VJP Poultry

How To Winterize a Chicken Coop Built From a Kit

September 20, 2017May 27, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

It is never too early to start thinking about winterizing your coop. Most coops fall into two groups. One type of coop is made from existing buildings such as part of a barn or an ice house. DIY coops could be put in this category too as they were all probably insulated when they were built.

The other group of coops are the kind that are built from a coop kit. You can order these kits online or purchase them at DYI big box stores. They turn out to be cute, little coops that hold less than 10 chickens.

The problem is that these coops do not come insulated. You may have bought them in the spring when it was warm and now we are headed towards winter. What can be done to them to help them remain a cozy home for all your birds?

The first thing that comes to mind is insulation. I would suggest using reflective insulation. You can easily measure, cut and attach the insulation using a staple gun or with spray contact adhesive. Just cover the sides and the ceiling of your coop with the reflective insulation and tape the seams with aluminum foil tape.

I have found that the chickens do not pay a whole lot of attention to the shininess of the insulation. They will, however, peck at the pink insulation or the styrofoam insulation and eat it as well. That is why I do not recommend using that kind. The birds have never pecked at the silver insulation and it has worked well for us.

Make sure that there is adequate ventilation across the top part of the coop. You do not want drafts at the bottom where the silkies sleep, but you do want there to be air exchange inside of the coop. Moisture build up is not good for the birds and causes respiratory issues. If you see a frost build up inside the coop on the walls and doors, then you need to have the windows opened wider.

I would also suggest wrapping the run in clear plastic. The plastic cuts down the sharp, cold wind inside the run and keeps the snow out. Silkies do not like walking on the snow. You want your birds to have fresh air, so I don’t wrap all of the run. Make sure you do the north and the west side as that is where the winds are the strongest. I do not wrap the door. When spring comes, take down the plastic and save it for next fall.

You will need some way to keep the water dish from freezing. Some people use heated dog bowls. We use heated bases with galvanized metal waterers on top. You will need to run aheavy duty electrical cordout to the coop to run either of these water options.

Chickens generate a lot of body heat when they are together. Silkies tend to huddle up together to keep each other warm. Heat is also generated from the heated water bases. If your coop is small, this should be enough to keep things warm.

I do not think it is healthy for a chicken to go from hot to cold temperatures every time they go out in the run. Both places should be about the same temperature. If you use the insulation and the heater bases, these small coops should be warm even with a small number of chickens.

For tips and tricks for raising outstanding silkies check out our Chicken Learning Center at VJPPoultry.com . VJP Poultry is an NPIP and state inspected hatchery located 30 miles north of St. Paul. We hatch out silkies all year long so we always have stock available. Like us on Facebook to get weekly updates on what we currently have for sale.

Victoria J. Peterson

Silkies For Sale – 9/18/17

September 18, 2017September 18, 2017 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

Gardening With Chickens – Lando, the Gardening Silkie Rooster

September 12, 2017May 31, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

Every time I head out to the garden to work, I have one, very excited companion. He is Lando – the gardening rooster. Lando is a free ranger and most of the day is content to follow me around as I do my daily chores. He especially loves the gardening ones. He will flap his wings and crow with excitement when ever he sees the gardening hoe. He will then race over to the garden and begin to scratch and till the soil. By scratching and pulling out vegetation, he is preparing the ground for new planting.

You can do the same with your flock by moving them around wherever you need some soil broken up or tilled. They will be happy to do the job for you. A chicken tractor is a great tool for this. Just leave them in one spot for a week and they will have it cleared for planting. At the same time they will be fertilizing the soil with their chicken droppings.

Chicken poo is a great source of nitrogen for your compost pile. To make great compost you need nitrogen and chicken manure is very rich in nitrogen. You can use a tumbler compost container or a box compost style. I use a box style at my house. Simply add droppings daily to the compost. Keep a compost container in your kitchen to collect food scraps and coffee grounds.

You will need something to turn the compost suck as a aerator crank. A compost thermometer is nice so that you can know whether the compost is heating up to the right temperature in order to kill the wrong bacteria.

Chicken manure is like gold for your garden. I scrape off every bit of it with a stiff putty knife from the area where they sleep and the ramp they walk down. I will pick up large chunks and toss it into the compost heap.

I use the used bedding from the coop to mulch around the garden beds. Fresh dropping that have not been composted can be too hot and may burn the plants, so keep the mulch some distance from the plant’s base and leaves.

I even save the liquid from the waterers each day and use it to water my plants. There is often chicken poo that has made its way into the waterer and that helps to fertilize the plants as well.

In the garden I like to wear my chicken Slogger gardening boots with the cute pictures of chickens on them. Lando likes them too as he is always pecking at the pictures.

I plant herbs in my garden which will benefit my flock. Oregano is a natural antibiotic. Just dry it and add it to your chicken’s water supply. Sage is an antibiotic that can be used to combat salmonella in chickens. Bee balm aids in respiratory problems and digestive tract health. Thyme aids in respiratory health and has an antibiotic and antibacterial properties. Parsley is a laying stimulant. These herbs can be dried and added to both feed and water.

A good read is “Gardening With Chickens” by Lisa Steele. It contains ideas for planning a garden with chickens in mind. It has some gorgeous photos.

Nothing is more relaxing than spending time in the garden. Lando is my gardening buddy and he makes sure that all the plants needs are taken care of.

Victoria J. Peterson

Silkies For Sale – 9/10/17

September 10, 2017September 10, 2017 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

Fly Strike – Help! What Do I Do Now?

September 7, 2017June 3, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies, Uncategorized

Fly Strike is a serious condition where fly larvae are living in and feeding on the dead skin of a live chicken. Fly Strike can effect other animals besides chickens and they can even effect humans. Another name for it is myiasis or fly – blown. The larvae can move internally and cause very painful problems. It can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Flies like moist, dark, areas in order to lay their eggs. The vent area of the chicken is a favorite place, but they can strike any place on the body where there is an open wound. Flies lay their eggs and within 8-12 hours, larvae emerge to begin eating on the chicken’s flesh. The larvae feed on the skin causing sores that can become infected.

Flies that are known to cause this are bot flies, blow flies and screw flies. Fly strikes are most common in warm weather. Summer and Fall is a prime time. Whenever you begin to see more than normal the amount of flies around your coop, you should take action to diminish them.

Dust Bathing is a great way for birds to keep themselves clean. Make sure that your birds have the opportunity to dust bath. Runny droppings can build up in the vent area. This soiled vent area can cause an opening in the skin which can be attractive to the fly. Try and keep those fluffy butts as clean as you can. You may need to give them a bath. Always treat open wounds with an antiseptic to help heal.

Clean water is important as well. Wash and disinfect the waterers as often as you can. Some people switch to nipple waterers which will remove the standing water mess. Chickens often have poo and dirt in their waterers which will attract flies.

One thing you can do is to control the fly population around your coop. We use flypaper strips but there are other products as well. Hang vanilla air fresheners up in the coop. Flies hate the smell. Add screens to windows and doors in your coop. Keep the ventilation but cut down on flies.

Keep your chickens in good general health by giving them probiotics in the water. Watch any injuries very closely as they heal.

Treat fly strike by first segregating the bird from the others. Chickens are attracted to red colors and will peck at wounds on other chickens. This will make the wound even worse. Apply Blue Kote to the wound.

Add vitamins and electrolytes to the water to help with healing.

Bathe the chicken and try to drown as many larvae as possible. Physically remove as many as you can see. Flush wound with vetericyn spray. If the wound is deep, use a syringe to drive the solution into the wound. Dry the area with a hair dryer and then spray again with the vetericyn wound and infection treatment. If it is really infected then antibiotics may be needed. See your veterinarian or use Tylan .

Hopefully fly strike will not happen in your flock but it is best to be prepared and to understand it when you see it. Good luck with your silkie flock!

Victoria J. Peterson