkies Roost on the very top one at night. I do use 4 x 4s for my roost bars. Worked great all winter, no frost bit toes. I did place them in at an angle, so they are not just straight up and down. I DID NOT USE a light or anything to heat them up all winter. I didn't even use a water heater, but I'm going to have to fix that for sure next year because I know I will be gone for Christmas. I just used a black rubber horse feeder and it worked great. I didn't use any heat light or nothing, and had no problems with the girls. I'm in Cedar HIlls. But I have a lot of ventilation. This is what I was told was the key. I did cover up the north facing vents with the green shade cloth, that way snow and or wind wasn't blowing in but air could still move out. As for squirrels. I have huge Pine Trees in my yard, and I have a bunch of squirrels. And large birds of prey as well. The squirrels have not been a threat, and if they come down out to the main tree in the run, they chickens chase them off. I have more problems with the Magpies. I lost a 8 week old chick last year to a magpie, so now all the young ones are in a fully enclosed grow out pen. I haven't had any issues with Hawks, Owls or other large birds, we do have an Owl, that I'm sure lives in our Tree in the front yard, I've seen him for years. But we've never really had an issue, not sure if its because we have large dogs.
Good luck! And I have found with chickens, they are totally fine with whatever you give them, just make sure they have a dry out of wind/wet area and a nest box, and you will be just fine.
Just my tips. The more ventilation, the better. At least that is what I was told. And its more important in the winter then in the summer. I don't even use a poop board, I'm thinking of putting down pallets/boards under the roosts this summer thought. But I use the deep litter method with straw, pine chips and DE. Its worked great all winter, and I had about 6 inches of straw or more under the roost now. And I had about 4-5 inches of straw on the floor in the rest of the coop to keep them warm, and off the frozen dirt. I'm thinking its time to get it all out, and they can go back to their dirt floor for the summer. I do have a ladder rooster then there, so they can choose where they want to be. I have the highest as 7 1/2 feet, and then a middle around 5 feet and then the lowest at 3 feet. I've seen them on all of heights, and don't worry, they can get up there. Just about all of them, except my Silkies Roost on the very top one at night. I do use 4 x 4s for my roost bars. Worked great all winter, no frost bit toes. I did place them in at an angle, so they are not just straight up and down. I DID NOT USE a light or anything to heat them up all winter. I didn't even use a water heater, but I'm going to have to fix that for sure next year because I know I will be gone for Christmas. I just used a black rubber horse feeder and it worked great. I didn't use any heat light or nothing, and had no problems with the girls. I'm in Cedar HIlls. But I have a lot of ventilation. This is what I was told was the key. I did cover up the north facing vents with the green shade cloth, that way snow and or wind wasn't blowing in but air could still move out. As for squirrels. I have huge Pine Trees in my yard, and I have a bunch of squirrels. And large birds of prey as well. The squirrels have not been a threat, and if they come down out to the main tree in the run, they chickens chase them off. I have more problems with the Magpies. I lost a 8 week old chick last year to a magpie, so now all the young ones are in a fully enclosed grow out pen. I haven't had any issues with Hawks, Owls or other large birds, we do have an Owl, that I'm sure lives in our Tree in the front yard, I've seen him for years. But we've never really had an issue, not sure if its because we have large dogs.
Good luck! And I have found with chickens, they are totally fine with whatever you give them, just make sure they have a dry out of wind/wet area and a nest box, and you will be just fine.
Are you going to be in Salt Lake Area this weekend, I would love to set some BO with my OE and Americanas for the Easter Hatch.
- Feb 24, 2014
- 77
- 3
- 30
We just might be . We have family that want to hang out . I'll know closer to Friday . How big your incubator?
This shouldn't happen. When it does, the most common reason is "piling". This is when the older babies huddle together for warmth and the ones on the bottom get suffocated. You can avoid this by making sure they are in a draft free pen and that there is more than one heat source to help spread them out. Make sure there is also a "cold" zone to help them get used to living without the heat source. Don't rush the process this time of year, though. Winter likes to make a comeback off/on in the spring.
I'm in Spanish Fork. :/
- Feb 24, 2014
- 77
- 3
- 30
My number is 8019153337 .if you want to give me yours I can let you know closer to the weekend.
Wendy in Ogden area is bring me OE on Saturday, if you can get them to even Wendy, I can paypal you for some BO eggs. Cynthia if we can get it to work, I can bring yours to Orem, I have to go up on Saturday to get my OE from Wendy.
As for me, I can put 42 in my incubator, and I'm getting I think 14-18 from Wendy, and then 12 Americana's from my friend. So I can set 12 more eggs. I want another BO, I just love mine I have now. Would be fun to hatch her though.
As for me, I can put 42 in my incubator, and I'm getting I think 14-18 from Wendy, and then 12 Americana's from my friend. So I can set 12 more eggs. I want another BO, I just love mine I have now. Would be fun to hatch her though.
I got a doz from him this past weekend and he has some very good looking birds.
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