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

[minmin1258]

I just want to say that the oyster shell probably doesn't process food the same as "grit".  Grit as it's packaged is usually granite and is much tougher and not absorbed by the chicken as Calcium but just passes.  it may have some grinding quality initially while in the gizzard but I think it is pretty readily absorbed by the chicken.  Somebody else might expound on that.   From my own experience  while watching my birds last winter...I didn't have grit readily available to them but had oyster shell.  They weren't processing fibrous (greens) as well after a while.  But after I got the granite grit all went  back to normal digestively.

Thank I for expounding on that. I don't remember where I read it but somewhere I read that the layer feed actually has some grit in it. Is that true? Because that is what I was thinking when I told her oyster shells would b enuff. I figured they were getting some grit in their feed so a little shells would serve two needs. I'm a newby too. So am just learning maybe I should learn more before I advise. I've never given my girls grit...am I risking their health???? This is my girls home. Oh ya and "Redmans" home. I just expanded the run by a 12' section to accommodate some new girls and give them all more roaming room. Other than putting plastic around it to assist in keeping snow from accumulating in the run, do any of you hav any other suggestions I should do? ( not able to add electric so heated waterers are out of question, and hav enough birds they will b plenty cozy inside too. But I'm concerned with the roof of the run collapsing. Under snow weight...Help?!?!?!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Chick starter has grit in it for baby chicks. But I don't think layer pellets do. If yourbirds free range a bit they can pick up gravel bits from the road or yard what have you. Bottom of their run dependent on what the substrate is there. Once it snows and things get covered those sources are then limited to the birds of course.
In your new run id put up some roosts so the birds can jump up off the cold ground and warm their feet during the cold days.

You'll maybe need a rubber bowl to bring warm water to in the winter couple times a day if you don't have electric. The frozen circle just pops out of the rubber bowl and you add new.

As for a roof not holding a snow load you'll need boards and nails to reinforce your roof it sounds like.

 

[Rettarain2]

My winter prep starts with wrapping the outdoor run in clear vinyl shower curtains I by for $5 each at a local discount store. This keeps the wind and snow out of the run, so I don't have to shovel the run after each snowstorm. This also keeps the run area quite a bit warmer - my waterers stopped freezing during the days. I stock up on hay so I can make the bedding deeper - I have ducks in with my chickens, and they enjoy a nice thick bed of soft dry hay. This year I am adding DIY heated bases for my top fill waterers. I am taking 10 gallon galvanized tubs, and putting them upside down in the run. The waterer goes on top, and a utility work light goes underneath, inside the tub. I'll have to play with the wattage of the bulb in the lamp, but I think 40 watts should do it. The lamp has a hook on the top of the bulb protection cage, and I will add an eye bolt on the inside of the tub to hook the lamp too, keeping it up off the ground, close to the top of the tub. I'll be doing most of this in November, usually at 10pm right before the first snow storm is coming!

 

[Rettarain2]

Nice house!! Thanks for the heated water idea.. one question. .if this is out in the run. . what about power cord for light? The birds don't nip at it? Trip on it?? I have a 40 watt in the hen house and cord is tacked to wall but outside I wonder what my ladies will do with/to it.
Thanks for letting me know your thoughts on this.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Mine are not bothered by cords and in general leave cords alone. I do make efforts to keep them out of their way however by keeping them tacked up with a bent nail or two so they can pop down from their roosts or scratch in their bedding without any entanglements.

 

[jimmywalt]

Put plastic around my run today (including the top). Air gets in from under the coop and could blow though from the VERY end of the run (that's not covered).

I think I'm ready for winter now.

 

[Alaskan]

looks great...as long as you don't get lots of snow....I would worry about the snow load breaking the top of the run.

 

[jimmywalt]

looks great...as long as you don't get lots of snow....I would worry about the snow load breaking the top of the run.

I figured since I have to go out there each day to collect eggs I'll leave a car snow brush by the coop and just brush that off each day.

 

[LadyCluck77]

That sounds fine, but if you do get one of those storms which dumps several feet of snow, best to go out every half hour to remove the snow from the top of the run.
How many birds do you have?
We're looking into the clear roofing material, but for now ours is also covered in plastic.
The plan is to also try and get some hay bales this week.

 

[jimmywalt]

That sounds fine, but if you do get one of those storms which dumps several feet of snow, best to go out every half hour to remove the snow from the top of the run.
How many birds do you have?
We're looking into the clear roofing material, but for now ours is also covered in plastic.
The plan is to also try and get some hay bales this week.

5 hens.

Hopefully our winter is easy!!! Not looking forward to having chickens this winter really.