Official BYC Poll: With Winter Upon Us, What Preparations Have You Made For Your Chickens?

[Farmgirl1878]

Wow! I’ve been thinking about doing a hoop house over the uncovered portion of the run. I’m glad to see it’s doable! Can’t wait for spring now.

It really was not a difficult project. I’ll post some additional pics in a separate thread.

 

[Iluveggers]

It really was not a difficult project. I’ll post some additional pics in a separate thread.

Please tag me when you do!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Attaching tarps for windbreak this coming weekend. Will cover the entire North and West sides and part of the East. Part of the run is already covered overhead to ensure there is always a dry area. Cleaned the coop and sprinkled First Saturday Lime all around the covered with 6 inches of pine shavings. Sprinkled more FSL and Sweet PDZ over top of everything. Hung the cozy coop heaters for the extra frigid nights but won’t turn them on unless temps hit 0*. Working on adding more clutter to the runs to change things up a bit. Secured one heated dog bowl off Marketplace for FREE. Looking for more. This will be my first Winter with chickens so I’m sure I have a lot to learn!

Collect dry leaves to throw on the ground if there is snow they can still free range a little bit anyway. Thats what i didnt do last year (first winter with chickens). This year i will be more prepared. My chickens refuse to step on the snow. They think its hot magma. They think its my fault too. They cluck about it.

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

I built a new coop!

 

[Stephine]

It only freezes overnight here, so no special prep for cold, but for rain. I changed the old shavings in the run out for wood chips for the first time and it’s so much nicer in the rain! No more mud in the run. Oh, I also take the shade cloth off, so they can enjoy some sun and everything dries better. I wish I had built a roof over the whole run, but now it’s covered by a climbing rose, so that won’t happen…

 

[WingsysRoost]

I've cleaned both their coop and their run out thoroughly. The run got a nice new layer of fall leaves for them to scratch in and the coop got fresh bedding.

I'm slacking a bit on other winter prep, though in my defense there has been a lot going on the past few months. Chaos as usual! lol Everything is just getting done a little bit at a time now.

I still need to get a heated waterer prepped, and I'd like to prepare a winter area (other than their coop) so they have a bit of variety when snow prevents them from free-ranging fully. I also need to windproof the coop since it gets very cold and windy here in January and February.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I've cleaned both their coop and their run out thoroughly. The run got a nice new layer of fall leaves for them to scratch in and the coop got fresh bedding.

I'm slacking a bit on other winter prep, though in my defense there has been a lot going on the past few months. Chaos as usual! lol Everything is just getting done a little bit at a time now.

I still need to get a heated waterer prepped, and I'd like to prepare a winter area (other than their coop) so they have a bit of variety when snow prevents them from free-ranging fully. I also need to windproof the coop since it gets very cold and windy here in January and February.

Do u concern yourself with the type of dried leaves? I use oak and read they are poisonous to chickens! I filled my run with them for our winter ground cover

 

[Iluveggers]

Just tarped the bottom 4 feet of our run today. High winds and a little snow are coming through (probably the edge of what Buffalo has been dealing with). The girls were all huddled in the corner of the run this morning. Now they are moving about and scratching around. I could feel a difference with the tarp up…I’m sure they like it better now too. Still cold, but no wind directly on them.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I've cleaned both their coop and their run out thoroughly. The run got a nice new layer of fall leaves for them to scratch in and the coop got fresh bedding.

I'm slacking a bit on other winter prep, though in my defense there has been a lot going on the past few months. Chaos as usual! lol Everything is just getting done a little bit at a time now.

I still need to get a heated waterer prepped, and I'd like to prepare a winter area (other than their coop) so they have a bit of variety when snow prevents them from free-ranging fully. I also need to windproof the coop since it gets very cold and windy here in January and February.

Do u concern yourself with the type of dried leaves? I use oak and read they are poisonous to chickens! I filled my run with them for our winter ground cover

Just tarped the bottom 4 feet of our run today. High winds and a little snow are coming through (probably the edge of what Buffalo has been dealing with). The girls were all huddled in the corner of the run this morning. Now they are moving about and scratching around. I could feel a difference with the tarp up…I’m sure they like it better now too. Still cold, but no wind directly on them.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I've cleaned both their coop and their run out thoroughly. The run got a nice new layer of fall leaves for them to scratch in and the coop got fresh bedding.

I'm slacking a bit on other winter prep, though in my defense there has been a lot going on the past few months. Chaos as usual! lol Everything is just getting done a little bit at a time now.

I still need to get a heated waterer prepped, and I'd like to prepare a winter area (other than their coop) so they have a bit of variety when snow prevents them from free-ranging fully. I also need to windproof the coop since it gets very cold and windy here in January and February.

Do u concern yourself with the type of dried leaves? I use oak and read they are poisonous to chickens! I filled my run with them for our winter ground cover

Just tarped the bottom 4 feet of our run today. High winds and a little snow are coming through (probably the edge of what Buffalo has been dealing with). The girls were all huddled in the corner of the run this morning. Now they are moving about and scratching around. I could feel a difference with the tarp up…I’m sure they like it better now too. Still cold, but no wind directly on them.

Same weather! Just let them out and my poor, molting Patient was shivering! I quickly brought her inside for a warm meal and random curiosity about where she is. I dont know if she was shivering in the run with the 4ft tarp wrapped all around. I sure hope not. Its not even 'that ' cold. She sleeps incthe nest box by herself since molting and being at bottom of pecking order. So strange, she'll never ever poke a chicken; she sub comes to the other 4. Except me, she does poke me.