keeping chickens safe in cold winter weather

[journey11]

Glad she came home safely, So Lucky! I know, I can barely trust anyone here to do my chores right either. After that week of being sick though, I've realized I need to make a point to show them exactly how and what to do. I may even make one of my infamous lists!

 

[catjac1975]

Last winter on the coldest night of the year, near single digits, a hen was left out and did just fine. Hard to believe. I guess they are more resilient than we think. Good thing it was too cold for the wild predators to be out.

A little off the watering topic: I had to be away last evening at the usual lock up time, so I entrusted my DH to close the chickens up for the night. When I went out to feed and let them out this morning, I found the smallest speckled Sussex wandering around in the chicken yard! She was left out all night, the coldest night so far, of her life. DH has to lock up for me occasionally, and does something wrong (deathly wrong) about half the time.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

one of the things i like about keeping lights in the coop is it seems to be a trigger to the chickens that it's time to come home. the 2 peahens though like to come in after the sun sets for the evening and before the run had netting over it they would try to perch on the top. those lights most night would still coax them into the coop, but there were some nights i had to net them to get in the house. the chickens always knew where their roost was and never had an issue with them going in on their own by sundown. having the light on a timer seems to allow them some time to keep scratching around in the coop. after a few nights on the timer they will learn what time the lights go out and get into a routine and know when to get to their favorite roost spots for the night.

 

[Smart Red]

I bought an electric watering container. Four gallons. It filled from the bottom, but almost every time I up-turned it, the base fell off leaving my feet and pant legs water-logged. Then I bought a three gallon watering container that filled from the top. I loved it, but in the winter the water would freeze. I took the base from my electric waterer and set the new container on top of the heating base. VOILA! It kept the water flowing all last winter with no problems. Easy to refill. Easy to clean out. No need to turn water over on myself.

I have a light bulb in the coop. It comes on (very slowly) early in the morning and stays on until daylight. I don't have a light in the evening any more. My chickens are early roosters. Once the sun hits the woods to the West, the chickens head to their roosts. My 'extra' rooster is the last to give in, but I think he's waiting for everyone else to roost so he can get in peacefully. It is tough to be a teen-aged roo.

My older flock would wander around and around the coop as it got darker. I swear they were looking back and laughing to see me following them in hopes that they would head into the coop. Of course I had light in the coop at that time. Perhaps that's why they didn't care if they were in or out.

I leave the single window open all year -- full open in the warm months and partially closed in the winter. The window faces due south. I have been trying to get DS to put some vents in the eaves so the window need not be open all the time. My coop is fully insulated and feels warmer than outside in the coldest of winter. In the summer I have their food in the garden shed, but in the winter it is in the coop for my convenience. Most of the time Rusty's water isn't even frozen and his cage is in the corner nearest the window with a plastic sheet on the side of his cage to block part of the wind.

I seldom ask anyone else to shut up the coop for me. I am more likely to let it stay open until I get home then expect others to close it up properly, although I will let the Grands open it up Saturday morning. At the most, DH will let Cee Cee out to wait for me. She provides a measure of coop protection that is more reassuring to me then relying on others to remember MY chickens.

 

[mrcman]

Hi,

I use a 4" pvc tube in a vertical position with a cap glued to the bottom and a nipple waterer screwed into the cap at the bottom of the cap. In the winter I place an aquarium heater clear to the bottom of the pvc tube and leave it plugged in all winter. The aquarium heater is thermostatically controlled so will only heat as needed. I use two of these in my two pens and have been quite happy with the results.

Tony

 

[so lucky]

This sounds like a good idea.

 

[digitS']

. . . an aquarium heater clear to the bottom of the pvc tube . . .

Those are the fully submerged ones, Tony?

They have the little ones for Bettas at Petsmart but I haven't seen them installed. Low wattage for very small aquariums.

Steve

 

[journey11]

That's a great idea, Tony. How long is your pipe? Do you fill it up from a reservoir above or does it hook up to a continuous water supply? I have already bought the cPVC pipe and fittings to make a chicken nipple waterer, but was thinking of running it horizontally. That would be neat if I could hook an aquarium heater up to it too. I haven't figured out yet all the logistics of how I want to do it, but I would like to hook it up to the water hose in the summer at least.

 

[mrcman]

Digits,

Yes, the heater is fully submerged. It comes with a 4' or so cord on it and reaches the bottom of my tube. It's a cheapy from Wal-Mart. And it is a low wattage heater.


Journey,

I'll have to measure the tube to be exact but I think it's around 38" tall. It's long enough to hold 2 gallons of water and it fills from the top. No automatic feed on the supply...I just tote the water down from the house.

So Lucky,

Thanks, it does work pretty good for me. It's not an original idea of my own so unfortunately I can't take the credit.

I'll try and post some pics tomorrow if I can remember.

Tony

 

[mrcman]

Hi,

The length of the tube is 41". And here's a couple pictures to show the nipple.


http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/8931_img_0669.jpg

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/uploads/8931_img_0670.jpg


Tony