Chickens over winter

Discuss, share and chat about all things relating to keeping Chickens including health issues
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ChickenCarol
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by ChickenCarol »

A lady farmer that I know well told me that are only two kinds of chickens - Live ones and dead ones. She too is baffled by my visits to the vet with chickens and nursing them back to health when possible. It is the difference between farming and having chickens as pets and we just respect each others differing ways over this so I can understand how those around you feel differently to you. I too have found this forum very helpful over the years.

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sandy
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by sandy »

If it gets very cold I put out melons in bowls so they have some moisture to drink
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Dolvy
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Dolvy »

Mo wrote:Not sure how your weather differs from ours, but the general thought is that hens suffer more from heat than cold.
You do need to keep them supplied with water not ice though. I took the drinkers inside at night, so that at least they'd start the day unfrozen. Or give them a bowl of warm water with the thought that it would take a while to cool. But if it's really cold you need to keep checking (or rig up something with a night-light)


Good tips. I also have a little heat mat in there too. My chickens are a bit spoiled lol.
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Mo
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Mo »

Dolvy wrote: I also have a little heat mat in there too. My chickens are a bit spoiled lol.


Hello Dolvy. Welcome to the world of spoilt hens. You'll meet a lot here.
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Trev62
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Trev62 »

An update on our winter chicken keeping experience.

After many complaints from our chickens about the delay in being released this morning, (we did explain to them that we had to clear a path to get to them through nearly two and half foot of snow but they just continued clucking off at us), all the hens then had to have the embarrassment of being fitted with capes on as the Randy Rooster is causing their back feathers to break. Next up was the vaseline treatment for all, another serious clucking off was aimed at us whilst this process was being inflicted on them.

They do not mind the snow but detest the wind staying firmly inside their shelter (which surprisingly is still standing), they eat a lot more (probably as they cannot forage due to the heavy snowfall). We give them a lot more fruit/vegetables/sunflower seeds and a handful of walnuts and egg production is back to normal levels 2/3 a day from our three layers, the other two are just broody mares who lay when they can be bothered but will be put to use as "egg warmers and hatchers" in the coming months.

So no frostbite or anything else yet but we are keeping our fingers crossed for luck.
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ChickenCarol
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by ChickenCarol »

It sounds like you have it all under control and everything is going really well.
Trev62
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Trev62 »

Image


Image

Breakfast over, all out, time to play in the snow so the keeper can clear this mess up!

Touch of frostbite to Blackie's crown but hopefully not too serious, neighbours still amazed we are getting eggs and all are surviving, not bad for our first winter, long may it continue!

>fi< >fi< >fi<
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ChickenCarol
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by ChickenCarol »

Wow! All that snow! Well done for managing in such difficult conditions. I have been fed up with the frosty mornings here and defrosting the water each morning. I feel pretty stupid now seeing your conditions. We don't realise how lucky we are. Your girls look great. No eggs here at the moment.
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Trev62 »

We missed them laying today due to being out on a late dog walk and ended up with our first frozen eggs in the coop, added extra straw, hay and sawdust to hopefully prevent it from re-occurring.

Some-one has suggested adding some ducks to our chickens as ducks lay their eggs in the morning and like to cover them up with straw and hide them which helps to insulate the eggs and keep them warm for longer.

Not sure how true that is though........... >coc<
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Grannyof4
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Grannyof4 »

I kept ducks for years and agree with what you were told. Mine always laid in the morning and the eggs did definitely appear to be buried under the bedding. In your temperatures it won't take long for an egg to freeze. Are they not useable once thawed, even if only for baking or scramble and feed back to the chickens.
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Mo
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Mo »

I think you might have to be careful about hygiene if the expansion you get when water freezes had made them crack.
I have frozen eggs, whisked them first though. The texture is different, more gloopy. But fine for cakes or omelettes. So, as long as the shells looked clean and they are going to be well cooked, yes I would use them.
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Trev62
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Trev62 »

Grannyof4 - Thanks for confirming what we were told about ducks we were unsure if it was true or not.

Mo - Thanks as well for the advice on the frozen eggs, they have gone into some pastry today.

>fi< We are still around tomorrow!!!
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Trev62
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Re: Chickens over winter

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With the return of the snow here I thought I would post a final update on our first winter with chickens, before I start though I would like to say thanks for all the advice/tips given they all helped.

Firstly they all (much to our neighbours surprise) survived, the only health issue was some minor frost bite to the cockerels comb, only one tip was seriously damaged and has since departed company with the rest of the comb. We think this was down to insufficient ventilation to the coop which was easily resolved.

The extra straw/hay spread around the outside of the coop and treats hidden in it encouraged them out and kept them occupied scratching around, it also kept their feet off the frozen ground and they much preferred that to sinking into the snow.

The strong biting winds and frozen water were the main problems with the one shelter we had built (although it actually stayed in one piece) not really large enough so we are on the look out for a couple of old tractor tyres to turn into winter wigwams filled with straw for next year and the water bowls we placed into car tyres filled with foam insulation, limited success but with the temperatures being extremely severe this year we could not expect much more.

We dug paths and tunnels (plastic buckets with the bottoms cut out and then linked together) through the snow for them, they all seemed to love chasing around them discovering the unexpected treats scattered along the way and huddling down in the tunnels, though it was always a race for the boiled rice/pasta which they knew was coming from the time spent sitting looking through the kitchen window from their perch on the outside window sill!

So all in all not too bad, though I will mention the paths eventually became mud tracks that we have just reseeded but having dogs and a rabbit chasing each other along them as well although unwelcome it was expected.

So some preparations to make for next winter as we will have double the number of our feathery friends by then but at least we will have a better idea of what to expect!

Now to await the return of Spring.................
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Mo
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Mo »

Trev62 wrote:So all in all not too bad, though I will mention the paths eventually became mud tracks that we have just reseeded
Now to await the return of Spring.................


You really think the hens will give the grass seed any chance to grow? {rofwl}

Hope you get some spring, wouldn't like your winters.
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Mo
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Re: Chickens over winter

Post by Mo »

Another useful thread
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