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

[wamtazlady]

It's 8 degrees here. My chickens are Montana girls so they are all out in their run scratching around. Of course the run is covered so they don't have to deal with snow. If it's like last year they'll finally venture out in the snow in Feb.

 

[WesleyBeal]

It was -13 below zero this morning at 7 a.m. The waterer in my coop is heated to prevent it from freezing, but otherwise no heat, no extra light (except for me when I go in and out). I toss a few handfuls of cracked corn in their litter for them several times a day. Don't know that the extra energy really helps, but they enjoy it.

I've got 27 chickens in the coop, that don't want to go out into the snow. Other than not wanting to go outside, everyone appears to be doing fine.

This is my first winter raising chickens. Low forecast this coming Sunday morning of -27 below zero. It's supposed to be down to -19 by 9 p.m. on Saturday; I'll look in on them then, and so long as everyone's still doing fine, won't add any heat.

 

[CuzChickens]

-29?!?! Goodness, where do you live? Brrrrrrrrr

Does anybody ever have hens limping becuz of the cold? I have a White Leghorn limping and she doesn't have bumble foot, frostbitten toes, or any roosters mating with her, I can't figure it out.

 

[Flock Master64]

-29?!?! Goodness, where do you live? Brrrrrrrrr

Does anybody ever have hens limping becuz of the cold? I have a White Leghorn limping and she doesn't have bumble foot, frostbitten toes, or any roosters mating with her, I can't figure it out.

Mine don't limp. I have a white leghorn too and she's out and about during the day time. The cold doesn't seem to bother her that much. My cockerel is kinda similar though. He is a Chocolate Cuckoo Orpington and he is really big and fluffy and he doesn't like it outside in the cold. I force my flock out the coop for a little bit when the weather is nicer and he takes normal steps with his left leg but he picks his right leg up really high and stretches it as far out as he can than takes an other step. His leg looks normal and he walks fine when he is in the coop.

 

[CuzChickens]

Mine don't limp. I have a white leghorn too and she's out and about during the day time. The cold doesn't seem to bother her that much. My cockerel is kinda similar though. He is a Chocolate Cuckoo Orpington and he is really big and fluffy and he doesn't like it outside in the cold. I force my flock out the coop for a little bit when the weather is nicer and he takes normal steps with his left leg but he picks his right leg up really high and stretches it as far out as he can than takes an other step. His leg looks normal and he walks fine when he is in the coop.

That sounds a lot like what Dove is doing! She is acting fine and feisty as ever, just limping for no apparent reason. Her leg isn't swollen, and I picked her up and felt her joints and everything.

 

[Flock Master64]

That sounds a lot like what Dove is doing! She is acting fine and feisty as ever, just limping for no apparent reason. Her leg isn't swollen, and I picked her up and felt her joints and everything.

I'm going to put Flint in the garage tonight. See if that does anything

 

[CuzChickens]

It was significantly warmer last night and Dove was barely limping this morning. I don't get it....

 

[Flock Master64]

Flint is in the garage tonight

 

[WesleyBeal]

Just got in from checking on the chickens and collecting eggs this morning.

Outdoors it was 24 below zero.

Yesterday I put a thermometer in the coop. Calibrated it first, and I've been taking a thermopen thermometer out with me to verify indoor and outdoor temps.

It has been 24 (!) degrees warmer in my coop than outdoors. No supplemental heat, other than the heated base for the waterer.

So it was zero degrees in my coop this morning. All the chickens were doing fine.

 

[aart]

Just got in from checking on the chickens and collecting eggs this morning.

Outdoors it was 24 below zero.

Yesterday I put a thermometer in the coop. Calibrated it first, and I've been taking a thermopen thermometer out with me to verify indoor and outdoor temps.

It has been 24 (!) degrees warmer in my coop than outdoors. No supplemental heat, other than the heated base for the waterer.

So it was zero degrees in my coop this morning. All the chickens were doing fine.

How did you 'calibrate'?
That is a 'thermopen'?