Surviving Winter Well

[PEI chicken]

It is now February, -10 Celcius on PEI, Canada. So far, so good. By the end of April, there should be no more snow.

This is where my chickens live during the winter. During the daylight hours they stay under the coop in the pen which is enclosed with almost clear tarp to keep out the snow. It is an 8 ft x 4 ft area, and there are currently 5 hens and 1 rooster there.

During the day, they stay below their coop where their feed and water is, unless they need to lay an egg -- then they go up.

This pic shows the ramp that leads up to the coop.

This is the only rooster that is with my hens right now. I'll call him Lucky, I guess. I will be breeding my Silver-pencilled Plymouth Rocks in the spring. I have two more roosters in another outside pen. If you like I will show you those birds in a separate thread.


There is a heated pet bowl for water below the coop. I fill it with fresh water daily from the house. It just takes a gallon jug, so this is no big hardship to carry outside each morning. My outside water source is turned off during the winter.

So far, this hasn't been a bad winter an PEI. Not much snow this year, anyway, compared to last!

 

[Thistlepony]

Wow, are they beautiful. Wonder if there are any breeders on the West Coast? I'm in BC...
Thanks for putting the pictures up.

 

[PEI chicken]

Hi Thistle pony - Greetings from the east coast.1

I love these silver pencilled plymouth rocks!

They have pretty feathers, are large and are very calm birds, so they are easy to handle. I have two easter eggers too, and they are flightly by comparison.

I don't know if there are any of this sppr breed in western Canada. I have another contact in BC who is interested in getting some. I will see how the breeding season goes this spring and if I am successful, I may have some eggs/chicks to spare come hatching time next year. Wish me luck! Last year I lost all but one hen to a fox, all on one day! I have really beefed up security since then!

 

[Cuckoomama]

Hi. We are living in BC at present but are looking forward to moving to PEI as soon as the house sells. This was very interesting and good to know (the winter living for chickens). I don't know if I will be able to take my flock with me but I hope that I can bring some. Can I keep in touch with you if I have questions about wintering chickens? Sounds like you have predator problems too.
Cuckoomama (Nancy)

 

[nick7764]

aww love your girls!

 

[Coop de Grille]

What a gorgeous roo!

 

[azygous]

Those are the most exquisite birds! The patterning is amazing! I'd sure love to have some of their fertile eggs to hatch!

As a person who also deals with managing a flock with deep snowy winters, I commend you on your solution. I've dealt with it a bit differently. As you can see from my avatar, I have covered pens, (the rooster pen is pictured here), and I have translucent plastic-covered frames that I attach all around during winter, sealing the pen from blizzards and blown snow.

 

[PEI chicken]

Hello Cuckoomama and all

I was surprised to see replys to this thread today! It has been a long time since I posted that. Thank you for noticing.

Anyway, Cuckoomama, please keep in touch through the backyard chicken site. On PEI, you will be glad to hear that we have no bears

, but we have foxes, coyotes, racoons, skunks and mink, and they all love chicken. I shouldn't forget the hawks and eagles too. So whatever means you are using in BC to avoid predators, you will probably need to do again on PEI

. That's a long move . . . all across Canada! God bless you on your travels.

Azygous, thanks for the picture of winter in Colorado! Looks like you have a great set up. My late father was born in Leadville, Colorado. He was the youngest of eight boys! Anyway, mining life wasn't great for my grandparents, so the whole family moved back to PEI when he was an infant. I didn't even hear that he was born in the US until I was a teenager. I was the youngest, and didn't get a chance to know my grandparents because they were dead before I was born.

Thank you all for your kind comments about the SPPRs.