Winter is almost here!! Share your tips and tricks for coping the elements with your chickens!

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Our tank heater in our stock tank uses lots of electricity. We have put ours on a timer so it doesn't run all day which cuts down some of the electric bill pain.

I would worry about ducks getting burned on the element even with a cage around one, so I don't think they are a good option for ducks.

 

[csneill]

So I maybe shouldn't worry about giving them a swimming pond for the winter? It's our first season w ducks & they are a real pain w the water as compared to my chickens. I did wonder if they would frostbite their feet?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have muscovy ducks. They make a mess. I use black rubber pans of various sizes. Mine crawl into them to take baths almost daily, otherwise they are trying to crawl into my rubber water buckets. I think you would be okay just giving them smaller containers of water to mess around in. Years ago I had regular duck breeds and I never gave them swimming water in winter, just a bucket to mess in.

 

[csneill]

Alright. Sounds like a better plan probably!

 

[wamtazlady]

Our tank heater in our stock tank uses lots of electricity. We have put ours on a timer so it doesn't run all day which cuts down some of the electric bill pain.

I would worry about ducks getting burned on the element even with a cage around one, so I don't think they are a good option for ducks.

I have a board covering the side of the tank where the heater is.

 

[crealbilly]

This past Sunday I thined out the herd from 49 birds... I'm now down to 24 birds. 21 chickens (16 Buff Orpington hens / 2 Roos) + (2 Rhode Island Red hens / 1 Rhode Island Roo) + 3 three Burbon Red turkeys (two Hens / one Tom).

The flock is all set up for spring chicks and I have freezer full of chickens. Plus one 25 Lb Turkey Tom for Thanksgiving in the refrigerator - thats how i help my chickens cope with winter - i eat them

 

[dawn secord]

HI all, I have a hen that was acquired in June from a friend who passed away - sudden heart attack. She'd wanted me to take a chicken from her. To honor her, I did. I went to her house to pick out two hens, we went into her coop after dark so the hens would be easier to catch.

I have two small coops. One with silkies and one with large leghorns. I'd wanted to get two large hens for the leghorn coop. I am a small hobbiest and there is a rooster in each coop along with two hens.

When I went to pick out two hens from the hen house, there was this little old frizzle on the ground, hiding in the corner on the ground. All the other hens were up roosting. This little bantam cochin frizzle had most certainly been picked on. My heart broke when I saw her. I had to take her. (I also got a larger hen for the leghorn coop.) So now each coop has 1 rooster and 3 hens.

I brought her home and put her in with my silkies. They got along great immediately. Now it is getting cold and I'm worried about the little frizzle with her twisted feathers properly insulating her in the winter. She is adorable and the sweetest thing. I am her third home.

My coops are pretty large and have a large roosting area raised about the ground - fully enclosed except for a hole in which to enter. The hole enters into a large fenced in run. The raised roosting/nesting box section is about 4 feet wide by 4 feet deep and three feet high. I have plastic wrapped around the outer 3 sides of the nesting box area at night to stop any drafts. It would be extremely difficult to cover the entrance hole.

I live in Southern California. It was 44 degrees out last night. It does get to freezing here during the winter and only at night - and not every night. It was almost 70 degrees out today - daytime hours. Those are pretty normal temperatures.

Do I need to do anything else for my little frizzle hen? I have the inside nesting box in the coop bedded down with shavings. She doesn't roost like my silkies, but at least has gotten brave enough to sleep with them at night. She lays on the floor of the nesting box in the shavings. There is a nesting box with straw if she'd want to get in it, but she only lays eggs there. If this set up is not going to keep her warm enough, can someone recommend a heating source?

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

 

[Flock Master64]

HI all,  I have a hen that was acquired in June from a friend who passed away - sudden heart attack.   She'd wanted me to take a chicken from her.  To honor her, I did.  I went to her house to pick out two hens, we went into her coop after dark so the hens would be easier to catch.  

I have two small coops.  One with silkies and one with large leghorns.   I'd wanted to get two large hens for the leghorn coop.  I am a small hobbiest and there is a rooster in each coop along with two hens.

When I went to pick out two hens from the hen house, there was this little old frizzle on the ground, hiding in the corner on the ground.  All the other hens were up roosting.  This little bantam cochin frizzle had most certainly been picked on.   My heart broke when I saw her.    I had to take her.   (I also got a larger hen for the leghorn coop.)   So now each coop has 1 rooster and 3 hens.

I brought her home and put her in with my silkies.  They got along great immediately.   Now it is getting cold and I'm worried about the little frizzle with her twisted feathers properly insulating her in the winter.   She is adorable and the sweetest thing.  I am her third home.

My coops are pretty large and have a large roosting area raised about the ground - fully enclosed except for a hole in which to enter.  The hole enters into a large fenced in run.  The raised roosting/nesting box section is about 4 feet wide by 4 feet deep and three feet high.    I have plastic wrapped around the outer 3 sides of the nesting box area at night to stop any drafts.  It would be extremely difficult to cover the entrance hole.

I live in Southern California.  It was 44 degrees out last night.  It does get to freezing here during the winter and only at night - and not every night.  It was almost 70 degrees out today - daytime hours.  Those are pretty normal temperatures.

Do I need to do anything else for my little frizzle hen?   I have the inside nesting box in the coop bedded down with shavings.   She doesn't roost like my silkies, but at least has gotten brave enough to sleep with them at night.   She lays on the floor of the nesting box in the shavings.   There is a nesting box with straw if she'd want to get in it, but she only lays eggs there.  If this set up is not going to keep her warm enough, can someone recommend a heating source?

Thank you for any advice you can offer.

Maybe you can try and get her up in the roost with the others. If they're all huddled up together I'd think they'd be fine.

 

[birdwrangler057]

A great tip for winter is regular hay, most people recommend wood chips for egg production, but hay is way more insulating in the winter.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

The frizzle will be fine in Southern California winter. I kept a silkie in -20f with no problems. --also different feathers. I know it is unusual to have the 40's but chickens are quite toasty in those feathers and the 40s probably feel good to them. Lol.

And actually straw is even better than hay for insulating properties. Oat straw is hollow and that air space is a great insulator. I like it and note a difference on cold coop floors but the poop sorts slips and slides on it and I note dirtier chicken feet vs shavings. So I continue with shavings and thicken up the layer a few more inches on the coop floor. Birds with cleaner feet-- makes me happy. Hahaha.