I lived a mile up in the Appalachian Mountains. Yak Trax are fantastic. Helene drowned most of my flock before I could rescue them. The mudslide was very fast. My remaining birds will be house chickens this winter. I will rebuild a better coop for them going forward. I'll get more birds in the spring.
Dalia, I need to thank you. In your book, the homeopathy you recommend came in handy. My husband died Sept. 6, my chickens killed in a mudflood 20 days later. The grief was overwhelming. I asked my Naturapath/Homeopathy expert. I already had ignatia for my chickens. It works immediately to soothe my raw soul. Thank you so much for educating this RN of 40 years.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband. And for that to be followed by losing your chickens must have been so hard. Ignatia is such a good remedy. You might look into some flower remedies as well. ❤️
Hmm. I wonder if this will soothe the terror in my soul after the news last week. I’m genuinely going to give it a try. Thank you.. and I’m so sorry for your loss. That is a lot of grief to bear. Hugs from Washington
We were under a mandatory Evacuation due to a fire. We left home for 3days. My family Went back every day to feed and water 105 chickens ducks turkeys & geese. Only 1 bird passed but we saved 104.
We live in North Texas. We can go from 118° in the summer to 8° at night in winter. Now it doesn’t go on forever, better safe than sorry. We also have a Sweeter Heater. Love it. Happy chickens make for a happy chicken mom. Good boots are a necessity. Spent all last weekend finding all the winter coop equipment. Cleaning out coop. Readying coop for cold north winds. After the heat of the summer, we are all ready. Great video.
"Drag Sleds" that hunters use to haul deer are ~$20-$25 and you can tow things over snow or grass or mud or anyhting like that. Cheaper than anythign with wheels that most likely wouldnt' even work on snow or ice and easier to store than a plastic utility sled (you can roll these up!) If you don't/can't wanna spend the money on a drag sled, a small tarp will work in a pinch! The cheapest place to get affordable tarps, imo, is Harbor Freight (or a similar cheap/import tools and hardware store like Northern Tools).
As someone in a cold climate who dealt with serious frostbite my first year, supplemental heat didn't help. Moving their water outside and increasing ventilation to reduce humidity inside my coop is what resolved the frostbite issues. It was not the cold itself, it was the humidity causing the issue
You’re absolutely correct. I should have said to check the moisture level first and add ventilation if needed before adding heat. Honestly, I forgot! I do say it in all my other winter videos.
I use a propagation heat mat that people use for trays to start garden sprouts, its on the floor under the thick shavings providing soft safe heat, mine is 48 by 20 inches and it's under the roosts providing soft heat all winter. When it was really cold the girls nested on the shavings above the mat and stayed warm. Its only about 45/55$ to get a 48" one on amazon these days, Heat goes up, so roosting girls have warmer feet and bellies.
Great advice Dalia! I live in Canada 🇨🇦, so we get no mercy when it comes to snow and cold. It's important to have good traction, especially when you have ducks, because they get water 💧everywhere and turn everything into a skating rink lol! I once had to haul 5 buckets of water up a steep hill in a durable plastic sled everday, and I'll tell you it wasn't fun and I'm thankful that I had/have the strength to do that. Now the water hydrant is very close to my new coop, so all I have to do is walk 10 feet on even ground in order to get water to my run. To anyone who has to move buckets of water quite a distance I recommend getting a hard, durable sled, because it saved me many times. ❤ Thanks again Dalia! 😊
Hi from WV/PA! I use a heavy duty plastic sled to haul stuff in snow. I've hauled 15 -20 gallons of water for our horses with it, plus bags of feed, etc. BONUS: I found the sled on the side of the road 13 years ago! ❤
With the time change and the daylight getting shorter, I purchased a rechargeable headlamp. It really helps to see walking to and from our barn. Even with lights in the barn it helps to see eggs in the nesting box. We can get lots of ice on the road going down to our barn. My Yaktraxs have been a life saver! Lots of great advice! Love the idea of a dog water bowl!
Henlo!! Yes the ice storm was horrendous. I'm down in Springfield in the Willamette Valley and boy that was something. After the first day of trying to go out to the chicken coop and make sure they had running water and food I realized very quickly I was going to have to bring them in the house. I put them in the laundry room I've done that before. I only have two now so it wasn't that bad but going out there was an adventure to say the least! And I actually made it all the way back into the house with one chicken under each arm without going down . And yes proper Footwear would have been very helpful
❤My husband snow blows paths when it snows so that the ducks & chickens can go on strolls over winter with treats and a baby pool of hot water around corners. 😊 Thank you for the heater device! I never recommend heat bulbs that are sold at my job if people say they’re using them for animals. So dangerous!
The heated dog bowls are a GREAT idea! We have dogs too, so that's fantastic. I also like to keep food/water available for our wild birdy friends so that opens up some good opportunities.
In the winter, I don’t do fermented feed like I do the rest of the year, because it freezes as soon as I get it out there. Instead, we do sprouts. I shovel a path to coop and shed with food.
@@Thefightfortruth Same! I love the sprout idea! I personally give my birds some dry nettle seeds in their feed to give them some nutrition, especially because nettle has all 9 essential amino acids to make protein.
The coolest thing I saw an artist do in her co-op was under each of her roosts she had a tray filled with PDZ it's a stall odor absorber but it's lava and all natural and can be mulched in the garden and I use a Kitty scoop and I scoop it the poop out and my coop smells amazing nothing hits the floor but a few minor things. And it has just been the coolest thing ever actually thought the kids would get in and make a mess out of it but they don't even go near it it's just been a life-changing experience. And the best thing i did was stop using a heat lamp an my girls have been healthier over all. I am in zone 8 was 7 befor used the heater they used for the chicks on the side. Was great...blessings
Hi Dahlia, What you are saying makes good sense. I spent the first 25 years of my life in Iowa. Proper winter footwear and ice cleats are essential to chicken keeper safety. Well, all farming activities are in snowy or icy weather.
Henlo, I'm m in Eastern Oregon. We get cold temp along with ice and snow. I dont usually heat unless it's a prolonged freeze etc. Then I have radiant heat.
Hello, fellow Washingtonian! First time chicken mom here, being scared about winter from the remaining ice storm trauma from last year. That was INSANE. Thanks for all the advice!!
I wish someone had a channel like this about ducks. I have a poor singular duck that I started caring for a couple years ago. I've just been using the internet to try to upgrade his care, which is kind of difficult since it seems like one site will say one thing, the next will say the opposite. Sometimes even my vet will tell me something different than what the entire internet has said, such as keeping a heat lamp in his kennel. I've always heard not to do it, but she just told me to put one in there for winter. I'm just so confused, and all I wana do is make his life happy for what he's got left. I just saw the heated dog bowl thing! I love it!
Trick. Use watered pine pellets for nesting boxes. It has been the best thing for my nesting boxes I’ve ever figured out. Make the fluff ahead and it’s so soft. It helps my eggs not break and keeps the boxes much cleaner than anything else. I also use a mix of pine pellets and pine shavings as my coop bedding. We use a flat panel heater in the coop in the coldest part of winter. It doesn’t heat the coop but they can stand by it to get warm if they want. Plus we did our coop raised off of the ground about a foot and a half. So they have the entirety of under the coop for them to have a snow free space
Dalia, I want to thank you for the videos you've made, like this one, about keeping our chickens happy, healthy and comfortable during winter. We have 2 banty hens, this is their first winter in the coop, and they are fluffing up and acting cold during the days already, the highs have been low 40s. Living in Montana we know our temps are going to get a lot colder. Last year we had almost 3 weeks straight of -65°F with windchill. My husband made our coop with a cement floor and metal exterior and roof. He built the walls and roof the same as he did when he built our house, very good insulation inside thick exterior walls so it doesn't get super cold inside. We do have good vents on each end. That being said, his favorite chicken is our tiny Porchia, a Porcelain Belgian d'uccle. She is the cutest little girl and begs to be picked up and loved on. Anyway, yesterday my sweet husband ordered an 11"x40" Sweeter Heater for our coop. Thank you for teaching me about these and how safe and efficient they are so I could relay the info to him. Thank you for all of your videos, great content & humor and your wonderful book. Your wealth of knowledge has saved us a few times and helped us so much with every day chicken keeping. My chickens are my babies, they all know their names and are very spoiled, thanks to you!🙏❤️🙌
Welcome to the newest episode - what will Dalia's glasses look like, and what chicken will she be holding? he he...We are in SW Michigan and winterizing our coop for our 16 girls...they are spoiled, spoiled, spoiled with their setup. Love the tips and looking at sweeter heaters, which last time I checked, they were sold out! Thanks for sharing! P.S. loving the scratch and peck discount code with you, used it twice and one more to go! Here's to a safe winter. 🐓☃❄
Winter here in Idaho already. It will last for 6 months. I am seriously plotting having a second home somewhere warmer and we will all, my chickens and I will be nomading 😂❤🐣🐔🤩🌄
Almost four years ago, my flock- ten poults back then, we drove from Northern Arizona to Washington state. I went through Utah, Idaho and Oregon. And it was during the cooler months of spring. My flock did well on the journey. A week later, we came home. I purchased a wardrobe box from U Haul, I cut in half, and that was their make shift pen. I'll always treasure that trip.🎉❤😊
I have the cleats too now after I fell two years ago on the ice going down to the coop and broke my wrist. Sometimes we just learn things the hard way!
I'm in the center of the country it gets up to 104° and as cold as -20° sometimes in February. February is a most in the winter. It's absolutely terrible. I'm glad my fireplace doesn't run on city gas or electricity. It DOES take propane, but that's a small price to pay to make sure I don't die if I lost power in an icestorm. Though I eventually want to convert it into a wood fireplace.
Ohhhh I can sympathize with you with slipping while don't chicken chores. It's bad and I even did it with my winter -40 below boots that have amazing tread. Some times it's just so darn icy out there. It's a battle to keep healthy once you slip and get hurt. I didi the same and got ice cleats. funny I use the SAME as you with the heated dog bowl for all my chickens and they love and so DO I. :)
❤ wrapped my sheltered coop in tarp last year - when it was super cold, too trap their heat ❤ heated dog bowl eggsellent idea! Cayenne powder stops bleeding QUICK! ❤ thx Dahlia
My area has been getting around 6 to 8 feet of snow and sometimes ice storms. In the summer time I use a wagon but the winter I use a sled. I don't have heated anything in the winter I just go out around six to eight times a day for water runs because I have rabbits too. I use lots of straw for my run and leaves. I clean my run four times a years because I rotate my birds. My chickens don't go out in the run in the run they stay in the coop and I clean every week. I don't use heat in the coop but my hospital does have heat because the hospital is in my house. But I don't use heat because I don't like roast chicken. Yes, I have a big barn for my birds. I could live in the barn. And I have an extra building that was a dog kennel that does have heat and running water in it. I don't worry about winter for my animals because I spend all summer taking care of winter things.
@@RebekahBorg-of1fi Hah! I know, right? I still think to myself when I say/type it that it really sounds like a made up word.. I was telling my mother about them recently (she's from the south and was worried about slipping on the ocassional ice they get). I felt like I was getting that "look" from her the entire time... "Is she just making stuff up??"
I actually got one of the heated dog water bowls that you showed while back. I just plugged it in cuz we hit freezing last night. So great to have that! I don't mind changing water- I do it anyway!
We don’t have heat and I’m down to three hens (my fav, a white Wyandotte who was always slow, got taken by an hawk and I’m still chasing the raptors away) and won’t get more til spring. So, if it gets super cold and icy, I decided to use the brooder pad with a long exterior extension cord strung on top of the fence. I can shake the snow off. The only issue is getting the cord inside the Eglu cube without cutting anything. Working on it.
Here in central Indiana freezing and below zero temps I do have electricity to keep heated water bowl. I use a sled to pull to haul water and feed. Safer than carrying n snow or ice.
Thanks Dalia. I do have boots but in order to not slip I have those ice cleats to go over the boots since does get super cold here. Thanks for addressing this! I learned the hard way falling on my bottom and leg and it hurt for sometime. I appreciate you sharing the pine pellets. Doesn't get overly wet and muddy but a good solution if it does. I just use radiant chicken heaters if gets super cold which is common here. Thank you for talking about enrichment. I'm already preparing to make nutritious treats for my 5 chickens and am keeping your videos and links in mind to order 😀
we had a ice Storm a couple years ago where all the roads were just a sheet of ice And how I get to my coop is down the driveway on a hill so those ice spikes for shoes really came in handy, any time I had to go down there. most my chickens were smart enough to stay in the coop but there is a couple dumb ones decided to leave the coop and as soon as they walked out they immediately slipped down the hill or they attempt to fly over it but keep on sliding when they landed, They also came in handy when a friend vehicle got stuck I told her we could just walk back we'll be fine because the backwoods are not icy but she insisted on driving us back and of course she got stuck So when we had the leave of the vehicle on the side of the road I acted as the anchor as we are crossing the icy road, Because I was the only one with good traction.
Thank you for the great advice! I use the oil filled radiator type heater in the hen house, up on a cinder block to keep it out of the shavings. I heats well and has a safety shut off. I need to put up some tarps to bring down the ceiling in the run to help heat it. If the last 2 winters are the norm now, I'll need to keep the temps above 0 to prevent frostbite. I'm at 4'100 feet elevation and it snowed last night here in north central WA.
Oh my! Thank you!! I tried a few things for heating water/food that could work for everyone (I have a cross beak hen) and that I could manage! The screw on type were too hard for me and my daughter! But the heated dog bowls are going to be it 🎉🎉🎉🎉
I don't think I ever added supplemental heat to my coop it doesn't really get that cold even for my very very old chicken I'm actually surprised she made it Through last winter with the high temps below 30 all day for 3 days I don't know i'm going to do for her for this winter but right now she's living in my peacock aviary and has a little duck friend that Snuggles her for the night in their kennel
1. Snow rakes used to remove snow from roofs work amazing on the ground to remove snow. I drag I behind me and it makes an amazing path. I also clear huge swaths of snow with it. No lifting snow. 2. Sand is your friend. Put it in puddles. I use sand in my coops and runs. 3. Heated dog bowls work amazing. Easy to clean especially in the winter. No dealing with two piece waterers with big gloves on. I live in the north. Lots of snow and ice. 4. I use a Sweeter Heater for my birds especially my silkies. If you can’t afford something like that the ceramic reptile bulbs work amazing. They are unbreakable by a chicken and are very affordable.
Good morning! I'm also in WA, down closer to Tacoma. Love the shelter/kennel you show when you're talking about the pine pellets, around the 7:04 and 11:32 time. Wondering if it has a wire roof and where you found it. I have a little tent/canopy for a sun shade, but am wanting something a bit more weather proof for these WA winters. Thank you for all your helpful tips and sharing your experiences!
I slipped in new mud outside the coop last year and the knee strain was one of the most painful injuries I have ever experienced. I didn’t even fall. Be safe, chickeneers!
@WelcomeToChickenlandia What a great video! Do you ever recommend insulating the coop? I don’t have my hens yet but was considering building a double layer wood wall coop with pink foam insulation between, with proper ventilation of course. I wonder if it’d keep the coop cooler in summer as well, or I’m wondering if there’s a reason nobody does this? I’m in an area with heavy snow and ice storms. Thanks if you can help. ❤
Keeping the humidity down in the coop is a **huge** part of keeping chickens healthy in the winter! Maybe Dahlia will do a whole video devoted to that soon! My chickens have always been in 3 sided sheds or hutches, with the 4th wall just wire (half inch hardware cloth, which keeps out rats/mice in my area (tho I hear other areas need quarter inch hardware cloth for mice). The wire wall always faces away from the prevailing winter winds, because chickens need protection from wind too. If a storm does come in from an atypical direction, I’ll tarp the open side for the duration of the storm, but also open up one of the other sides so the air stays really fresh inside and not muggy/moist. (We’re only at 300’ elevation in the Puget Sound area and we don’t really ever get below 10* F, so I don’t have experience with other climates- But I think the dangers of high coop humidity are pretty universal!)
@@ConnieStafford Awesome! I saw in another comment, Dahlia mentioned she just forgot to discuss humidity control in this video “like she usually does” so maybe she has older winter-prep videos you can check out!
Is that baby chick going to be ok without a broody mama? Is the hen sitting so the chick can keep warm. It didn't look like it in the video. Chick looked cold and in need of warmth.
I use heated waterers for my chickens, and heated dog dishes for my ducks. In order to fill them I use two large watering cans. I'm definitely going to get ice cleats because I have also injured myself slipping on ice and it's taken two years to heal. 😒
I have one of those automatic light sensing doors on my coop... do I need to have water available inside the coop too in winter, when daylight hours are fewer and the girls are in the coop longer?
After 3 years of chicken owning, a weasel has been attacking my chickens the past few days, inside the coop and run, and it's even been wondering around during the daylight hours while they are out in pasture. It's taken most my flock. I even reinforced ANY problem areas with the mesh, all the corners, ceiling, and it's still happening. Mesh goes all down the sides, into the ground inside and out. Yet, there is always a new hole or a just a sliver of a space where it's finding a way in. I am at a loss and it's been a horrible few days of it along with recent death in my family. To say I'm broken right now is an understatement. My husband says to be done with them and take a long break from chicken owning, possibly for good, because this experience has been so taxing. The weasel has basically moved in and this is now it's hunting territory. I don't want to hurt the weasel because I understand the natural benefits of weasels and believe in balance. We have a lot of rodents around which is one reason for so many tunnels that they share. Anyway, I just wanted to share in my grief, thanks for reading. I think a break may be the best bet to keep my sanity but I'm very sad that I've lost so many of my chickens and my favorite hen and roo. If I ever chicken own again, I'll be starting a building and run from complete scratch and may move to a different area of the property. In meantime, I'll just watch and live vicariously through your chicken videos. Thanks for keeping me afloat for the past 3 years, Dalia, you've been a great help along the adventure of chicken owning. I feel better watching your advice and I can walk away with one thing in mind, at least my chickens had a good home while it lasted. 🤍
I’m so sorry for your losses. I feel these loses of my own every day and am struggling to let go of my own flock and roos as I look at a move far away where I cannot have any pets whatsoever. I love each and every one I have ever cared for very deeply. Dalia has helped me through a number of struggles, even if just by reminding me that I’m not alone in facing them while working through them. I also have contemplated starting a brand new coop/pen/run construction that would meet all of the chickens’ needs. I’m thinking that I may not ever get that chance but would if I ever could again. My question for you is, what would help you heal from your feelings of loss? Regrouping and starting from scratch? If you do give your chickens to another home and still strongly feel that way, then perhaps you should. Who knows just how dedicated you can be to caring for your flock? I just hope you are able to quickly recover and regain your balance with memories of your loved ones and perhaps writing a new chapter of your life’s journey. 🤍
Poor Dahlia, Leslie’s gender is a matter of choice. Biology Smiology, don’t presume to know the gender of your chickens! In all seriousness, u r the best! I really appreciate the best back yard chicken videos on the web!!!
I lived a mile up in the Appalachian Mountains. Yak Trax are fantastic. Helene drowned most of my flock before I could rescue them. The mudslide was very fast. My remaining birds will be house chickens this winter. I will rebuild a better coop for them going forward. I'll get more birds in the spring.
Oh my goodness. I'm so sorry. ❤️
@WelcometoChickenlandia the ones who died had a great life. That's all anyone can ask.
@@Teri6419 yes, absolutely. ❤
I understand. In Texas 70% gone after Beryl. I have since built back higher and stronger. I will never quit chickening.
Dalia, I need to thank you. In your book, the homeopathy you recommend came in handy. My husband died Sept. 6, my chickens killed in a mudflood 20 days later. The grief was overwhelming. I asked my Naturapath/Homeopathy expert. I already had ignatia for my chickens. It works immediately to soothe my raw soul. Thank you so much for educating this RN of 40 years.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband. And for that to be followed by losing your chickens must have been so hard. Ignatia is such a good remedy. You might look into some flower remedies as well. ❤️
@WelcometoChickenlandia YES! I use that too.
😢sorry to hear about your losses. May The Lord comfort you during this difficult time. Yes homeopathic remedies are the best
So so sorry beyond words! Prayers to mend your broken heart 💔 🙏
Hmm. I wonder if this will soothe the terror in my soul after the news last week. I’m genuinely going to give it a try. Thank you.. and I’m so sorry for your loss. That is a lot of grief to bear. Hugs from Washington
We were under a mandatory
Evacuation due to a fire. We left home for 3days. My family
Went back every day to feed and water 105 chickens ducks turkeys & geese. Only 1 bird passed but we saved 104.
I’m so sorry that happened. It must have been so stressful! That flock is very lucky to have you.
We live in North Texas. We can go from 118° in the summer to 8° at night in winter. Now it doesn’t go on forever, better safe than sorry. We also have a Sweeter Heater. Love it. Happy chickens make for a happy chicken mom. Good boots are a necessity. Spent all last weekend finding all the winter coop equipment. Cleaning out coop. Readying coop for cold north winds. After the heat of the summer, we are all ready. Great video.
I grew up in Duncanville so I know exactly what you mean regarding the weather there!
@@WelcometoChickenlandiamy husband is from Oregon and are hoping to retire to the Oregon coast. All his family is there. Fingers crossed!
"Drag Sleds" that hunters use to haul deer are ~$20-$25 and you can tow things over snow or grass or mud or anyhting like that. Cheaper than anythign with wheels that most likely wouldnt' even work on snow or ice and easier to store than a plastic utility sled (you can roll these up!)
If you don't/can't wanna spend the money on a drag sled, a small tarp will work in a pinch! The cheapest place to get affordable tarps, imo, is Harbor Freight (or a similar cheap/import tools and hardware store like Northern Tools).
This is a great idea, thanks!
As someone in a cold climate who dealt with serious frostbite my first year, supplemental heat didn't help. Moving their water outside and increasing ventilation to reduce humidity inside my coop is what resolved the frostbite issues. It was not the cold itself, it was the humidity causing the issue
You’re absolutely correct. I should have said to check the moisture level first and add ventilation if needed before adding heat. Honestly, I forgot! I do say it in all my other winter videos.
@@WelcometoChickenlandia figured I'd clarify for anyone in the comments to be safe in case
Lawd, this is my first winter with the chickens.....im so nervous, but this video helps. Thank you!
You got this!
Same! Best of luck and guidance to you!
I use a propagation heat mat that people use for trays to start garden sprouts, its on the floor under the thick shavings providing soft safe heat, mine is 48 by 20 inches and it's under the roosts providing soft heat all winter. When it was really cold the girls nested on the shavings above the mat and stayed warm. Its only about 45/55$ to get a 48" one on amazon these days, Heat goes up, so roosting girls have warmer feet and bellies.
Great advice Dalia! I live in Canada 🇨🇦, so we get no mercy when it comes to snow and cold. It's important to have good traction, especially when you have ducks, because they get water 💧everywhere and turn everything into a skating rink lol! I once had to haul 5 buckets of water up a steep hill in a durable plastic sled everday, and I'll tell you it wasn't fun and I'm thankful that I had/have the strength to do that. Now the water hydrant is very close to my new coop, so all I have to do is walk 10 feet on even ground in order to get water to my run. To anyone who has to move buckets of water quite a distance I recommend getting a hard, durable sled, because it saved me many times. ❤ Thanks again Dalia! 😊
The sled is such a good idea!
Hi from WV/PA! I use a heavy duty plastic sled to haul stuff in snow. I've hauled 15 -20 gallons of water for our horses with it, plus bags of feed, etc. BONUS: I found the sled on the side of the road 13 years ago! ❤
With the time change and the daylight getting shorter, I purchased a rechargeable headlamp. It really helps to see walking to and from our barn. Even with lights in the barn it helps to see eggs in the nesting box. We can get lots of ice on the road going down to our barn. My Yaktraxs have been a life saver! Lots of great advice! Love the idea of a dog water bowl!
Henlo!! Yes the ice storm was horrendous. I'm down in Springfield in the Willamette Valley and boy that was something. After the first day of trying to go out to the chicken coop and make sure they had running water and food I realized very quickly I was going to have to bring them in the house. I put them in the laundry room I've done that before. I only have two now so it wasn't that bad but going out there was an adventure to say the least! And I actually made it all the way back into the house with one chicken under each arm without going down . And yes proper Footwear would have been very helpful
I've been in the PNW for 20 years and had never seen anything like it!
I use our son's old plastic sled to haul things in and out in the large amounts of snow we get here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
I love the hen at the beginning in ur hands she’s adorable
That's Monkey. She's my baby! 🐒
❤My husband snow blows paths when it snows so that the ducks & chickens can go on strolls over winter with treats and a baby pool of hot water around corners. 😊 Thank you for the heater device! I never recommend heat bulbs that are sold at my job if people say they’re using them for animals. So dangerous!
I talked my hubby in getting electricity to the chicken run. The heated water container is a life saver!
Regarding mud, I spread straw as it is clean to walk in and absorbs water.
Pine needles work too!
The heated dog bowls are a GREAT idea! We have dogs too, so that's fantastic. I also like to keep food/water available for our wild birdy friends so that opens up some good opportunities.
In the winter, I don’t do fermented feed like I do the rest of the year, because it freezes as soon as I get it out there. Instead, we do sprouts.
I shovel a path to coop and shed with food.
@@Thefightfortruth Same! I love the sprout idea! I personally give my birds some dry nettle seeds in their feed to give them some nutrition, especially because nettle has all 9 essential amino acids to make protein.
The coolest thing I saw an artist do in her co-op was under each of her roosts she had a tray filled with PDZ it's a stall odor absorber but it's lava and all natural and can be mulched in the garden and I use a Kitty scoop and I scoop it the poop out and my coop smells amazing nothing hits the floor but a few minor things. And it has just been the coolest thing ever actually thought the kids would get in and make a mess out of it but they don't even go near it it's just been a life-changing experience. And the best thing i did was stop using a heat lamp an my girls have been healthier over all. I am in zone 8 was 7 befor used the heater they used for the chicks on the side. Was great...blessings
Hi Dahlia, What you are saying makes good sense. I spent the first 25 years of my life in Iowa. Proper winter footwear and ice cleats are essential to chicken keeper safety. Well, all farming activities are in snowy or icy weather.
Henlo, I'm m in Eastern Oregon. We get cold temp along with ice and snow. I dont usually heat unless it's a prolonged freeze etc. Then I have radiant heat.
Hello, fellow Washingtonian! First time chicken mom here, being scared about winter from the remaining ice storm trauma from last year. That was INSANE. Thanks for all the advice!!
I wish someone had a channel like this about ducks. I have a poor singular duck that I started caring for a couple years ago. I've just been using the internet to try to upgrade his care, which is kind of difficult since it seems like one site will say one thing, the next will say the opposite. Sometimes even my vet will tell me something different than what the entire internet has said, such as keeping a heat lamp in his kennel. I've always heard not to do it, but she just told me to put one in there for winter. I'm just so confused, and all I wana do is make his life happy for what he's got left.
I just saw the heated dog bowl thing! I love it!
Trick. Use watered pine pellets for nesting boxes. It has been the best thing for my nesting boxes I’ve ever figured out. Make the fluff ahead and it’s so soft. It helps my eggs not break and keeps the boxes much cleaner than anything else.
I also use a mix of pine pellets and pine shavings as my coop bedding.
We use a flat panel heater in the coop in the coldest part of winter. It doesn’t heat the coop but they can stand by it to get warm if they want. Plus we did our coop raised off of the ground about a foot and a half. So they have the entirety of under the coop for them to have a snow free space
Dalia, I want to thank you for the videos you've made, like this one, about keeping our chickens happy, healthy and comfortable during winter. We have 2 banty hens, this is their first winter in the coop, and they are fluffing up and acting cold during the days already, the highs have been low 40s. Living in Montana we know our temps are going to get a lot colder. Last year we had almost 3 weeks straight of -65°F with windchill. My husband made our coop with a cement floor and metal exterior and roof. He built the walls and roof the same as he did when he built our house, very good insulation inside thick exterior walls so it doesn't get super cold inside. We do have good vents on each end. That being said, his favorite chicken is our tiny Porchia, a Porcelain Belgian d'uccle. She is the cutest little girl and begs to be picked up and loved on. Anyway, yesterday my sweet husband ordered an 11"x40" Sweeter Heater for our coop. Thank you for teaching me about these and how safe and efficient they are so I could relay the info to him. Thank you for all of your videos, great content & humor and your wonderful book. Your wealth of knowledge has saved us a few times and helped us so much with every day chicken keeping. My chickens are my babies, they all know their names and are very spoiled, thanks to you!🙏❤️🙌
Welcome to the newest episode - what will Dalia's glasses look like, and what chicken will she be holding? he he...We are in SW Michigan and winterizing our coop for our 16 girls...they are spoiled, spoiled, spoiled with their setup. Love the tips and looking at sweeter heaters, which last time I checked, they were sold out! Thanks for sharing! P.S. loving the scratch and peck discount code with you, used it twice and one more to go! Here's to a safe winter. 🐓☃❄
Winter here in Idaho already. It will last for 6 months. I am seriously plotting having a second home somewhere warmer and we will all, my chickens and I will be nomading 😂❤🐣🐔🤩🌄
Almost four years ago, my flock- ten poults back then, we drove from Northern Arizona to Washington state. I went through Utah, Idaho and Oregon. And it was during the cooler months of spring. My flock did well on the journey. A week later, we came home. I purchased a wardrobe box from U Haul, I cut in half, and that was their make shift pen. I'll always treasure that trip.🎉❤😊
I just came to tell you that thumbnail photo is so adorable ❤
Dalia is an angel sent from heaven.
Thank you!!
Aww thank you ❤️
I prefer the hanging nipple drinker 's ( heated) , the warming plate kind keeps getting knocked off. Thank you for all the good advice ❤
I love the ice cleats. Hard to get on but worth it. I also did a split on ice and had a nasty groin injury
It's the worst! I couldn't believe how long it took to heal.
I have the cleats too now after I fell two years ago on the ice going down to the coop and broke my wrist. Sometimes we just learn things the hard way!
I'm in the center of the country it gets up to 104° and as cold as -20° sometimes in February. February is a most in the winter. It's absolutely terrible. I'm glad my fireplace doesn't run on city gas or electricity. It DOES take propane, but that's a small price to pay to make sure I don't die if I lost power in an icestorm. Though I eventually want to convert it into a wood fireplace.
Darn those freezing temps solidifying their water!!!!
literally the worst!
Ohhhh I can sympathize with you with slipping while don't chicken chores. It's bad and I even did it with my winter -40 below boots that have amazing tread. Some times it's just so darn icy out there. It's a battle to keep healthy once you slip and get hurt. I didi the same and got ice cleats. funny I use the SAME as you with the heated dog bowl for all my chickens and they love and so DO I. :)
❤ wrapped my sheltered coop in tarp last year - when it was super cold, too trap their heat ❤ heated dog bowl eggsellent idea! Cayenne powder stops bleeding QUICK! ❤ thx Dahlia
My area has been getting around 6 to 8 feet of snow and sometimes ice storms. In the summer time I use a wagon but the winter I use a sled. I don't have heated anything in the winter I just go out around six to eight times a day for water runs because I have rabbits too. I use lots of straw for my run and leaves. I clean my run four times a years because I rotate my birds. My chickens don't go out in the run in the run they stay in the coop and I clean every week. I don't use heat in the coop but my hospital does have heat because the hospital is in my house. But I don't use heat because I don't like roast chicken. Yes, I have a big barn for my birds. I could live in the barn. And I have an extra building that was a dog kennel that does have heat and running water in it. I don't worry about winter for my animals because I spend all summer taking care of winter things.
They're called Crampons!! After falling on the ice taking care of the animals, I purchased some crampons spikes you can put on any shoes! They're
Crampons? lol funny name! Reminds me of that movie about the Christmas Krampus! lol
@@RebekahBorg-of1fi Hah! I know, right? I still think to myself when I say/type it that it really sounds like a made up word..
I was telling my mother about them recently (she's from the south and was worried about slipping on the ocassional ice they get). I felt like I was getting that "look" from her the entire time... "Is she just making stuff up??"
I actually got one of the heated dog water bowls that you showed while back. I just plugged it in cuz we hit freezing last night. So great to have that! I don't mind changing water- I do it anyway!
We don’t have heat and I’m down to three hens (my fav, a white Wyandotte who was always slow, got taken by an hawk and I’m still chasing the raptors away) and won’t get more til spring.
So, if it gets super cold and icy, I decided to use the brooder pad with a long exterior extension cord strung on top of the fence. I can shake the snow off. The only issue is getting the cord inside the Eglu cube without cutting anything. Working on it.
Here in central Indiana freezing and below zero temps I do have electricity to keep heated water bowl. I use a sled to pull to haul water and feed. Safer than carrying n snow or ice.
Great tips for winter! Thank you ❤️
Love your videos
Thanks Dalia. I do have boots but in order to not slip I have those ice cleats to go over the boots since does get super cold here.
Thanks for addressing this! I learned the hard way falling on my bottom and leg and it hurt for sometime.
I appreciate you sharing the pine pellets. Doesn't get overly wet and muddy but a good solution if it does.
I just use radiant chicken heaters if gets super cold which is common here.
Thank you for talking about enrichment. I'm already preparing to make nutritious treats for my 5 chickens and am keeping your videos and links in mind to order 😀
Cool video!
we had a ice Storm a couple years ago where all the roads were just a sheet of ice And how I get to my coop is down the driveway on a hill so those ice spikes for shoes really came in handy, any time I had to go down there. most my chickens were smart enough to stay in the coop but there is a couple dumb ones decided to leave the coop and as soon as they walked out they immediately slipped down the hill or they attempt to fly over it but keep on sliding when they landed, They also came in handy when a friend vehicle got stuck I told her we could just walk back we'll be fine because the backwoods are not icy but she insisted on driving us back and of course she got stuck So when we had the leave of the vehicle on the side of the road I acted as the anchor as we are crossing the icy road, Because I was the only one with good traction.
Ty president chickenlandia! Appreciate all your videos.
I've resorted to slip on spikes for ice because I have a hill to go down. Amazon has them.
Deep clean yesterday. 80 in maine today. Lol. Great day to ruffle some feathers cleaning. Lol
Your video pinned picture jn the menu is so funny😂 100% for creativity
Love the glasses Madame President! You are rocking them. 🤩
Thank you for the great advice! I use the oil filled radiator type heater in the hen house, up on a cinder block to keep it out of the shavings. I heats well and has a safety shut off. I need to put up some tarps to bring down the ceiling in the run to help heat it. If the last 2 winters are the norm now, I'll need to keep the temps above 0 to prevent frostbite. I'm at 4'100 feet elevation and it snowed last night here in north central WA.
Currently cleaning out an old unused room in my house to put my chickens for winter lol so they won't be outside. They are seramas
Oh my! Thank you!! I tried a few things for heating water/food that could work for everyone (I have a cross beak hen) and that I could manage! The screw on type were too hard for me and my daughter! But the heated dog bowls are going to be it 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thank you for all the information! I ordered heaters for the water containers today.
I don't think I ever added supplemental heat to my coop it doesn't really get that cold even for my very very old chicken I'm actually surprised she made it Through last winter with the high temps below 30 all day for 3 days I don't know i'm going to do for her for this winter but right now she's living in my peacock aviary and has a little duck friend that Snuggles her for the night in their kennel
Awww that's so sweet.
I absolutely love yak traks (and some other ice cleats I've used)
Everyone who lives where there will be snow and ice should have them
Thanks so much!!❤
1. Snow rakes used to remove snow from roofs work amazing on the ground to remove snow. I drag I behind me and it makes an amazing path. I also clear huge swaths of snow with it. No lifting snow.
2. Sand is your friend. Put it in puddles. I use sand in my coops and runs.
3. Heated dog bowls work amazing. Easy to clean especially in the winter. No dealing with two piece waterers with big gloves on. I live in the north. Lots of snow and ice.
4. I use a Sweeter Heater for my birds especially my silkies. If you can’t afford something like that the ceramic reptile bulbs work amazing. They are unbreakable by a chicken and are very affordable.
I’m on the PNW too, my 1st winter with my chickpeas. I’m so worried about them. Thanks for all your info 😊
Love your new glasses :)
I love your chicken's
I loved your book!
I’m so glad 🥰
I just did fall coop clean out. Whew, I think I might be getting lazy lol. It was alot of work! lol
I love Chickens and chickenlandia so much. I want to have my own chickenlandia someday. Thank you Dalia ❤
Thanks!!
I'm in Florida, but my girls get a heating pad when it gets below 50.. 🥰
I wish I was in Florida LOL
Good morning! I'm also in WA, down closer to Tacoma. Love the shelter/kennel you show when you're talking about the pine pellets, around the 7:04 and 11:32 time. Wondering if it has a wire roof and where you found it. I have a little tent/canopy for a sun shade, but am wanting something a bit more weather proof for these WA winters. Thank you for all your helpful tips and sharing your experiences!
I love your videos!
Thanks for sharing.
I slipped in new mud outside the coop last year and the knee strain was one of the most painful injuries I have ever experienced. I didn’t even fall. Be safe, chickeneers!
@WelcomeToChickenlandia What a great video! Do you ever recommend insulating the coop? I don’t have my hens yet but was considering building a double layer wood wall coop with pink foam insulation between, with proper ventilation of course. I wonder if it’d keep the coop cooler in summer as well, or I’m wondering if there’s a reason nobody does this? I’m in an area with heavy snow and ice storms. Thanks if you can help. ❤
How do naked neck silkies stay warm! I have one that I hatched this summer and I’ve been a little worried about her.
Should I keep the windows open in the coop for air circulation in the winter?
Keeping the humidity down in the coop is a **huge** part of keeping chickens healthy in the winter! Maybe Dahlia will do a whole video devoted to that soon!
My chickens have always been in 3 sided sheds or hutches, with the 4th wall just wire (half inch hardware cloth, which keeps out rats/mice in my area (tho I hear other areas need quarter inch hardware cloth for mice).
The wire wall always faces away from the prevailing winter winds, because chickens need protection from wind too.
If a storm does come in from an atypical direction, I’ll tarp the open side for the duration of the storm, but also open up one of the other sides so the air stays really fresh inside and not muggy/moist.
(We’re only at 300’ elevation in the Puget Sound area and we don’t really ever get below 10* F, so I don’t have experience with other climates- But I think the dangers of high coop humidity are pretty universal!)
That is helpful. Thank you
@@ConnieStafford Awesome!
I saw in another comment, Dahlia mentioned she just forgot to discuss humidity control in this video “like she usually does” so maybe she has older winter-prep videos you can check out!
Is that baby chick going to be ok without a broody mama? Is the hen sitting so the chick can keep warm. It didn't look like it in the video. Chick looked cold and in need of warmth.
She is with a broody mama. Binky is brooding her and she’s right there when I show the chick. She’s taking good care of her.
@@WelcometoChickenlandia Ohhhh that is good. I should have realized you needed a broody in order for that to work. Great video
Couldn’t the chickens eat them ? Pine pellets
They shouldn't unless there's something going on like they're not getting enough food or not absorbing nutrients well due to underlying factors.
Hard cold fact woman that’s what you need to give trying to support you
I use heated waterers for my chickens, and heated dog dishes for my ducks. In order to fill them I use two large watering cans. I'm definitely going to get ice cleats because I have also injured myself slipping on ice and it's taken two years to heal. 😒
Monkey is so cute😩
I have one of those automatic light sensing doors on my coop... do I need to have water available inside the coop too in winter, when daylight hours are fewer and the girls are in the coop longer?
After 3 years of chicken owning, a weasel has been attacking my chickens the past few days, inside the coop and run, and it's even been wondering around during the daylight hours while they are out in pasture. It's taken most my flock. I even reinforced ANY problem areas with the mesh, all the corners, ceiling, and it's still happening. Mesh goes all down the sides, into the ground inside and out. Yet, there is always a new hole or a just a sliver of a space where it's finding a way in. I am at a loss and it's been a horrible few days of it along with recent death in my family. To say I'm broken right now is an understatement. My husband says to be done with them and take a long break from chicken owning, possibly for good, because this experience has been so taxing. The weasel has basically moved in and this is now it's hunting territory. I don't want to hurt the weasel because I understand the natural benefits of weasels and believe in balance. We have a lot of rodents around which is one reason for so many tunnels that they share. Anyway, I just wanted to share in my grief, thanks for reading. I think a break may be the best bet to keep my sanity but I'm very sad that I've lost so many of my chickens and my favorite hen and roo. If I ever chicken own again, I'll be starting a building and run from complete scratch and may move to a different area of the property. In meantime, I'll just watch and live vicariously through your chicken videos. Thanks for keeping me afloat for the past 3 years, Dalia, you've been a great help along the adventure of chicken owning. I feel better watching your advice and I can walk away with one thing in mind, at least my chickens had a good home while it lasted. 🤍
I’m so sorry for your losses. I feel these loses of my own every day and am struggling to let go of my own flock and roos as I look at a move far away where I cannot have any pets whatsoever. I love each and every one I have ever cared for very deeply.
Dalia has helped me through a number of struggles, even if just by reminding me that I’m not alone in facing them while working through them. I also have contemplated starting a brand new coop/pen/run construction that would meet all of the chickens’ needs. I’m thinking that I may not ever get that chance but would if I ever could again.
My question for you is, what would help you heal from your feelings of loss? Regrouping and starting from scratch? If you do give your chickens to another home and still strongly feel that way, then perhaps you should. Who knows just how dedicated you can be to caring for your flock? I just hope you are able to quickly recover and regain your balance with memories of your loved ones and perhaps writing a new chapter of your life’s journey. 🤍
Any advice on Serama chickens . Can they tolerate Canadian winters
Any advise on a Hen that collapses (looks literally like she is dead) after she lays an egg ?
My name is Lezlie. Its a great name.
❤❤❤
Every time I've seriously injured myself, it was from not falling. If I had just let myself fall, I'd have bruised something not strained it. 😂
Having electricity in our coop was the best thing we ever did.
Those sweeter heaters are junk. My chickens wouldn't sit under it and it didn't keep them warm. Those things heat bodies not air. No way!!!!
Crampons
Poor Dahlia, Leslie’s gender is a matter of choice. Biology Smiology, don’t presume to know the gender of your chickens!
In all seriousness, u r the best! I really appreciate the best back yard chicken videos on the web!!!
She better choose wisely LOL
@ that’s funny!
Hard cold fact woman that’s what you need to give trying to support you