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

[Bogtown Chick]

I don't speak from personal experience but I've read a few Sour Crop threads in which some of the OP's think their chickens (probably craving grass or greens) got too long of pieces of straw and hay and developed sour crop. I think it's a bird specific thing too...because really hay and straw have been used for ages for chickens. But if you want to be really pro active and protective of any issues...I guess wood chips or shavings would be the way to go to avoid those problems in the run. Some Runs are pretty big and one of those posters suggested contacting a tree trimmer whom I think are always looking for a place to get rid of the branches and leaves they chip up. Also I think another poster said for winter her birds did not care for the cold sand in her coop. I guess wood shavings do sound cozier. Today I mowed my lawn and I brought all the clippings into the run and I'm hoping my birds will just munch on those this winter when they're wanting something "green".

 

[scottcaddy]

Nice thread, I'll have to come back and read the rest of the stories.

Scott

 

[sarahswank]

Curious if anyone has used nipple waterers that are attached to 5 gallon buckets during the winter? I am trying to deciede if the nipples will freeze up too soon, or if the thermal mass from the waterer combined with chicken usage will help keep them open for atleast a few hours.

 

[KodiPie]

I think this tread will be helpful for newbies like myself. I live in Southeastern, Pa and the temperatures do not get
below freezing a lot till January. I am going to take greenhouse plastic which is a higher mill thickness and
put it on my run for the winter. I will use 1/2" strips of plywood to attach as the header and use them at the bottom too.
Hopefully this will keep them warmer and since the top (roof) is a wire opening we will cover with a dark green tarp
which will give me passive solar heat. So I hope this works for all my chick babies! Have a nice Day! Kodi

 

[MEMama3]

I think this tread will be helpful for newbies like myself. I live in Southeastern, Pa and the temperatures do not get below freezing a lot till January. I am going to take greenhouse plastic which is a higher mill thickness and put it on my run for the winter. I will use 1/2" strips of plywood to attach as the header and use them at the bottom too. Hopefully this will keep them warmer and since the top (roof) is a wire opening we will cover with a dark green tarp which will give me passive solar heat. So I hope this works for all my chick babies! Have a nice Day! Kodi

I love your setup.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Curious if anyone has used nipple waterers that are attached to 5 gallon buckets during the winter? I am trying to deciede if the nipples will freeze up too soon, or if the thermal mass from the waterer combined with chicken usage will help keep them open for atleast a few hours.

Sarahswank: I considered that myself last year...and even thought I'd put an aquarium heater in the bucket to help keep the water open. But despite my efforts for a couple days to get them trained to the bucket...they wouldn't drink out of it! I know it can be done...but mine were resistant to it. But I did read a thread that the nipples will eventually freeze up...somewhere on here. They always need water movement through them to stay open. So I decided against that option just given my birds liking their regular waterer and built the cookie tin heating base.

 

[jstlitlome]

What a great thread! Watching and learning!

 

[Dazza]

Hi all,

I live in Portland, OR where we don't get too many hard frosts and temps are generally mild during the winter. My primary concern will be making sure their bedding remains dry with all the rain! But I'm not sure how 'hardy' my breeds are and whether they'll need any supplemental light/heat in the winter. Can anyone help me identify the breeds and what their requirements are as far as temps and light? I thought about putting a small 40w light in their coop, putting it on a timer, and having it come on 2 hrs after dusk/before dawn. But would a thermostat be better? I've seen some simple ones that turn on at 35F and off at 45F. Thanks for the help!

Temp info (from Wikipedia):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon#Climate

 

[MEMama3]

I hope you find out the breed of that first bird. I have one EXACTLY like it. She's my only mystery bird.

 

[blobear23]

Thanks for all the suggestions!