Washingtonians

[JennS]

Those of you waiting till spring to get yours here is something to think about................
If you can get ready in the next four months then by the time it's warming up for prime egg laying time I believe in the long run you'll get more eggs.
Get them April May by the time they start laying you going into winter and some times they will not get that great egg laying start.
I've got mine in spring and fall and probably stick with fall.

What month would you recommend getting chicks? And would you put them in the coop in the winter without heat?

Jennifer

 

[Dwkuska]

Now I could be wrong cuz I am just a n00b, but its my understanding chickens deal with frigid conditions SIGNIFICANTLY better then high heat. I think as long as they have feathers and food(liquid water helps) they should be fine... if not atleast for me, my coop is 5ft tall on the inside so I could always mount a lamp.

 

[Hinotori]

Question for those of you on the west side of the mountains: did you insulate your coop walls?

Thanks!

Jennifer

I haven't. The one coop, in the coldest weather we had this year, the thermometer in there was sitting at 42 degrees. I have vent holes at the top, and the pop door has plastic strips that keeps most of the wind and weather out. I have it facing away from our winds. Their shelter for foul weather and food stays at outdoor temp. The chickens prefer to hang out in there and play on the roosts and in the shavings rather than the coop. They hang out in there in this heat as well.

 

[Hinotori]

Why would we insulate our coops? It NEVER gets hotter then say 70's

. BTW its almost 20:30 here in Graham WA and its now down to a cool 88 degrees... work sucked today(I work outside)
!

I have to say I'm very very glad of the big ponds that are by us in the hot weather. We usually stay a bit cooler in summer and warmer in winter than any of the weather stations around us. It was down to 84 by 7pm here and is sitting at 64 at 9:30. I may complain about how the wind blows across both ponds and we are at the end of that in winter, but that can be helped with planting a windbreak. We have no trees anywhere close to the house and that sun beats down but the breeze helps in the evening.

 

[JennS]

This is where my coop will go. The coop itself will be in the middle left (4X5 inside), marked with conduit and shovel handle. The pen will extend behind the patio, from the house wall on the right to about 2 feet from the posts, and 6 feet back (6X6 pen plus space under coop). The coop and pen will only connect along about 2 feet, but that's enough for a pop door! The pen door will face the camera and be big enough for me to walk in (pen 6 feet tall) and the coop will have doors opening facing the camera for me to clean it. I am thinking of putting in a window facing out into the yard and maybe another facing back towards the pen. The egg boxes will be on the right side of the coop so I can access the coop and pen easily from the patio door of the house.

What do you think?

Jennifer

 

[Dwkuska]

I have to say I'm very very glad of the big ponds that are by us in the hot weather. We usually stay a bit cooler in summer and warmer in winter than any of the weather stations around us. It was down to 84 by 7pm here and is sitting at 64 at 9:30. I may complain about how the wind blows across both ponds and we are at the end of that in winter, but that can be helped with planting a windbreak. We have no trees anywhere close to the house and that sun beats down but the breeze helps in the evening.

Its 22:02 atm and my thermometer says 78 still... sheesh!

 

[lovinchickypoos]

I'm interested and getting in getting Chickens next spring and I live in Redmond, Washington!

This site is super helpful! Chickens are addictive so beware!!!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

I'm interested and getting in getting Chickens next spring and I live in Redmond, Washington!

I bet we can enable ya ! !!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Question for those of you on the west side of the mountains: did you insulate your coop walls?

Thanks!

Jennifer

Nope! I believe in survival of the fittest !

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Quote: At 10:08 pm it is down to a chilly 69* here and a toasty 90* in the house. It was another warm one working in the arena with the sun shining through the big sky lights. I am thinking tomorrow I may start very early like 4-5 am and call it a day before it gets too hottt!