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

[traceyj]

It's great isn't it? There should be some kind of Chickipedia file for all the salient bits (and both points of view re heating or not.)

 

[hennible]

... I thought this was chickapidia

 

[kacklinghen]

I am a newbie , I live in Louisiana on the north shore, it may snow here once every 10 years or so. but a lot o humidity that freezes in morning and night and melts during the day. night and early morning was 52 degrees and jumped to 71 by 1:00 in afternoon. my question is does it affect the birds and their egg laying when temperatures fluctuates suddenly like it does here ?

Tis is their coop, not finished the top of the run yet.

 

[Blooie]

It's my understanding that the shortening of the days has more to do with egg production than the temperatures do.

 

[LadyCluck77]

I am a newbie , I live in Louisiana on the north shore, it may snow here once every 10 years or so. but a lot o humidity that freezes in morning and night and melts during the day. night and early morning was 52 degrees and jumped to 71 by 1:00 in afternoon. my question is does it affect the birds and their egg laying when temperatures fluctuates suddenly like it does here ? Tis is their coop, not finished the top of the run yet.

Nice coop! Nice flock too! Blooie' right, the amount of light is going to be the biggest factor. When it's in the -30s here for prolonged weeks at a time, i do get very few eggs, but they freeze and crack into a rock hard mess at those temps anyway.

 

[hennible]

At -30 it's hard to get out to the coop in time for any eggs to be intact... Just split open frozen messes... Perhaps a nesting box heater is in order... I joke but just maybe it could work.

 

[Alaskan]

I like a few frozen egg ice cubes.

I just wash them off, and crack them into the pan and fry them up.

It is kinda cool watching them start out as an egg ice cube, and then watching them melt into an egg shape.

 

[hennible]

That's neat. I usually get to them already split...

 

[Alaskan]

That's neat. I usually get to them already split...

Yep, I eat them split.....I just wash first.

 

[seagirl]

this will be my first winter with chickens also, I hope I havnt bitten off more than I can chew with my birds. I have 34 so far and want more. will having more birds help keep them warm? they have plenty of cover and seems to be happy. we are redoing the roof today to make sure more rain doesn't get in. I also will be watching this thread for any and all ideas for a newbie like me!