Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[MustLoveHens]

Mornin' All!
Not much here to report as of yet! I guess that's a good thing! I got 7 (yes 7!) eggs yesterday and so far only 4 today. The rabbits are very happy with the cold but the Girls are complaining.
Dh and I are going to do to Blains today and get some heated bunny bottles and a heated water dish for the ladies. I think I'm going to try to set it where Buzz can get to it too. Then I won't need two. I looked at the ones at Maynerd's yesterday and they were price-y! I think Blaine's has them for less.
Also planning on adding some more bedding to the coop as well!

David-If you need a sale place to "harbor" some Christmas Cookies, just let me know, you can always "winter" them at my place.....although you might not get them back!!!

Well, now that I've thawed out at little, I think I'll got wrestle the Christmas decoration boxes down the stairs. I but up a small tree hoping the Rotten Evil Kitten will leave it alone..HAH!

 

[GhostRider65]

Good Morning fellow Wisconsinites,
BBBBBRRRrrrrrr cold out there this morning, It got down to -2 last night with a slight wind here probably about 5 below together this morning, why do I live in Wi. when I hate the cold ????
Just thought I's stop over and catch up with this thread, you guys post a lot hehehe
Anyway I have an ulterior motive to stop buy our thread also. I need some advice from the cold experts here in Wi. when it comes to winter care of our chickens?
I've only had my chickens since March so this is my first winter with them and I'm a bit worried about the cold winds we have here all the time, a day don't go buy that it isn't at least breezy here, we live on a corner acreage surrounded by 40 acres of field, so nothing out here to block that wind either.
We built our coop inside one of my horse stalls in an insulated garage. They have plenty of ventilation, top part of the coop is wire plus unless it's snowing I leave 1 big garage door open during the day, plus the other 12x16 horse stall is always open so the horses use it like a lean to, but the chickies pop door is on the west side of the garage and opens into there fenced pen.
They have been staying inside most of the day the last couple windy cold days, but as soon as I wake up I go out to feed check water and open the pop door so they can go out if they want. Well here in lies my concern, the minute I open that door the wind starts whipping in the coop, and 2 months ago we made a lean too for over the door to stop this very thing, but it appears to not be working, because it is still coming in. I have a couple chickens who sneeze alot, not runny nose or anything and everyone seems fine but I'm afraid they are gonna get sick, with that draft coming in all the time. What do you all think? will this hurt them? it's closed at night but all day it's open. maybe I have a coupel pictures to show you guys how it's set up. But anyway any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

This is the lean to over the pop door its only open to the south.

This is how my set up is designed
and this is the coop

The pop door is just out of the picture on the far right side.

 

[kristip]

hey everyone... stay warm in this chilly weather. Spent yesterday at Dr with my dd to get her first cast off, xrays and second cast on. She is a trooper which is nice, although her twin brother did not want to sit still the whole time. We then came home and bathed our two silkies who are wintering with the baby chick in our basement. So far so good. gee is anyone from madison heading to the dells area? there is someone on craigslist with free chicks and I would love a couple to put in with solo the chick. Just not getting up that way anytime soon.

off to santa brunch with the kids today and then my office christmas party that I had to plan adn organize so better be good!

 

[KNAndrs]

Been a busy week, went and got our $5 Christmas tree from the forest last weekend. Kids are going skating today, thinking about going to the light show on Monday.

My Ameracana is molting, but still giving me an egg a day, I think that is pretty cool! Been averaging 4 eggs a day out of the 6 layers, had 5 yesterday. Kids are doing great helping me out. Going to plan something fun for next weekend as the kids and wife are gone for the weekend on a Missions Trip to the cities.

Today I am adding another roost to the coop and moving the waterer closer to the heater. Man I wish I had more space for stuff.

Hope you all have a great day.

KEN

 

[Terri O]

Good morning! Ah Jim...I was still in bed when you said "ready, set post!"

I seem to need much more sleep than the rest of you guys! The yappy dog woke me up...that and DH yelling at her to SHUT UP! What a nice way to come awake--NOT!

AND the toilet is frozen cause I thought about plugging in the heat tape and light yesterday but didnt do it. Guess I will hear about that too...*sigh*
DH just said that you wont be able to purchase regular light bulbs after this month. Hmmm...I wonder if I should stock up? I dont think those curly ones give off too much heat. Well, if they are as good at giving off heat as they are light then I have answered my own question! :rolleyes

I had to laugh at Jim's comment that his coops were not burned down so all was well! I have used that system myself I have to admit. When it gets sub-zero I have been known to go into the barn, throw some feed and say, "anybody dead in here?" and then go back into the house. Poor animals....I am glad they dont put guilt trips on people; well, I guess we do that to ourselves...

I have nothing to really say...I need to go out and check that trap. Maybe I have a frozen owl in there along with the guinea carcass? I guess that would solve what to do with it if I DO catch it! I wonder if they fly back to where they were if you release them in a different area? I know that you cant kill them...heck prolly cant even transport them! Any one know for sure? I really like hawks and owls...I just wish they didnt like chicken (and ducks, guineas, pigeons) so well!

I am going out now...sheesh, it is 10:00 already! Terri O

 

[Terri O]

Hi again...Ghost--I dont think that the breeze that blows in during the DAY is a problem. Drafts affect birds when they are sleeping because that is when their feathers are puffed up and the wind can get to their insides. THis is the way I have always understood it any how. That is why you cover inside birds at night for any drafts.
I think you will be fine because if they are awake and it is windy they can move and get out of the wind. Also their feathers are tight to their bodies to keep the wind out.
I hope this helps. Your set up looks great! Terri O

ETA:

Yeah...I am still in my chair...

 

[otonoh]

good morning again, some cookies baked, thanks for all the offers to hold them

I think I will take my chances here.
I know what you mean about naughty kitties. This is mine, Ninjetta found this fake plant and decided it is now her bed.

I swear these pictures aren't posed.
I want to put the tree up but am afraid that she will climb it and knock it over so It is going up n Christmas eve
when we can all keep an eye on her.
ghostrider, great coop and run, I am jealous.
well off to do more chores and maybe a nap

 

[GhostRider65]

LOL That kitty is adorable........... as far tree goes with cats.......well I tied my tree in the corner expecting them to climb it......well so far they have not they play with the ornaments
they pull my beads off, but so far no climbing. If you think the kitty will tho just tye it in a corner, run a heavy thin line around front and hook it in the back where ya can't see it.

TY Terri O, I hope so, cuz its making me crazy to try to figure out how to stop it, if we would just get some snow........ argggggg I could pack it around the lean too to stop some of it or add a few bales of straw then snow to completely shut it up except for a small opening for them to go out.
I never thought it would still draft so much around the lean to, cuz are wind here is always West Northwest or North in winter. and the only side that's open is the south long side,
they all seem to be ok and they got warm breakfast these past couple mornings oatmeal yesterday and scrambled eggs and mangle beets today, and everyone seemed starved (normal for my chickens anyway) they can eat all day and if I make scrambled eggs ya swear they haven't eaten in weeks. are all chickens like that? always starving? hehehe
Ty though for the help and for liking my set up it was the best I could do with materials we had, hubby lost his job this year and sorta put our plans in a funk, so we compromised our original plan to build them a coop in their run, for my un-used horse stall. we lost our old gelding in 2009 and it sat empty since then can't bring myself to re-place him..........so now the chickies have that stall.
I forgot to add there's 18 chickens in that stall 2 roosters and 16 pullets, all have been laying, but recently I'm only getting 6 to 12 eggs a day outa these girls is that normal for winters here? are they getting enough food or is it just the light, I don't supplement any it's whatever there is unless it's really cloudy for days then I flick there stall light during the day till about 6pm or so. They free range get scratch ( Boss and corn, millet and amaranth) they get baby natural whole food vitamins in there water, and feed it always out they prefer the corn and boss tho and if I let them that's all they would eat. They have layer crumbles out all the time. and get scrambled eggs or oat meal 2 or 3 times a week with some kefir added for pro-biotics.

 

[jvls1942]

re-affirmation: wet gloves are useless to keep your hands warm.. i have to relearn this every winter..

I hooked up the electric water hose.. filled one of the tubs for the geese.. they splashed all the water out, which means that they really enjoyed themselves..

found a frozen goose egg, it was cracked..

I candled some of the eggs in the bator.. not looking very promising..

GR65, when you have such a large inside area you do not have to worry about ventilation so much.. and I would just not open the pop door on cold days..

I open the people door every day, but if I had only chickens, I would just keep everything closed.. my chickens stay inside even with the people door open..

I am going out on a limb now, nothing new for me,, I never took into account "drafts".. maybe for day old chicks, OK, but once they have feathers, they are on their own.. when they sneak up into the pine tree, they are subject to dafts.. It never seems to bother them, then..

the reason you protect inside birds is because they are kept warm and do not develope their winter feathers.. More of a problem with caged birds than free rangers..

Annie was up at 4AM.. she baked a chocolate pie and a banana cream pie.. I think I will push her out of bed in the future whenever I am hungry for pie..

 

[MustLoveHens]

Early afternoon all!!
Went to Blaine's and got a heated hanging waterer! It looks like a 2 or 3 gallon one. This is so awesome! It was $34.99 so I'm hoping it was worth the money. I'm planning on hanging it next Buzzy's Habitat so hopefully she can use it too. I waited on the rabbit water bottles. I saw some heated metal pet bowls that also double as cage cups. They were the same price as the bunny bottles. $19.99. We had the car so I have to go back with the truck to get some more shavings to add bedding.

Welcome GR65! I like your set up! You can always set up a heat lamp so if the Girls get chilled they can use it to warm up. That might help with the chickens that are a little sneezy. I have an Orloff that is sneezing just like yours. She hangs by the heat lamp I have that hangs off a chain.

David-love the kitty pic! She is a looker that one! I have to say naming a cat Ninjetta is rather daring. All my cats have a tendency to live up to names so I'm careful with names.......

Oh man I've gotta go, the Evil Kitten is wanting to launch himself at the rabbit cage.....ACK!!!.