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[lakeiris]

Hello!

 

I have an Eglu Go and two chickens. Living in Wisconsin, I'm a little worried about our cold winters (last year we had a few week stretch where it never got above 20F = -7C and a couple days with a high temp of -10F = -23C with plenty of snow). I've been reading in the forums for ideas... How do you prepare? What do you do? Is there a temperature at which two chickens will not be warm enough in a Go?

 

I'm planning to use a clear vinyl shower curtain or thick plastic for solar heat and reducing the wind over the 2m run which has wood chips, also to keep off the snow. Does anyone have a better method?

 

I'm looking for good water ideas as well. My chickens tend to get their faces and neck all wet with the included Eglu waterer, but maybe they do it on purpose in the warm weather to cool off. I've heard from other local chicken keepers that they have trained their chickens to use a heated rabbit waterer - keeps the water from freezing and keeps the chickens dry. Has anyone tried that? Does it work? Would a 32 oz bottle (~1L) be enough for a day for two chickens? I'll be able to check on them in the early morning and evening, but will need something to keep the water from freezing.

 

Thanks!

Iris

[jackian]

I have not a clue as my girls have not gone thorough a winter yet but... from what I read on here..and there are a lot of experts ... the girls will be fine as their feathers act as a duvet

I am a bit concerned myself but I am sure that some one will be a long soon with better advice than I can give

[Sandychick]

Chickens seem very tough in the cold. I leave the eglu door open almost all year at night and they are fine (although I did shut it on a few nights last year in the extream cold). There were also 4 of them in the eglu which generates a surprising amount of heat. With the door shut, they will be cosy in any weather

 

I don't worry much about them being cold as they seem to be quite happy about it. It is the water freezing that is the biggest problem, especially when I'm out at work all day. When it is freezing for a long spell, I put a big tub of water in the run with an aquarium fish heater which works well if you have electricity nearby. What is a heated rabbit waterer?? Might be a good solution??

 

They don't like snow either, and refuse to leave the run unlil I've cleared a path for them. As long as the run is covered, so they have a snow free area, they should be happy hens

[percy049]

a little hen i had last year hated the cold and snow. we used to put the in the garage when it got cold. putting a snugglesafe heatpad in the house will also help keep it warm.

bring the water in every night so it doesnt freeze, and refill it with warm water every morning, to try and stop it freezing during the day.

[Egluntyne]

Some advice here that you might find helpful .... although we never get into the realms of minus 23C here, we did have long spells in the minus 10's last winter.

[bouldercroft]

I have an Eglu Go and two chickens. Living in Wisconsin, I'm a little worried about our cold winters (last year we had a few week stretch where it never got above 20F = -7C and a couple days with a high temp of -10F = -23C with plenty of snow). I've been reading in the forums for ideas... How do you prepare? What do you do? Is there a temperature at which two chickens will not be warm enough in a Go?

 

 

Here is how I survived my first winter of chicken keeping in Boston...

 

Water heater - I purchased this heater from Amazon. It fits perfectly in the glug and kept it thawed and temperate all winter long. I also got a thermal switch block so it would switch off when it got warm - which it never did as it was a brutal winter!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006U2FJ8

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006U2HD2

 

Extra thermal wrap for the - my hubby built an extra layer of insulation for the . We used foam board from HomeDepot and then wrapped it in black plastic for extra solar gain. It was light and easy to lift off and protected the eglu from the 80" of snow we got. Here is a photo before it was wrapped in plastic.

 

Korma on the new insulated eglu by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

When it hit record lows I brought them into the basement in a cat carrier for the night - they weren't happy but at least I slept well that night not worrying. I also bought a pet bed warmer for the two record low days we had and forgot to switch it on they survived just fine!

 

I wrapped the run in a clear shower curtain to keep the snow out and I also used trash bags filled with leaves as wind protectors around the base of the run. You can just about see it in this photo -

 

eglu igloo by jewilk71, on Flickr

 

 

 

They are very tough little things - I worried more in the summer when it was 110F and they were all very very very hot and distressed.

 

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions - always happy to help!

[blueandwhite]

That's a brilliant winter set up. It was -10 here for quite a few days at a time, with snow/ice on the ground (not anywhere near as much as that) for weeks. My girls didn't seem to mind at all, and were happy walking around in it all day. The only problem I had was stopping the water from freezing in the glug. I took it in at night and filled it with warm water in the morning. I tried warming a housebrick in the oven and putting it under the glug but it only stayed warm for about an hour. Also put a ball in the water but that didn't work either. No electricity in garden so really worried the odd time no-one was in the house all day. But they survived. Would like to find a solution though; it would make me feel better. Oh yes I also put vasaline on their combs, especially Ebay as hers is more of a 'comb over!'

[peachachecha]

Bouldercroft, I can't thank you enough for replying to lakeiris. I live in Michigan and have been worried about this winter too. I went on line and ordered the water heater. I have a eglu go and I am also going to bag up all my leaves, as you did, to put along the base of the run. I will have to put a brick in each bag along with the leaves 'cause the winds are very strong here. I feel much relief now. Thanks again.

[bouldercroft]

Bouldercroft, I can't thank you enough for replying to lakeiris. I live in Michigan and have been worried about this winter too. I went on line and ordered the water heater. I have a eglu go and I am also going to bag up all my leaves, as you did, to put along the base of the run. I will have to put a brick in each bag along with the leaves 'cause the winds are very strong here. I feel much relief now. Thanks again.

 

if you want a more classy look you can use hay bales - the trash bags of leaves did leave it looking like a favela (quote from my Brazilian friend) but then I had lots of good rotting leaves to start the compost in the spring - win/win me thinks

[lakeiris]

Thank you all so much for all of the ideas! I'm glad to see some chickens make it through winter in an Eglu in Boston, I think our winters are pretty similar

[Jenny Smedley]

Hi,

I've been reading this thread with interest as I worry about my glugs freezing over (We live in a very exposed site)- the bird bath ice eliminator looks great & I will be looking to see if I can get that in the UK, along with the Thermo cube.

 

I was looking at this giant heated outdoor dog bowl on Ebay (American site)

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/370487569425?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_4914wt_772

 

Hope this helps,

 

Jenny Smedley

[Jenny Smedley]

Hi,

 

I've been searching like mad for any UK equivalent of the bird bath ice eliminator & Thermocube thermostat shown on American Amazon to use on my glugs to keep them ice free in the Winter (see links on previous post) but there doesn't seem to be anything.

 

Just a thought for any electrically minded omleteers- is there any way the ice eliminator & thermocube could be safely "converted" for UK use?

 

Jenny Smedley

[bouldercroft]

Just a thought for any electrically minded omleteers- is there any way the ice eliminator & thermocube could be safely "converted" for UK use?

 

the voltage difference will be the big issue - we're on 120V here and you're at 240V but I'll ask my handy hubby if he knows a way..

[Kazzy73]

Korma looks so proud of her weather proof home lol.This will be my first winter with my girls so hoping it doesnt snow too much this winter.My girls house is under a tree but soon they will be in a lovely draught free cube so hoping the two together will be enough to withstand the worst weather,just got to keep an eye on the water freezing really as my girls are at the bottom of the garden with no electrics nearby.The hay bale idea is great and look great as well,fingers crossed for a mildish winter.

[lakeiris]

What is a heated rabbit waterer?? Might be a good solution??

 

Some area chicken keepers have something like http://www.mws-d.com/ProductDetail.aspx?productid=32, designed for rabbits, but their chickens have learned how to use it. Reportedly easier to fill, keeps cleaner, and keeps chickens drier than open water sources. I'm going to pick one up and see if the ladies figure it out.

 

The birdbath heater in the glug would be a good back up option. The problem I anticipate with that is that my chickens get woodchips and dirt in the glug everyday. Easy enough to clean out now, but without a hose at below freezing temperature for four-five months, it won't be as pleasant.

[bouldercroft]

Just a thought for any electrically minded omleteers- is there any way the ice eliminator & thermocube could be safely "converted" for UK use?

 

genius hubby says you need a step up transformer and as if by magic - they have them on amazon.co.uk!!!!

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skytronic-Step-Down-Voltage-Convertor/dp/B000H9HU5C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317001450&sr=8-1

[bouldercroft]

Korma looks so proud of her weather proof home lol.

 

I was looking at the photo and thinking how svelt she looks - shes a fat hen now!