Any advice please on caring for hens in winter when working full time?

[denisejones]

My husband won't let our chickens ourlt if there is snow or hard frost on ground due to freezing their feet. I f cour s e he is home with all day long and when it warms up he sets the girls and our roosters free
I'm also a sentimental chicken lover.

 

[lazy gardener]

Your birds feet won't freeze, and if you live in a warm climate which your post seems to indicate. (you might like to put your general location in your profile. It helps people to share appropriate climate dependent information) My ground is frozen solid from Nov. through mid April. And while the birds hate walking on snow, they will do so. Any opportunity you can give your flock to get out and forage, even when the ground is frozen, is better than being locked in a coop.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. They need the fresh air of the outdoors, especially in the winter months, and the cold doesn't affect their feet whatsoever. If it did, there would be a lot of wild birds out there without feet. My birds don't mind the snow, frozen ground or anything else to do with winter....they just enjoy being out of doors if possible.

 

[PaulaMc]

My husband won't let our chickens ourlt if there is snow or hard frost on ground due to freezing their feet. I f cour s e he is home with all day long and when it warms up he sets the girls and our roosters free
I'm also a sentimental chicken lover.

Ha ha. So am I.

However, chickens feet are tough. My little silkies have the option to be inside or in the runs or poly tunnel but they waddle about on the frosty grass - even the snow. When I worry too much I think about the wild birds in the bare winter trees - they are fine ha ha.

 

[PaulaMc]

OK. So after over 2 months off sick, tomorrow is the day I go back to work and put all your fantastic advice into practice.

Have got that Sunday night feeling really bad but not because of the job - it's leaving my 6 lovely ladies and 4 cats all day. They will miss me but not as much as I will miss them. Have got so used to spending a lot of time with them all.

Wish me luck please x

 

[mobius]

Best of luck and many good wishes! Let us know how it goes!

 

[PaulaMc]

Best of luck and many good wishes! Let us know how it goes!

Aaawww thank you so much. I will x

 

[EggSighted4Life]

"goose frah bah"!

That's what we say to simmer down.

Comes from a movie Anger Management.

And then we sing.... "I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and...."


Hubby has been off like that before. Transitioning back is always tough.

Hang in there!

As a house wife, I always liked Mondays cuz that's when everyone would be gone back to school and work. But ya the Sunday night crazies set in.

 

[PaulaMc]

"goose frah bah"!

That's what we say to simmer down.

Comes from a movie Anger Management.

And then we sing.... "I feel pretty, oh so pretty. I feel pretty and witty and...."


Hubby has been off like that before. Transitioning back is always tough.

Hang in there!

As a house wife, I always liked Mondays cuz that's when everyone would be gone back to school and work. But ya the Sunday night crazies set in.

Ha ha ha. Thanks sweetie.

 

[PaulaMc]

Hi all

I have survived my first day back, probably as no teaching involved ha ha.

It was a shock to the system putting out food and water in the pitch black this morning. I don't think the ladies would have been able to find it until about 8.40 am when it got light

I really missed them and my 4 cats and couldn't wait to get home. Had my head torch on to clean up poop and move feed and water etc. The cats followed me around for about an hour but the girls were already in bed.

Am shattered but glad to have made the first step back into work.

I hope everyone else has had a good day.