Chickens and Cold Weather

[RickF]

Luckily here in the LA area it does not get cold enough for probably any chicken species.. Ours of course are unheated at night and haven't had any issues to speak of related to the whether.. They even like wandering the yard when its raining!

 

[i_am2bz]

They even like wandering the yard when its raining!

I wonder where the term "madder than a wet hen" came from...my chickens don't seem to mind rainy weather at all!

 

[RustyDHart]

Our high here today was about 8 degrees.....and it will be well below 0 again tonight.....My coops are not heated but comfortable....even my small Pyncheon Bantams don't seem to mind below freezing sometimes in their lodgings. I too give them "hot" meals and extra treats this time of year....despite the cold...the gals are laying like crazy. I keep about 75 breeders and plan to hatch about 150 this Spring....Lambing will start here on the farm in about 3-4 weeks....it gets abit crazy.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

They even like wandering the yard when its raining!

I wonder where the term "madder than a wet hen" came from...my chickens don't seem to mind rainy weather at all!

Try spraying them with a hose this summer!

 

[i_am2bz]

They even like wandering the yard when its raining!

I wonder where the term "madder than a wet hen" came from...my chickens don't seem to mind rainy weather at all!

Try spraying them with a hose this summer!

Good idea, Chicken.Lytle! Considering how hot it gets here in the summer, they might actually like it - I know I would!!

 

[iajewel]

I think people underestimate the power of a chicken. I use no heat lamps etc. My birds have wind breaks but many perch out side in the weather year round. I don't know why when they have a choice, but they do. Here in Iowa we have had many days -30 or better and thats with out wind chill. The birds just take it and do well. Some of the things I do keep in mind is they need fat and I don't mean from corn. I mean from fat, meat, the bugs they are not getting in frozen weather. I have friends that hunt and bring me allot of deer. So I used the pieces of scrap, fat etc and freeze what they won't eat that day for later feedings. I lay out the hide and they pick it clean. When I don't have deer fat I ask the butcher for fat, yes it costs but not as much as replacing my flocks. All my friends know that I gladly will come pick up buckets of gutts and what ever they would toss out when butchering as well. Its nasty, yes, but my birds are fat even at the end of winter. I think feed is more important then shelter and heat lamps personally. I don't worry about water with snow on the ground either. They drink so little due to eating snow that I stopped watering years ago when there was snow on the ground. This goes for my rabbits and cattle as well. I learned that they really don't do more then take a sip, and leave, so why bother? My animals are actually healthier for it. I had a hard time mentally the first year I experimented with it, however the more I offered water and the more they refused the more I realized that nature was doing something here, and I was better off to let it.

 

[lighthawk]

They even like wandering the yard when its raining!

I wonder where the term "madder than a wet hen" came from...my chickens don't seem to mind rainy weather at all!

Try spraying them with a hose this summer!

That is exactly how I have trained my birds to stay off the deck. I keep a garden hose there always on for watering my potted plants so if any of the girls set foot on the deck she gets a quick spritz. Works like a charm.
Got tired of all the presents they were leaving me.

 

[lighthawk]

iajewel. We have had a hard winter here and the first winter for the girls. They came through fine. I supplement with black oil sunflower seeds, a head of cabbage occasionally and I hung a suet feeder for them in the fall. I don't keep any food or water in the coop so inside the coop is dry as a bone. I do use a cookie tin heater to keep their water from freezing but I have it out in the run and although the last month or so they have been begging to get out, all the snow cover has forced me to keep their run closed. Things are starting to thaw now so soon they will be allowed out to scratch at whatever grass is visible but they won't find a bug or worm for another month. Pretty proud of my girls this winter.

 

[iajewel]

I don't know why my last reply didn't post? Anyway.. I have allot of young first winter birds myself. I used to live in MI up by Oscoda so Im familiar with your winters. Honestly, I think its in human nature to nurture. Thus the domestication of animals and the path it has followed to the extent of some animals now not being able to live with out human help. Im not saying this is bad. Its who we are. We are hard wired to take care of things, to control things. Its part of being human. On the other hand, I do think that when we hands off a bit, we find out just how little they really need us. Im going to tell you 2 stories here and I will try and keep them short.
1) years ago I had 80% of my goat herd die. ( remember this is the short version) I had wormed, vaccinated, I did everything right. They died when I moved. I tossed my hands up and never vaccinated again. Since that time I have never lost an animal to anything but a tornado or old age.
2) My water froze up one year and I had no way under the sun to water my cattle or horses or yard crew (poultry.. rabbits etc) I panicked. I was sure they would all die a horrible death. My rabbits and birds were out in pens, so everyone could eat snow. By mid March I had the first rabbit show of the year. My pipes were still frozen as the floods the year before had exposed them in places I never knew. No plumber could get in yet. My rabbits won legs toward their championship and the judge said he had never seen such wonderful condition in an early spring show.
I don't water with snow on the ground to this day.
When I bought a rabbit at a show that was sick ( I didn't know it) I lost 80% of my rabbits. The ones I did not loose were the ones in the pens. The ones doing for themselves.

My point is.. they sometimes really really don't need us.
They do just fine and sometimes better when we allow them to do for themselves. This doesn't mean neglect, or don't care, it means that they were built to make it. Sometimes we need to have faith in that.

 

[iajewel]

PS, Im starting over this year with 5 rabbits who will go to their first show this weekend. again, not having water all winter from anything but snow. I will let you know what this judge thinks.