My chickens don't have access to water or food at night. I have my coops in a fenced in area. It is just a fenced in area. My chickens are locked into their coops each night and are let out each morning. During the summer I leave the water out all night in the run. During the winter I do a few different things. I have multiple waters that I rotate out a few times a day. I fill them with warm water and take them out then bring in the frozen ones to defrost. Last year I got a heated dog bowl and kept that full during the day, then dumped it out at night. Going to invest in a second one if I can. I really like the rubber tubs for winter. I put them in an area that gets sun for most of the day. At night I take and dump them out and turn them over till I refill them in the morning. I have a few of the bigger ones for my ducks. I guess what I'm trying to say is that they sleep at night and don't need water till morning. Same with food. They will live to be without it at night.Hm, interesting. I've noticed mine were gobbling up their food. I haven't started the fermented feed yet because I didn't think about fermenting until AFTER we made the cool feeder from the piping we got from Home Depot. I looked at it the other day and said, Hmm.. Since it's a wet feed, won't it freeze overnight? Should I leave the dry feed in their feeder for access at all times and then fermented feed during the daytime?
I was also thinking about the water only in the run idea a great one but then we shut the run in case of predators. I'm assuming all those who leave the water in the run leave the runs open all night so that idea won't work for us either. The hot water in the water feeder...would that work for overnight? I have one of the galvanized waterers I got from runnings but now I'm wondering if that may have been a big mistake because the galvanized will be more likely to free in my opinion. We were planning on getting the heated dog dish (I can't for the life of me remember who does it on here but it was a great idea) so I may do that during the day in their run but am now shying away from it overnight in the coop for fear of fire in the night. SOoooo, if the coop is closed to the run and we don't have a heated dish, what then? The hot water trick? They won't hurt their poor little beaks will they? Gee, how in the world did they do it years ago without electricity?! I always wish I could talk to someone who lived in that era and ask for advice. I have to say I also miss my gram something awful. Her company was the best. She had so much wise advice that my generation and the younger generation could use. I mean the woman made bacon gravy. They utilized EVERYTHING and weren't a throw away society as we tend to be on quick schedules.
I'm sad because I wonder if my daughter will ever know a good healthy relationship with someone who doesn't have a cell phone or tablet in their hand. I'm now talking like my gram at 40 years old. Life, though tough, seemed so much simpler back then. I really do miss the days and traditions of yesteryear. I often wonder how everyone managed to meet together on the holidays but now we're at an age where everyone's schedule doesn't mesh. My husband is an RN on a cardiac unit so it's not like you can tell a cardiac patient to stop having a heart-attack or stroke so you can go home and celebrate with your family. YOU most often become family to the patients. Especially those from assisted living facilities who's family rarely visits.
Anyhoo, sorry to be such a Debbie Downer so to speak. Gee, I went off topic in a tangent. Hahaha All because of wondering how they did it all in years gone by. Hahaha
Hope you all had a lovely weekend! It snowed here
I know how you feel about the years gone by. We try to raise our kids with the traditional values that we cherish the most. It was just simpler then.
We just mostly just use our chickens for eggs, but with breeding there comes extra roosters. I have processed my extra roosters and any that are mean. The first time I processed any chicken was a mean rooster and after him attacking me 3 times it was easier to do then I thought it would. I always say a little prayer before I start. It make me feel better. I don't have a plucking machine either. I do it by hand. It takes a little more time but I don't process enough to make one or buy one. I do know someone that has one and has offered to help if I really wanted it. I have several older girls. My 2 girls that I have left from my first batch of chickens will have a home for life, but the rest I'm not to sure but will most likely process them. Most hens are done with the most of their laying by around 3, but there are hens that will lay till older they just lay few eggs each year.Such a funny day! We let the girls out and for the first time when I started to walk toward the garage they were running after me. SEVERAL times. They were hungry monsters!I've never seen them run WITH me before. They've usually been skittish. It was fun to see them run with their necks bobbing back and forth. Hahaha The Black Australorps are the friendliest and they let both my daughter and I pet them and feed them. The Golden Laced Wyandottes are the second friendliest. The EE's are skittish and temperamental. lol
So a quick question. Those of you who process them for meat. Do you have everything with you? I'm not sure we're going to get any for processing. I'm a bit nervous about not being able to get the job done. I've seen the cone method. We don't have the interesting tub that take the feathers out. For those who have just a few for eggs. What do you do with your girls when they stop producing? Do you let them get old until the pass? Or do you process them for meat? I haven't really thought that far but I suppose I had better get some kind of plan going. When do the chickens stop laying?
