Preparing for Winter

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Granny Magic

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I know we haven't had the best summer and we've already had to deal with a lot of wet weather since we got our chickens in March but is there anything we need to do to prepare for the winter months ? Do we need to put any insulation on the floor of the coop? I only use newspaper at the minute as it's easy to roll up with the droppings and then replace on a daily basis and then a good clean once a week. Any tips for trying to keep the run mud free - I find this the biggest drawback of chicken keeping !! We've been moving them about during the summer and then reseeding but of course can't do that come the winter. Has anybody got any experience of chicken grass seed? It's more expensive but meant to be a lot tougher than ordinary lawn seed.
The chickens are doing really well and we're getting lots of lovely eggs - 21 this week !!! Amazing !!! :)
 
I do not normally put anything other than newspaper on the coop floor unless really cold weather is forecast. Then I put a couple of inches of Aubiose or wood shavings. Is it possible to put a roof over your run or part of it. It will keep everything a lot drier and any smell is reduced considerably.
My run roof is made of PVC corrugated sheets. The roof is 2metres high so easy walk in access. I also have homemade clip on side panels which are great especially in the winter when they stop the snow and rain blowing in. I can fit these panels to meet the prevailing wind conditions. You can tell from this I am mad about my chooks! :roll:
 
Thank you bantiekeeper - yes we've been thinking of the corrugated sheets and the side panels are a good idea.
 
We put bark chippings down last year as the run was mainly mud and very little grass, they aren't great though and can be lethal if there is a layer of mud sitting underneath. Over summer this year the run has entirely regrassed without any assistance at all, might be worth leaving it to see if it grows without seeding?
 
Interestingly I was reading up on Green Manures for the garden, and it said that chickens won't eat Hungarian Grazing Rye, though they would eat the tops of legumes.

Might be worth trying. ;)
 
bantiekeeper said:
My run roof is made of PVC corrugated sheets. The roof is 2metres high so easy walk in access. I also have homemade clip on side panels which are great especially in the winter when they stop the snow and rain blowing in. I can fit these panels to meet the prevailing wind conditions. You can tell from this I am mad about my chooks! :roll:
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Hi bantiekeeper, how do you clip on your side panels? Would be useful for me in the winter. Have used various tarpaulin arrangements but would like something better.
 
what is the best bedding for the nest boxes in winter ? I am using shavings now, have read various comments on the use of barley straw, some folks say its fine and keeps the hens warm, others say avoid it as mites can get into the hollow stems ? What shall i do to keep the girls, dry, warm and cosy ? thanks
 
We've made a roof with corrugated plastic sheeting so hopefully that will keep most of the rain off - just have to decide what to put in the run for the duration of the winter months !!! :?
 
starpaws said:
what is the best bedding for the nest boxes in winter ? I am using shavings now, have read various comments on the use of barley straw, some folks say its fine and keeps the hens warm, others say avoid it as mites can get into the hollow stems ? What shall i do to keep the girls, dry, warm and cosy ? thanks
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Shavings are best for summer and winter. Straw can encourage red mite and I have found that the hens scratch about in straw looking for grains of corn and eggs get broken. No need to worry about cold, that's why hens have feathers.
 
We switch to Aubiose in Winter as it is very dry -drier than wood shavings- and more absorbent. So it keeps the coops dry. It is too dry and dusty to use in Summer Granny Magic. Crushed Hemp stems may be an alternative (hopefully as that's all our local merchant sells).
 
Aubiose is made of hemp stems, presumably crushed in the shredding process, and I don't know why you find it dusty, Chris, as I haven't found this with what I use and they claim it is a good bedding for horses with respiratory problems. The dust-free aspect is important for me, being asthmatic. See the Aubiose website http://www.aubiose.co.uk/
 
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