Winter is coming...

[jreardon1918]

I think moving the roost a bit away from the wall and roof is a good idea. I will be doing that as well. I think for temps like my area, auxiliary heat is not needed. Last winter was our chicks first winter. They did well. The attached picture shows the inside temperature of the coop one morning. It is of course the one that says "outdoor". The temp went from 0 at midnight to -2 at 7am. We also get humidity readings which I hope to lower this winter. More ventilation to be added.

 

[Mosey2003]

I think there is some value in the idea of feeding some scratch in the evening because it gives the gizzard something to work on overnight. I don't think corn itself is anything special as far as warmth goes, that rumor flew around the horse circles back in the day, too. But, I typically don't even bother with scratch and my birds come through winter just fine.

 

[snow5164]

I don’t think it’s a fallacy.. corn is a difficult food to digest for people and animals so you create body heat breaking it down .

I only feed cracked corn/scratch mix in winter just before dust , which here becomes 3 pm ....

About that panel heater I wouldn’t bother unless there’s a fan in your heating set up it does not make a difference. Also I bought one of those years ago that short circuited inside the sealed electrical box ... there was smoke , it was scary the company offered me a replacement


With your temperatures they will keep each other warm , add straw which is a great insulator and they’ll be just fine

 

[snow5164]

For those who use heated waterer bases with their waterers, as we are planning to do this winter, how do you set them up so that the waterers don't end up being filled with wood shavings from chickens scratching around in the bedding? Last winter we put a couple of pieces of 2x4s under the waterer base to raise it up a bit but we were still constantly having to dump shavings out of the water. Should we put the waterers on a higher platform?

The higher the water the better , mine dust bathe inside during frigid weather, sand everywhere.... I put mine up on a big log slice and surround it with small logs/perches for them to stand on

 

[PirateGirl]

I admit I have not read every page of replies, but I would like to share one thing that has proven to be incredibly useful in winter where I live. In winter, they days are short, so short that when I take care of the chickens in the morning before work it is generally dark, and often when I return at the end of the day, it is dark again . I have a small solar powered motion sensored light that I hang on a nail on the outside of the coop (I do not have electric to my coop). When I get close, the light comes on. I can see what I'm doing when I take care of the chickens! I don't need an extra hand for a flashlight, nor do I need to remember my headlamp from the house. The light is always there waiting for me and I'd be lost without it. Additionally, since I hang it on a single nail, I can take it down and hold it in hand like a flashlight if needed and shine it inside the coop to check on the girls or shine it anywhere else light may be needed.

I read many pages of debates over heated bowls. Personally I found it just as easy to use a rubber bowl and knock out the ice and refill twice a day. I caution you that heaters can fail (happened to me) eventually and you should still check on the birds at least once in the morning and once in the evening so if by chance your heater failed you can get them fresh water before it's too late.

I do not insulate, I do not heat the coop, it is below freezing most nights of the year, and for several months most days too. I selected cold hardy breeds and gave them a wind proof coop and a wind block outside.

To the OP for your coop, I would take a piece of plywood and close off one side of that space underneath the coop. Choose the side the wind generally comes from. This will make a nice wind block for you and give your chickens a very sheltered place to hang out in bad weather. My girls love it. I leave it year-round because it makes shade for them in the summer too!

 

[snow5164]

Great ideas @PirateGirl,

Solar lights have gotten to be inexpensive. A few solar flood light would greatly lengthen your hens day and allow them time to move around .

I just don’t like
“the power can go out “,argument it usually comes from people with no power to their coop ... hmm !

We use what we have ,I feel blessed to have power in my coop and water at the barn , makes my life much easier.

As I’ve stated before , power going out will not kill your chickens !! Just leave all doors closed til it comes back on , unless it’s more then a few hours .

If power outages are a concern ? Buy a back up generator.

Good luck

 

[PirateGirl]

Great ideas @PirateGirl,

Solar lights have gotten to be inexpensive. A few solar flood light would greatly lengthen your hens day and allow them time to move around .

I just don’t like
“the power can go out “,argument it usually comes from people with no power to their coop ... hmm !

We use what we have ,I feel blessed to have power in my coop and water at the barn , makes my life much easier.

As I’ve stated before , power going out will not kill your chickens !! Just leave all doors closed til it comes back on , unless it’s more then a few hours .

If power outages are a concern ? Buy a back up generator.

Good luck

Oh, yeah, I'm just saying that having power doesn't mean you can skip checking on them and assume all is good! Predators are especially hungry in winter. Dark is longer. Days are colder. Where I live the wind is stronger. I just want to remind that it's extra important to check on our chickens in times of bad weather because you never know what you'll find. Last winter I had plastic wrapped around part of my run to block wind and snow, well one day it had torn free and was flapping in the wind, the chickens were terrified and hiding. Another day the wind decided to blow from the opposite direction as usual. I went to check on the ducks. The snow had drifted inside their house and I had to dig them out. Another time the water was frozen solid, the heating element in the bowl had failed. Check on them often, no matter how much you plan and how good your setup is, something one day will surprise you. As long as you catch things quickly and fix the situation generally everything is fine! I agree, power going out will not kill your chickens, people have been keeping chickens since before the days of electricity and many people keep them currently without electricity

 

[Lonesome Dough]

The higher the water the better , mine dust bathe inside during frigid weather, sand everywhere.... I put mine up on a big log slice and surround it with small logs/perches for them to stand on

I set mine on a pair of cinder blocks which are about 8" high, full size hens reach the water easily and they get very little debris in their water.

 

[aart]

All my birds fill their crops before going to roost..all year round.
Most feed is mostly corn anyway, but any feed is going to create 'heat' as it digests.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

The BYC experts all stress the importance of ventilation in winter---it has to do with preventing build-up of moisture and ammonia. The more crowded the coop is, the more critical this becomes. I don't really understand the science but I've learned to trust the pundits, they know what they're talking about.

I admit I have not read every page of replies, but I would like to share one thing that has proven to be incredibly useful in winter where I live. In winter, they days are short, so short that when I take care of the chickens in the morning before work it is generally dark, and often when I return at the end of the day, it is dark again . I have a small solar powered motion sensored light that I hang on a nail on the outside of the coop (I do not have electric to my coop). When I get close, the light comes on. I can see what I'm doing when I take care of the chickens! I don't need an extra hand for a flashlight, nor do I need to remember my headlamp from the house. The light is always there waiting for me and I'd be lost without it. Additionally, since I hang it on a single nail, I can take it down and hold it in hand like a flashlight if needed and shine it inside the coop to check on the girls or shine it anywhere else light may be needed.

I read many pages of debates over heated bowls. Personally I found it just as easy to use a rubber bowl and knock out the ice and refill twice a day. I caution you that heaters can fail (happened to me) eventually and you should still check on the birds at least once in the morning and once in the evening so if by chance your heater failed you can get them fresh water before it's too late.

I do not insulate, I do not heat the coop, it is below freezing most nights of the year, and for several months most days too. I selected cold hardy breeds and gave them a wind proof coop and a wind block outside.

To the OP for your coop, I would take a piece of plywood and close off one side of that space underneath the coop. Choose the side the wind generally comes from. This will make a nice wind block for you and give your chickens a very sheltered place to hang out in bad weather. My girls love it. I leave it year-round because it makes shade for them in the summer too!

We will have to keep that in mind when we go to wrap it. Thanks!