Washingtonians

[Pep]

Hi all! I'm down here in Clark County, 1/2 hr north of Vanc. WA. I'm new to this chicken thing...although was raised having chickens (but of course my parents took care of them). I've had my 'girls' (4 black sexlinks) for a week and am lovin' it.

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My dad is helping my build my hen house and I'm very excited, but the cold weather the past couple of years also has me worried about wether or not I should insulate....more opinions from around the area would be great. I know that some of the folks around here have been here years and never have insulated....so I'm wondering....

Thanks, Pep

 

[TurtleChick]

my two cents worth on to-insulate or not-to-insulate:

after much debate at our house (and eye rolling from my husband), we have decided not to insulate the new coop we are building.

our old coop wasn't insulated either - it was a big "A-frame", about 8' tall at the peak (although their ceiling was dropped w/a wire-covered hole cut in it (that was where i put their heat lamp when needed) and floor footprint was about 3.5'x5'. my 4 girls did fine in it for almost two years, including this last winter. when the temps dropped into the teens i put their heat lamp out there (and still worried) - and i used their inside water dish as a temp gauge: it never froze. not even close.

SO we are not insulating this time around either. new coop will be 4'x4' house with an area i can hang a heat lamp if needed (although this winter i'm going to find a lower wattage bulb than my 250watt sauna-creator). but i figure with 5 orpingtons in there, they will stay nice and toasty in all but the most extreme-for-us weather.

i think the decision to insulate or not to insulate is a personal one - i know alot of folks say "people have been raising chickens, and they've managed to survive, blah blah blah" but i don't want my chickens to just survive the winter, i want them to be comfy!

i think you have to base it on how many chickens you have, in what size coop, and what breed chickens. for us, 5 big fat cold-hardy hens in a smallish coop will do fine uninsulated.

then if you don't insulate, do have an emergency contingency plan for if temps do as they did last winter and drop way below what our peeps are acclimatized to.

good luck to all this winter - hope it's not as snarky as last winter!

 

[JennsPeeps]

Anyone see this thread in Random Ramblings about 4-H in SW WA? https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=211905

Can you help?

 

[djackjr]

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Howdy neighbor, I am just off ORTING Kapowsin highway in Graham. I have 13 week RIR's that are funny to watch. Today I was watering the vegatable garden which is near their run, and I sprayed em with a little water, they bolted like they caught on fire

and ran into the coop.

about ten seconds later the Roo stuck his head out and gave the ok and they all came back outside. It was funny to watch.

 

[alycoop]

I've talked to more people about insulating and they all said not too bother for Clark County. We don't get enough snow/ice, except for last winter down here closer to the river. Must get pretty cold up in Battleground/Yacolt though.

Our small coop is made of recycled cedar and there are some gaps between the wood. Husband states silicone calk should to the trick.
Everyone else just said to put a lightbulb in.

I was also thinking that old vinyl flooring on walls would help.

 

[Pep]

Aly thank you so much. Have debated it but decided against the insulation. The chickens around here seem to fair very well in even the shoddiest of houses lol!

Headin' out soon to primer the osb enterior walls to seal them up, hopefully will do the run Sunday then board-n-bat siding to come later along with electricity this fall (so can warm the house later if needed). Can't wait to post pics and move the girls in!!

Pep

 

[bethbow]

Anyone in Western Washington want my 15 week old Ameracauna/EE rooster? I live in Lakewood and we can't have roosters. The only one I have found so far is a guy who wants to "process" him. He's really friendly. He has to be gone by this Sunday, the 12th. In Lakewood, near Tacoma. Please Pretty Please.

 

[perrya]

Hello! I am in North Seattle (Pinehurst neighborhood). My wife and I have had chickens for 3 years now, 2 Australorps and a Barred Rock. Looking forward to chatting about all things Chicken with everyone

 

[JennsPeeps]

Quote:
Welcome to BYC! I live in Tacoma and commute into Seattle daily. We started out with 3. Really, we meant to just have 3. But now we have 10.

Oops.

 

[TurtleChick]

all of these little roos needing homes! 'tis the season!

i still have 10 1/2 week old blue and splash orpington cockerels needing homes... c'mon! anybody??? they're crowing and they gotta go... and i really don't want to list them on craigslist... someone wants to love them and hug them and squeeze them and pet them and...

to all the new folks!