Will do Terri 
Your legs too?!
Darn broodies!
Your legs too?!
Darn broodies!
Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"
- Thread starter bigzio
- Start date
I never thought I would be so happy to see a pile of !&'&!!!! He went. Wheew
Gchicks, Bigz recommend me to the plastic gravity waterers. And we got the heated round tray for under. And used a ceramic floor tile between. It was an amazing winter and you can add Apple Cider vinager to the plastic waterers.
Ventilation is definitely key for our harsh winters.
and you can add Apple Cider vinager to the plastic waterers. Ventilation is definitely key for our harsh winters.
Oh no! I hope Thunder will be ok real soon for you, cuties.
Excellent advice as always, Bigz. gc gets the atta girl from me as well.
You can never be too prepared before getting a new animal or pet. I wish more people would be so sensible.
gc, MW & posoh! Glad to have you join us. I think I missed someone there, sorry.
Great advice from JJ on quitting smoking. I get sick from the smell now too. I never paid attention to when we quit but it has been over 10 years for DH & I. You can do it, Cind!
You cannot miss the bash though.
gc, most people only use deep litter in the winter but it is up to you. Some people use it year round. Trial & error and lots of research will help you to decide what works best for your particular situation. Since your coop will be so small (4x5 for 5 chickens is all they allow? Really? Yikes!) I would insulate it. Then you don't have to heat it in winter if it is properly insulated. Ventilation without drafts is tricky. You need adequate air flow to keep the humidity low in winter to prevent frostbite & to keep the ammonia fumes from building up, among other things. I personally will lean toward a coop being a little bit drafty rather than sacrifice poor ventilation, but that is just me.
Windows you can open in the summer & close for winter are a must. Be sure to cover them with strong hardware cloth to prevent predators. I also highly recommend building your coop if at all possible. Those prefab ones they sell are about as thick as cardboard, are not as big as they look and are way overpriced. I can't tell you how many people have bought them only to have a raccoon rip them apart & kill their birds. 2x4s are your friend, as is a good heavy duty hardware cloth. The only thing chicken wire is good for is keeping your chickens out of somewhere.
Keep in mind you may want electric in your coop. Lights, a heat source, a fan in summer, etc. are all possibilities. Keep coop cleaning in mind when planning your coop also.
It sounds like you pretty much have everything you need as far as basics. I don't know what you have planned as far as a run, but since your coop will be so small, I'd advise keeping their waterer outside, at least spring through fall. Tractor Supply & other farm stores have decent waterers. I use these 1 gallon ones in my smaller coops year round because they fit inside a metal heated dog dish for winter. I also use the larger metal waterers on a heated base (in winter) but the metal ones tend to rust & are pretty expensive. The plastic ones last just as long for me and are much cheaper, but again it is your own personal preference.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/harris-farms-poultry-drinker-1-gal-capacity
http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Stainl...7257601&sr=8-1&keywords=heated+metal+dog+bowl
The dog bowl on Amazon is pretty expensive but I just used the link so you had an idea what I am talking about. I think Farm & Fleet puts them on sale for $30+.
Good luck in your chicken keeping and let us know how it's going, and always feel free to ask questions. Lots of good advice to be had, and remember that sometimes there is no one right answer. You will get many answers, but it is up to you to decide which will work best for your situation.
ETA: the nest boxes are usually the place the preds break into. Make sure they are built solidly and have a really secure tamper proof latch
on them.
Excellent advice as always, Bigz. gc gets the atta girl from me as well.
Great advice from JJ on quitting smoking. I get sick from the smell now too. I never paid attention to when we quit but it has been over 10 years for DH & I. You can do it, Cind!
gc, most people only use deep litter in the winter but it is up to you. Some people use it year round. Trial & error and lots of research will help you to decide what works best for your particular situation. Since your coop will be so small (4x5 for 5 chickens is all they allow? Really? Yikes!) I would insulate it. Then you don't have to heat it in winter if it is properly insulated. Ventilation without drafts is tricky. You need adequate air flow to keep the humidity low in winter to prevent frostbite & to keep the ammonia fumes from building up, among other things. I personally will lean toward a coop being a little bit drafty rather than sacrifice poor ventilation, but that is just me.
Windows you can open in the summer & close for winter are a must. Be sure to cover them with strong hardware cloth to prevent predators. I also highly recommend building your coop if at all possible. Those prefab ones they sell are about as thick as cardboard, are not as big as they look and are way overpriced. I can't tell you how many people have bought them only to have a raccoon rip them apart & kill their birds. 2x4s are your friend, as is a good heavy duty hardware cloth. The only thing chicken wire is good for is keeping your chickens out of somewhere.
Keep in mind you may want electric in your coop. Lights, a heat source, a fan in summer, etc. are all possibilities. Keep coop cleaning in mind when planning your coop also.
It sounds like you pretty much have everything you need as far as basics. I don't know what you have planned as far as a run, but since your coop will be so small, I'd advise keeping their waterer outside, at least spring through fall. Tractor Supply & other farm stores have decent waterers. I use these 1 gallon ones in my smaller coops year round because they fit inside a metal heated dog dish for winter. I also use the larger metal waterers on a heated base (in winter) but the metal ones tend to rust & are pretty expensive. The plastic ones last just as long for me and are much cheaper, but again it is your own personal preference.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/harris-farms-poultry-drinker-1-gal-capacity
http://www.amazon.com/Allied-Stainl...7257601&sr=8-1&keywords=heated+metal+dog+bowl
The dog bowl on Amazon is pretty expensive but I just used the link so you had an idea what I am talking about. I think Farm & Fleet puts them on sale for $30+.
Good luck in your chicken keeping and let us know how it's going, and always feel free to ask questions. Lots of good advice to be had, and remember that sometimes there is no one right answer. You will get many answers, but it is up to you to decide which will work best for your situation.
ETA: the nest boxes are usually the place the preds break into. Make sure they are built solidly and have a really secure tamper proof latch
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if you use styrofoam insulation, you have to cover it with boards or plywood,, chickens just love pecking styro to pieces.. and they will do it just as soon as it is available..
I once sanitized one of my styro incubators and leaned it against the house to dry in the sun,, a couple of hours later I went to pick it up and it was about half gone ..
one nest box for each chicken ? what mental giant came up with that one ?? they must think that chickens sleep in the nests.. well, some do, but most of them sit on a roost at night..
don't you just love it when the uninformed make the rules ??
I have 10 nests for sometimes up to 40 chickens and they all use only 3 or 4 of them,,
even with empty nests available, I often find 3 in a nest at one time,,
get used to the idea that you are not going to outsmart the chickens..
you don't have to bury the wire 2 feet deep,, just lay it flat along the outside of the fence,, I don't know of any predator smart enough to start digging 2 feet away from a fence..
I do not have any such protection,, if the chickens are put into a secure coop at night, there is little chance that a pred will dig during the daytime..
If you cover your run, make it high enough so that you can walk upright under the canopy .. there will be times that you will have to go in there and to walk around squatting is no fun at all..
remember, you will be getting older and stiffer before you quit having chickens..
I had a call from one of my Asian ladies yesterday,, she is bringing 100+ eggs for me to incubate.. she said that she has a couple of cousins who might want to bring some also..
I have to get at least one of the Sportsmans out of the basement and into one of the chicken coops.. eventually I want all 3 of them out there.. no more chicks in the house..
I have enough brooders for about 500 chicks, might as well use them ...
I think I might run a whole new electric wire just for the incubators.. I have room in the box for a couple more breakers .. and I have lots of electrical wire on hand,, might just as well use it up .
.........jiminwisc...........
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Cind, I just missed you this morning,, I got up at 3:3o and watched TV until the coffee was brewed.Hi All!
Glad Thunder got it all worked out in the end!
Night All!
I logged in here just about 10 minutes after you said goodnight,,
Ok need some advice...is this a good deal or should I stick with my farm and fleet incubator with turner and fan...
Brinsea Eco 20... without the automatic rotating unit for $100. Brand new in box. How hard o easy is the turning to do in this model...
Should I talk them down further or is this a decent price... your thoughts experts...
Brinsea Eco 20... without the automatic rotating unit for $100. Brand new in box. How hard o easy is the turning to do in this model...
Should I talk them down further or is this a decent price... your thoughts experts...
YES buy or send contact to me to buy...
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