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

[Rettarain2]

I have 5 hens who are not yet a year old. Their laying has tapered off a bit but I am still averaging 3 eggs a day and the weather is between 20 and 34 degrees and very humid because of snow and rain. I think they are still laying well because of fermented feed, greens and other raw fruits and veggies I chop. My neighbor has had kale, spinach, cabbage, and broccoli that he shares with me. Had plenty til this snow. So we'll see. I may start sprouting for them. I also have a clear panel roof so they get maximum sun.

It's awful cold here! 20* rt now. I just slipped on ice on my concrete sidewalk, took me 20 mins to get up and another 15 t get back inside. Think Im frozen t the bone!!! I had a nice heavy coat, boots and gloves on! I can't imagine what my poor birds are going through! Their coop is 40* inside though without any heat source other than chicken bodies, so I guess they are ok. Now where are my pain killers??? Lol and heating pad.

 

[wantedman66]

I feel for you minmin1258 hope you are ok,ice can be deadly I fell a few years ago and because of the way I fell I crushed a disc in my neck tore my rotator cuff in 2 places and now have nerve damage in my right shoulder and no use of my arm. My cousins husband fell on ice whille snowblowing his driveway and hit the back of his head on cement and died.

 

[minmin1258]

I feel for you minmin1258 hope you are ok,ice can be deadly I fell a few years ago and because of the way I fell I crushed a disc in my neck tore my rotator cuff in 2 places and now have nerve damage in my right shoulder and no use of my arm. My cousins husband fell on ice whille snowblowing his driveway and hit the back of his head on cement and died.

It's hard on us as adults when we fall! I can't believe I used to go out and slip n slide all over the place and never get hurt! My family have all given me "advice" that I'm not to leave the house without my cell phone, that way if it happens again I have a way of calling them or the local VFD to get help and don't freeze to death trying to b stubborn and get up on my own. I'm a big person (not huge but more than "pleasantly plump") with very bad legs due to an injury last year, so if I fall (which happens often because I'm also a quite clumsy stubbornly independent person) it takes a while to get up! Which is definitely NOT good! Since my fall (due to being in cold ground and out in the cold too long) I've come down with a bad cold. Wouldn't u know it... Just before Christmas with all the Holiday baking, cooking and cleaning that needs done! Guess someone is going t have to chip in and help this year, lol.
Hope you are staying warm and dry. Have a Wonderful Christmas surrounded by family and friends! Get lots of goodies to keep you happy n healthy!!!

 

[MEMama3]

We are having an ice storm right now and the path is super slippery. I've sanded twice just so I can safely get to the coop and the mailman can make it to the mailbox. It seems to hardly make a difference. This last time I resorted to salting. I hate doing it because it irritates my dogs feet, but it was becoming a safety issue. I have chronic joint pain and one slip would debilitate me. I stepped on my son's ride on rocket causing me to fall and it caused me serious pain for months. My back still hurts at night two months after the fact.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Wouldn't you know. This morning I went down on one of my knees pretty hard. slipped off a snow packed rounded off step that goes into the coop (serves me right for not shoveling enough) and down on a keystone (retaining wall) cement block directly on my left knee. I'm feeling that this morning.

Yep... This "Bumble" Don't bounce as per Yukon Cornelius.

 

[LittleBits]

We deal with mud, too. Not 4" of it, but YUK just the same! Slurp, slide, slurp, slide, slurp goes the boots when I walk in it! I put down a bunch of hay where I walk and it has helped a lot. Absorbs the slurpy out of it and stays in place pretty well, even though the chickens scratch and move it around some. They are entertained by it and I keep safe. I REALLY don't want to fall in it - lots of poop out there! lol

When we build our new run, I'll move it all out to the compost pile for the garden. Any kind of mulch-type material would be good, I think - leaves, bark, even dried grass - whatever you have. I've read that cedar isn't good for the chickens, though.

 

[LittleBits]

. . . . . .For winter, this is what I've done:

I shoved hay into the walls for insulation in our "Little Coop" and stapled fabric all over the hay so they won't pull it all down! Looks like a regular padded cell in there!

I also made a feeder into one of the walls, so they can eat whenever they want - if I don't get out there at crack of dawn to open the door to the run!





For their winter roost, I have a 2x4x6 over the poop-tray in the Little Coop and it is covered with carpet; wrapped all the way around and nailed in place on the underside. It's considerable wider than the length of their feet, so I'm pretty sure they'll stay warm. I decided not to worry about them - they are Big Birds now - lol. (3 years old or so)



Thanks again for all the GREAT posts!

Here are those pictures. More if you click on "My Coop". It's nothing fancy, but special to us and our chickens!!

 

[K Epp]

[COLOR=0000FF]We deal with mud, too. Not 4" of it, but YUK just the same! Slurp, slide, slurp, slide, slurp goes the boots when I walk in it!  I put down a bunch of hay where I walk and it has helped a lot. Absorbs the slurpy out of it and stays in place pretty well, even though the chickens scratch and move it around some. They are entertained by it and I keep safe. I REALLY don't want to fall in it - lots of poop out there!  lol  [/COLOR]   [COLOR=0000FF]When we build our new run, I'll move it all out to the compost pile for the garden.  Any kind of mulch-type material would be good, I think - leaves, bark, even dried grass - whatever you have. I've read that cedar isn't good for the chickens, though.[/COLOR]

I don't have 4 inches every where just in front of the barn door and around the coops. The DH moved my coopsso they had a nice grassy bottom. Then qhat do you think....
Yep.... It came a monsoon for 3 days with flash flooding. The coop didn't flood this time, but it is wet. I did the hay in the mud this spring and summer after six bales I gave up. During yhe rain the last few days we have had record highs in the uper 60's and low 70's I thought I was going to have to cut the AC back on. It was low 40's and now around freezing. They are calling gor record lows the rest of the week with temps down to 10*. That doesn't sound cold most of y'all, but remember it was 70 yesterday.

Anyone have a opinion on pine needles? I read some place they were water proof. I think that may be the way to go with this incredibley wet year we have had. Are they safe for chickens and goats? Can I deep litter method with them?

 

[minmin1258]

Gr

...

I don't have 4 inches every where just in front of the barn door and around the coops. The DH moved my coopsso they had a nice grassy bottom. Then qhat do you think....
Yep.... It came a monsoon for 3 days with flash flooding. The coop didn't flood this time, but it is wet. I did the hay in the mud this spring and summer after six bales I gave up. During yhe rain the last few days we have had record highs in the uper 60's and low 70's I thought I was going to have to cut the AC back on. It was low 40's and now around freezing. They are calling gor record lows the rest of the week with temps down to 10*. That doesn't sound cold most of y'all, but remember it was 70 yesterday.

Anyone have a opinion on pine needles? I read some place they were water proof. I think that may be the way to go with this incredibley wet year we have had. Are they safe for chickens and goats? Can I deep litter method with them?[/quot
Great questions!!! Was wondering the same thing a couple days ago. Could a person SAFELY use pine needles in their coops or runs? I've heard they are good for dogs bedding because it kills fleas and tucks or some such thing, wonder if it would be good as bedding for nesting boxes? There is minimal straw or hay available in my area right now and what is around here you pay exhorbitant prices for.

 

[wantedman66]

[COLOR=0000FF]Here are those pictures.  More if you click on "My Coop".  It's nothing fancy, but special to us and our chickens!![/COLOR]  

It looks like the Ritz hotel for chickens haha.Definatly looks cozy and warm looks like there lucky to have you,I hope you don't end up with spoiled brat chickens.