Winter Tips for Chooks....

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joyfull

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #105 on: September 03, 2012, 20:58 »
  :D
Staffies are softer than you think.

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Chippet

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #106 on: September 04, 2012, 20:38 »
Bit depressing that I'm posting on here already, but wanting to be prepared.

Had my 3 hens about 1 month now and totally hooked. There have a large house and run meant for 9 hens 'by RSPCA standards', because the house is actually meant for so many more chucks, do I need to do anything to keep them cosy in winter?  I had wanted to partition a bit of the house off anyway as the always roost at the very back furthest from the door and makes cleaning out more of a chore than needed.

I've read through the other posts and some people have said they put cardboard boxes in for them to roost in and keep warm.

Thanks

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symonep

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #107 on: September 05, 2012, 08:43 »
You will find they will huddle up and keep warm that way. We have had ours about 3 years now and have done nothing special during winter other than making sure they have water that isnt an iceblock each morning.

Gained an allotment on the 19th June 08, 135ft by 40ft! eekk. Finally after 4 years it is looking like an allotment and not a jungle

We have 5 lovely hens in the garden, fish, 2 dogs and 2 canaries

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ANHBUC

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #108 on: September 05, 2012, 10:45 »
Second what symonep says.  They will find the cosiest spot in the coop so just leave them to it.  ;)
Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens!
Bagpuss RIP 1992 - June 2012, 1 huge grass carp (RIP "Jaws" July 2001 - December 2011), 4 golden orfe, 1 goldfish and 1 fantail fish (also huge)! plus 4 Italian quail, 1 Japanese quail, 1 Rosetta quail.

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kev0707

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #109 on: February 13, 2013, 21:41 »
as a shelter for my chucks in there outdoor enclosure i use 2 of those big compost bins just leave the door of the front to give the hens acsess you can even mount a perch half way down

Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #110 on: March 12, 2013, 09:08 »
I might have gone a bit ott providing for our girls in the winter. The girls have a roof over part of the run, a thermostatically controlled heated water bowl (to stop it freezing), a food hopper, and an automatic coop door. You can see a video of it here... mXbgkrZUbNk
We've never had rats, even though their food is outside (it's off the ground but they do spill it on the floor). I was told you get rats if the coop or shed floor is sat right on the ground giving a very small gap between the ground and the floor which makes the perfect place for rats to bring in bedding and get snug. Our coop is 6 inches off the ground.

On the advice of the farmer we bought the girls from, http://www.blatfarm.co.uk/, we have a couple of fox deterrents... old tights filled with human hair from the barbers, and open jars of pee dotted around. Foxes apparently hate both and, touch wood, we've never seen one.

To combat the mud we've covered the ground in bark chippings and added a couple of slabs and pallets so they can get off the ground.

And they also have a couple of tyres filled with sharp sand to dust bath in.

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Hen 1-0 Fox

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #111 on: March 12, 2013, 19:17 »
Sounds like a nice set up! How are you getting along with the bark? I've read it's bad for chooks but not tried it myself
x1 Light Sussex x1 Black Rock x1 Bluebell x1 Silver Sussex

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Eileen M

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #112 on: March 18, 2013, 21:36 »
Sounds like a nice set up! How are you getting along with the bark? I've read it's bad for chooks but not tried it myself

I read something similar about hens with bark chippings.  But, I can confirm that we used to have bark chippings in our flower borders which the hens kicked out everywhere.......so they definitely weren't bothered by it  :)
« Last Edit: March 18, 2013, 21:38 by Eileen M »
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ANHBUC

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #113 on: March 19, 2013, 14:29 »
I think it is because the bark chippings can get fungal spores on that are bad for the hens respiratory system.   ;)

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Hen 1-0 Fox

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #114 on: March 20, 2013, 00:51 »
I've seen a lot of chickens on bark... And it's cheap and widely available... Think I need to try and find some info on the subject ....

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Beekissed

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Re: Winter Tips for Chooks....
« Reply #115 on: January 12, 2015, 08:57 »
I've got my chickens on cultured deep litter comprised of leaves, yard debris, wood shavings, twigs, bark, pine needles...you name it, it's in there.  I rake leaves in the fall, compress them into trash bags with holes punched for air and use them for bedding in the winter.



 I haven't cleaned out the coop litter in three years now, it just composts in place and keeps them busy, warm and dry when confined due to snow.



Using a heated water bowel elevated out of the litter on a step stool right now but plan to build a fold down platform before next winter for this purpose.  I have a hoop coop made from cattle panels and recycled wood scraps, so it's easy to scrap on pieces here and there as I need to adapt.



We've been getting subzero temps here and the birds are snug as a bug, plenty of ventilation, clear tarp on the coop to let in winter sunlight and that has made such a huge difference since last year when I had a silver tarp.



Here's a pic with a shot of the clear tarp....has made such a huge difference in this year's winter coop!



Feeding fermented feed once a day and throwing down apples and a few handfuls of this or that in the litter to keep them busy when the snow keeps them inside too long.  My flock free range, so there's no run to describe...the pop door never closes and they come and go at will.  They have a chicken dog that guards them at all times and has sleeping quarters next to their pop door. 

So far winter has been good, even with subzero temps.  No frostbite on any birds and all seem comfortable on the roosts. 

 



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