As we head into the winter months, here are some important items to put on your to-do checklist for your brooder pens.
- Block prop posts under post to keep it from sinking into ground. A piece of 2 x 4 placed under the post works well.
- Water system needs to be shut down if birds are kept after the ground freezes.
- Set winter watering pans for birds. Roughly one 3 gallon black water pan for every 100 birds.
- Place straw in the corners of any pens that still have young birds.
- Set rodent poison under feeders.
- Do a bird inventory. Clicker counters work well.
- Stock up on winter storm supplies, like shovels and rakes for beating snow off nets, lock de-icer, etc.
- Remove equipment from pens closed down for the season- to be washed, repaired etc.
- Drop prop posts from any pens that are emptied of birds.
- Mow cover in emptied pens and till the pens to get a head start on spring.
