Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[jvls1942]

well I just looked at the forecast. 8 of the next 10 days are rain or snow. Thank god because I was worried it was gonna dry up. What a relief

Me too!! we really dodged the bullet there, eh?

 

[chikenscratch]

Corey I hope you've fixed the reason for your previous leak before you get more rain. Luckily we've had a good time to fix ours, but it hasn't rained significantly since we fixed it, so we still need to wait and see.

 

[corewassen87]

Corey I hope you've fixed the reason for your previous leak before you get more rain. Luckily we've had a good time to fix ours, but it hasn't rained significantly since we fixed it, so we still need to wait and see.

tomorrow I'm adding extensions to my downspouts to get the water farther away from the house. I hope that helps. If not drain tile it is

I can't wait for real spring and summer

 

[MizzHen]

Does anyone have a really good coop design for 6-8 hens that will be warm enough for Wisconsin winter months? I keep tossing plans back and forth- does anyone have something they really love- functionality and easy to clean? Thanks in advance! I have to get a move on if I want to raise chicks yet this summer.

 

[jvls1942]

Does anyone have a really good coop design for 6-8 hens that will be warm enough for Wisconsin winter months? I keep tossing plans back and forth- does anyone have something they really love- functionality and easy to clean? Thanks in advance! I have to get a move on if I want to raise chicks yet this summer.

in my 3/4 century I have come up with all kinds of plans.
the one I have right now is pretty good, but I would like a few updates.

first rule, don't have anything on the floor that will impede cleaning.
ie. suspend the nests from the wall. no legs reaching to the floor.
make the coop much larger than you think you will need.
provide ample space to store a couple hundred pounds of extra feed. (out of the reach of the chickens) they will peck open a bag right next to a full feeder. it happened to me last week..

make the floor concrete with a pitch to it so the water drains to the side or to a drain and out.

Idealy have an opening where you can just push the mess on the floor out instead of having to pitch it out a window.
(like mine).

make it tall enough to stand up in.

tractors are nice in the summer time, but not really meant for winter.

My ideal Cadillac coop would have an overhead door where I could drive the tractor in and pitch the floor bedding right into the bucket..

provide a suspended place for brooding chicks .
I have two of these.

got rid of about 25 chicks today. now there are 5 more waiting to go home..

..........jiminwisc........

 

[Daethen]

Garden got it's second till in today. My hands hurt. Also got all cleaned up behind the coop and got the kids pool tipped upside down on the trampoline so I can pressure wash it then set it up for the year. Would have gotten more done but I had to take my daughter to get supplies for her duo dress up day. She and her friend needed shirts with the moon and stars on them. So tomorrow they will be wearing them to school. Ah well, will get more done tomorrow.

 

[jvls1942]

Garden got it's second till in today. My hands hurt. Also got all cleaned up behind the coop and got the kids pool tipped upside down on the trampoline so I can pressure wash it then set it up for the year. Would have gotten more done but I had to take my daughter to get supplies for her duo dress up day. She and her friend needed shirts with the moon and stars on them. So tomorrow they will be wearing them to school. Ah well, will get more done tomorrow.

wanna bet ??

 

[irishrovr]

good evening,

I turned off the turner today.. 100 chicks are due on Sunday..
No pips yet, that is good..

I am informed that I am picking up another tray of Roma's tomorrow. at DD Barby's..

DD Brenda is taking us out for breakfast tomorrow morning..

also tomorrow, I am going to go get some pear tree cuttings.
It might be too late in the season,
but hey, can't turn them down
and what do I have to lose by trying ??

I am going to move two sweet potatoes into larger containers.
they swelled up so much that I can hardly pull them out of their jars.

Irish, I have two large raised cages. they are in need of some TLC, but I have never lost a chick to preds from in them, and I started thousands of chicks in them,,

there are pictures of them here in my picture files.
I don't plan on using them any more..



..........jiminwisc........

Thanks, Jim. I may take you up on that. I'm missing my girls so after the wedding reception in June I will probably start thing up again!

 

[GranolaGirl72]

Does anyone have a really good coop design for 6-8 hens that will be warm enough for Wisconsin winter months? I keep tossing plans back and forth- does anyone have something they really love- functionality and easy to clean? Thanks in advance! I have to get a move on if I want to raise chicks yet this summer.

I have an easy to clean coop... just depends how many bad words you want to say building it....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/open-gate-garden-coop

 

[chikenscratch]

You can look at my co-op in my picture albums. I'd change the door to open outwards, but otherwise it suits me fine.
Corey-good idea to get those extenders in. I hope it solves your problem and may we all stay dry in the rains heading out way!