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

[farmchickutah]

I will probably tarp the sides of the run. Do you have a pic of the homemade solar water trough LadyCluck77?

 

[LadyCluck77]

They originally make/ sell them for horses, but someone was saying it is possible make it custom for chickens-


I have no clue whether it will even work- but I'm planning to build a modified design to use this winter. Basically, you make a large trapezoid-cornered box frame, with the slants pointing up, paint it black, inside and out. Plexiglass the sides, use clear silicone to seal, so that the sun will be able to warm the inside. Size out the dish which will sit in the top of the box.

Here is a photo of one of the horse-type solar dishes. (The pre-made ones the company sells are kind of expensive) They're called SunTanks, I think.

All you handy folks out there- any ideas about building one modified for chickens? I was thinking of making perches along two sides to let them reach the water at the top.

Worth a try- I'll post pics of mine if I am successful

 

[aart]

Right now, the nesting box has a hinged roof. The girls like to lay on the "first floor" coop level too so we have to reach in from the back door which swings down on hinges too.
The roof is definitely in need of changing for the winter. Currently, it's an old political sign that was posted on our corner. I've put a new roof on my husbands honey do list!

Looks like it's hard to reach inside because the run would be in the way...might be a lack of scale that make it look that way.

 

[CindyR]

I don't water my chickens in the winter. No one waters the wild birds and they do just fine eating snow. I just keep some snow in their pen.

 

[catrinacurtis]

CindyR, I saw someone mentioned they just give their birds a few shovels full of snow. I was wondering if that would work just fine instead of dealing with freezing water. I have 42 birds total, possibly more coming next month.

 

[AK Baha]

I don't water my chickens in the winter. No one waters the wild birds and they do just fine eating snow. I just keep some snow in their pen.

Don't thing that will work where I live. We have very dry cold weather.

 

[CindyR]

Catrina, that's exactly what I do. A shovelful does the job but I only have 4 chickens, 42 might take a fair bit of snow. AK Baha, Alberta is also very dry and the snow can be very powdery at times. It doesn't bother the wild birds and it doesn't bother the chickens.

 

[catrinacurtis]

I may have to try the snow for water method. It sounds so much easier than trying to make sure I can get home an give them water. Working anywhere from 13-16 hrs a day as a caregiver, even though it's for my mom, I can't always check on my girls several times a day.

 

[Hokum Coco]

@ CindyR I am all for keeping it simple just wondering how many chickens you have? Oops! Just noticed you have only 4. I am thinking the calories required to melt the snow to deliver the nutrients did you have any mortalities over the winter?

I bring out fresh hot water to my birds in the winter and they seem to congregate and enjoy it as much as our morning coffee.

Thank you for sharing your tip it does make sense to me the more I think about it. Nice to know that my chickens can survive if I am unable to deliver water for what ever reason as long as snow is available. In my situation if the hydro does go out I am unable to pump water (rural living).

 

[CindyR]

Hokum, I didn't think of the calories expended to melt the snow but I've gone on the assumption that if the wee tiny chickadees can survive our winters without any help from me then the chickens can too. Granted they are different creatures but my experience so far has been that they do just fine with snow as their water. They are all fine and healthy come spring, even the chicken who moulted in early winter, her back was utterly bald but she still came out and hung out with the other chickens. I like the idea of the hot water as being like our morning coffee though. A very nice treat.