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How are you going to keep your eggs from freezing this winter?

post #1 of 6
10/16/12 at 1:45pm
Thread Starter 

I thought as I was gathering eggs this morning in the 39 degree weather, How am I going to keep the eggs from freezing before I gather them this winter? I don't plan on using any heat unless we get very cold weather. Am I going to make many trips to gather eggs? Now I go out at 11:00 and gather them, but I am out at day break letting them out of the coop into the run. Anyone else have this concern or ideas? 

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post #2 of 6
10/16/12 at 1:49pm

We certainly do not heat our barn, so I gather twice.  Around 9 am I make a pass and refresh their water.  If there are eggs not covered, I pick them up.  Then, just before noon, I make another pass and gather 99% of the laid eggs.  There may be some odd egg laid in the afternoon, I'll get it when I do the late afternoon feeding.

 

In zero weather, you might lose an egg here or there from cracking, but not often. BTW, you can certainly eat a cracked egg or re-feed it to the hens in their feed.  The hens re-warm the eggs by building the clutch each day.  I find that there are seldom any issues until or unless the daytime temps fall into the single digits.  At that point, regular round are wise.  Best regards.

 

 

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post #3 of 6
10/16/12 at 1:57pm

I just go collect eggs three/four times a day. I do not heat my coop, my girls are still comfortable even in the worst winter weather Michigan can throw at us.

Mixed flock of 54 egg laying hens and a couple Roos.
36 CornishX
8 baby Black Copper Marans!!!
50 CornishX and 25 assorted laying pullets on order for June!

6 years learning, owning, and loving chickens.
Getting married in August to my wonderful boyfriend of 6 years.
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Mixed flock of 54 egg laying hens and a couple Roos.
36 CornishX
8 baby Black Copper Marans!!!
50 CornishX and 25 assorted laying pullets on order for June!

6 years learning, owning, and loving chickens.
Getting married in August to my wonderful boyfriend of 6 years.
Reply
post #4 of 6
10/16/12 at 2:06pm
Thread Starter 

Thank you. I guess I will be changing routines then. When I go let them out in the morning instead of leaving the eggs laid I will go ahead and gather them. I guess that is why my routine is changing now. In August/September by 9:00 everyone was done laying. Now at 9:00 they are only 1/2 of them done. Today I went out at 4:00 and found one nice warm egg in the nest. Which gave me 11 from 11 laying. I guess I can blame the loss if daylight on this. My routine of being a couch potato in  winter won't exist anymore! My girls are going to keep me busy! 

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post #5 of 6
10/16/12 at 5:39pm
Wow! 11 eggs out 11hens is awesome. My 1 1/2 year old girls are 13-16 out of 24 sad.png unfortunately they are molting right now. My pullets should start laying any day now.
Mixed flock of 54 egg laying hens and a couple Roos.
36 CornishX
8 baby Black Copper Marans!!!
50 CornishX and 25 assorted laying pullets on order for June!

6 years learning, owning, and loving chickens.
Getting married in August to my wonderful boyfriend of 6 years.
Reply
Mixed flock of 54 egg laying hens and a couple Roos.
36 CornishX
8 baby Black Copper Marans!!!
50 CornishX and 25 assorted laying pullets on order for June!

6 years learning, owning, and loving chickens.
Getting married in August to my wonderful boyfriend of 6 years.
Reply
post #6 of 6
10/16/12 at 8:42pm

If chickens are good at one thing, it is getting us off our hineys when we have to take care of them.  I am walking about a mile and a half a day now  because I have to go back and forth between my house and my parents' house where the chickens are to take care of them.  If you think it's a hassle having to check eggs three times a day, just imagine you live half a mile from the coop! lol

Self-employed artist and crafter, and the proud owner of 32 chickens, 3 cats, and a dog.

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Self-employed artist and crafter, and the proud owner of 32 chickens, 3 cats, and a dog.

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BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Chicken Behaviors and Egglaying › How are you going to keep your eggs from freezing this winter?