Winter is Coming! Checklists, tips, advice for a newbie

[Alaskan]

I use the spray all year...

I actually need to do that this week sometime... spray my door sills on the car with the stuff so the doors stop freezing shut. I hate it when that happens.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Went to strap the tin down for the wind we were to get tommarrow and all of a sudden the wind just picked up and now it's blowing pretty darn good and the neighbors just cleaned up all of there leaves.

 

[CGinJCMO]

When it snows (almost every day) I will walk around inside the run and shake the snow off, by pushing the tarp up with my hands, wire and all....or gently and sometimes not so gently thru the wire. Start from the lower roof edge working my way to the peak, one area at a time....the snow usually slides right off.....

That's what I've done in the past but I cant bounce the snow off the tarp while I'm asleep or at work.

CG

 

[the poppster]

Thank goodness I received the clear poly tarp I'd ordered a while ago....the mail-lady delivered it just as I was giving up and going to put up the old Brown one!
After a cup of thinking and some measuring....I decided to cut the thing in two and with a bit more figuring...i am pleased to announce that this is what I ended up with...

inside and outside

 

[bigmrg74]

Thank goodness I received the clear poly tarp I'd ordered a while ago....the mail-lady delivered it just as I was giving up and going to put up the old Brown one!
After a cup of thinking and some measuring....I decided to cut the thing in two and with a bit more figuring...i am pleased to announce that this is what I ended up with... inside and outside

Looking good poppster. still kinda debating about hanging up another piece of plastic up my coop to make more of a cuddle box for the roasting area. stepped in it last night and it seem like there was a bit too breezy in there, but there was a hell of a strong wind out of the north.

 

[the poppster]

The chickens were out checking the new walls today....it dropped to 22 degrees by 2 pm with the sun trying to break through the over cast...but still a half dozen birds were busy taking a dust bath in their new "Chicken Greenhouse"....I guess it's a keeper...I raked up all the loose feathers and hay stems...with the intention of shoveling it out....made a nice neat pile by the run door...and fluffed up the under stuff....it looked like a sand trap on a gulf course....when I went out to get the wheelbarrow, the chickens descended on my pile and spread it back out....looks like I hadn't touched it....so I guess they like it that way...it will be nice that the bedding material will stay dry for the most part...now I have to work on building them a sort of "Jungle Gym" in there, with lots of perches at different levels to give them something to do....maybe a snack shelf? They have to use the perches to access it! I've already got a cabbage hanger, they love....just have to think up some more entertaining things for them! Keep them occupied by challenging them with new, fun, tasty things...keeps them happy and healthy....no picking on each other, out of boredom....

 

[aart]

... the chickens descended on my pile and spread it back out.......

Haha! I Know, Right!?

I brought in 4 yards of composted tree trimming wood chips this year, along with a couple yards of dry leaves.
I would dump a wheel barrow full and by the time I got back with another dump load the previous pile would be totally spread out.

 

[melmeier01]

My chickens are roosting in the rafters. I was ok with that until I read about protecting them from drafts. The coop has several openings for ventilation at the roof line. So they are roosting in the Freshbcold air. It's been dropping to to the mid twenties for the past few nights. We don't get extreme weather here, but lots of below-freezing nights and some days.

Should I block off the rafters so they aren't roosting in drafts?

It's my first year to winter chickens. I have a mix of EEs, silkies, marans, and Seramas in the incubator. They free range during the day. We are lucky enough to have an acre downtown in the City -New Albany, IN. Lots of pedestrians stop to watch them during the day.

 

[aart]

My chickens are roosting in the rafters. I was ok with that until I read about protecting them from drafts. The coop has several openings for ventilation at the roof line. So they are roosting in the Freshbcold air. It's been dropping to to the mid twenties for the past few nights. We don't get extreme weather here, but lots of below-freezing nights and some days.

Should I block off the rafters so they aren't roosting in drafts?

I would.

I wouldn't want them roosting that high just so I can grab them off the roost after dark to examine them if needed....plus night poop collection.

But, yeah, you want the ventilation to be as far above their heads a possible...and you still might even need to baffle any too strong influx of air and/or blown snow coming thru open eaves.

 

[Alaskan]

My chickens are roosting in the rafters. I was ok with that until I read about protecting them from drafts. The coop has several openings for ventilation at the roof line. So they are roosting in the Freshbcold air. It's been dropping to to the mid twenties for the past few nights. We don't get extreme weather here, but lots of below-freezing nights and some days.

Should I block off the rafters so they aren't roosting in drafts?

It's my first year to winter chickens. I have a mix of EEs, silkies, marans, and Seramas in the incubator. They free range during the day. We are lucky enough to have an acre downtown in the City -New Albany, IN. Lots of pedestrians stop to watch them during the day.

If you only get down to the 20sF.... I don't think it matters much.

I have a bunch of bantams that insist on sleeping where they shouldn't. (Up at the large top vent.) I get way colder, and they are fine.

The only caveats are:

- is the poop going where you want it to for easy clean up
- are the perches wide enough for their feet to be flat
- will they stay dry

If you answered yes to those three points, then they are fine.