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To: SoothingDave

Wow - so what is your plan to keep those chickies warm in the winter? We would not have that problem here but you do!


68 posted on 11/01/2013 11:15:14 AM PDT by WhyisaTexasgirlinPA
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To: WhyisaTexasgirlinPA; secret garden

My wife actually bought a case of egg cartons.

We aren’t moving the coop, but we do have a fence she uses to let them have a bit of a play yard. That gets moved around a bit.

We are expanding. We have added another “chicken run” area and will add another coop in the spring. She wants to get 4 more then, to try some other breed.

As for winter, the first thing is light. We already added some plain white rope-style Christmas lights around the enclosure. You need to extend the amount of daylight so the chickens don’t go dormant from laying. So we have the lights on a timer and give them an hour or so of extra light in the morning and night.

My wife put some plastic and tarp around the sides and top of the enclosure, to keep the wind at bay and snow from falling in. She got an infrared heater with a built-in thermostat. So it isn’t a fire hazard from being too hot, but can provide some heat.

Then there’s the nesting material and natural heat from composting waste. These chickens should be hardy enough to survive, even if they have to huddle inside their nesting area, instead of out in the open like they like to do.

Don’t want to coddle them too much. But I do bet they will find their way into the basement if we have an extended single digit stretch this winter.


70 posted on 11/01/2013 11:28:19 AM PDT by SoothingDave
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