Colorado

[wsmith]

So damage report this morning. Looks like I got 12-15 inches of snow and its still snowing.

I don't know how much we got. There was about 6 inches here when i went to bed. Then the wind kicked up. We now have many areas with no snow. We have a snow day, the school is closed. It took my son 20 minutes to get to the freeway, 3 miles away. Our roads out here have never seen a snowplow.

 

[P-Funk]

I almost feel sorry for people who have to commute in this. What a mess. Do you let your birds out in these temps, or keep them cooped up? P.S. Wendell, did your netting make it?

 

[wsmith]

I almost feel sorry for people who have to commute in this. What a mess. Do you let your birds out in these temps, or keep them cooped up?

Mine go out if they want to. The chickens doors stay open unless it is going to drop below zero.

 

[P-Funk]

Mine live in a barn which stays relatively warm if all the doors remain closed. The horses create lots of body heat. The chooks hate the snow anyway, but it's time to take the trash out so I'll let them out on the way by. How come the word 'chooks' isn't included in the spell check

 

[coloradogal]

My coop door is open but so far, there are no takers. I suspect they will hang out inside today.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

I almost feel sorry for people who have to commute in this. What a mess. Do you let your birds out in these temps, or keep them cooped up? P.S. Wendell, did your netting make it?

We have about 6-8 inches here. Ft Carson is closed for the day so that a few thousand not on the road.

I rake out a pathway for the ladies, just a 4 ft square area so they can jump down and get under the coop. Double the room, not much effort.

 

[coloradogal]

What do you put in your oatmeal mix? I'd like to try that with my chicks.

How old are the chicks? Be careful giving anything outside of starter to chicks until they get some grit in them.

 

[wsmith]

P-funk: Yes, the netting made it and it is installed. Very strong.

Went out to find snow drifts. As I was getting some feed for the chickens, I saw Abe sticking his head out of the chicken door. Rather than step on the snowy ramp, he flew out and I got this photo



Nobody else wanted to come out. Two or three \hens in the breeding pens are on the nests. Two in the main hen house are on nests as well.

 

[maggiemo]

My coop door is open but so far, there are no takers. I suspect they will hang out inside today.

X2 here in Boulder

 

[theOliverofarm]

You're right on the money. Feathers are protein. Feather picking is often due to a need for more protein in the diet, can also be attributable to insufficient space for the number of birds, or to situations like the one you had with your Silkie. Scrambled or hard boiled eggs, meal worms, chicken and turkey carcasses, fish meal added to FF or yogurt, cooked beans/lentils, anything you have on hand or that you can get easily to boost protein should help.

Hmm, they get an organic feed that I buy from a local farmer. He said that it wasn't a protein problem or he would have problems. He said sometimes you just get a bad hen with a chicken and that some are just more aggressive. He said the kind that we had (white leghorn) wasn't great for small outdoor flocks. They have a lot of room, a large coop and a 900 square foot garden they get to roam all day that is full of bugs and even little field mice occationally (super funny when they would fight over who would get to eat the mouse.) Her feathers are growing back, but I will try to add some of your other suggestions for protein. Thanks! And what about the cold? Any suggestions? We brought her inside last night because I get nervous that she will get too cold outside. She seems happy and is still laying 4-5 times a week.