Western Massachusetts

[redhen]

Quote:
Ahh, we're next door neighbors..

(Ware)
Used to live on Lake Wickabog..

 

[mamadukes5]

Hi again, Anybody in this area who had chickens through winter before? My dh is outside building me another coop for the babies that I was so sure would not hatch (but 7 out of 8 did) and I need to know if I should have him insulate the new coop or just make it air tight like the one my big girls are in. Anybody have any info about wintering birds in western Mass?

 

[crunchynut]

I don't know for sure since this is my first year also, but many of my neighbors have chickens and I've been in their coops. None of them are insulated, just not drafty. The coop that my dh is building won't be insulated and he is putting the ventilation up at the ceiling away from the height of the birds. At the moment my birds have a temporary setup in the garage for cold nights, but I definitely wouldn't want them in there all winter!

 

[crunchynut]

Quote:
Ahh, we're next door neighbors..

(Ware)
Used to live on Lake Wickabog..

Hi. We're new to the area but we've been to/through Ware several times.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
I would insulate..(i need to do that myself..) it think it will help keep them more cozy...
Also.. you dont really want it air-tight... you NEED some kind of ventilation in the coop ..or they can/will get frostbite... (because if there are no vents in the coop, condensation forms from their body heat and then it freezes on them...)
Good luck!

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Yeah, they need some sort of vents.... but NOT drafts. Drafts will kill them quickly...
I need to insulate my coop, as i think it does help.... but i dont think its going to happen this winter either...*sigh*

 

[mamadukes5]

well, the first one he built for me that my birds are in now, dh put windows in it and then added shutters. So if I shut the shutters it's airtight, but if I leave them cracked, it's ventilated. And the windows are at the very top of the house (it's barn-shaped, so high at the top) and wire mesh so the raccoons can't get in there. The new house is going to be double the size of the old one so hopefully, if the babies are girls and I keep them, I can integrate them all in the spring into one big house and just use the small one for storing feed and what not. Just because this is the first year we've had them, I'm worried about the cold. Yesterday while it was raining and they were free ranging in the yard, they all came up on the back porch to get out of the weather. DH isn't going along with my plan to convert the garage though, so have to tell him exactly what they need for him to build the new house.

 

[mamadukes5]

We have a freeze warning for tonight here, wonder if you all have done any upgrades for the weather yet? I put the shutters over the windows in the coop and added some more hay for insulation, but haven't done anything else. Will see if they're all right in the morning, or if they're mad about the cold.

 

[Fiddlehead]

Hi Everyone! Nice to hear from locals! I have about 40 chickens, various ages from day old chicks to about 2 years. This is my second winter with chickens and most seemed to do fine. I did lose a 3 week old chick when we had the frost advisory last week : (

I allowed a broody silkie to hatch and care for 6 babies, and she is a small hen, I think she couldn't keep all 6 underneath her little body so that little one froze to death. I was so upset! But, barring little fuzzy butts under 8 weeks old, most cold hardy chickens will be fine over the New England winter. Here is a link to see if your chicken is cold hardy:

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/breed-list.aspx

If your Roo gets frostbite on his comb or wattles, just slather on the vaseline and he should be fine. I can't deny that I put a heating lamp in the coop though! I didn't trust thousands of years of chickens making it on their own, lol!

On another topic, anyone heading to the NE Poultry Congress at the Big E in January?

 

[mamadukes5]

what exactly goes on at a Poultry Congress? I was just talking to DH about seeing if anyone in Western Mass has fertile eggs for sale, but if that's the kind of thing that will go on at the Big E, I'll definitely go over there. I'm hatching some of my eggs now, and hatched some 3 weeks ago, but was thinking to get some new chicks to add to the flock, so they aren't all inbred. Don't even know if that matters with chickens, have to read up on that bit. Do you know what exactly happens at a Poultry Congress? My first year with chickens and never heard of such a thing before. And do you know when in January it is? Big E is about 20 minutes from me, so would love to check it out.