Winter is almost upon us, you know what that means!

[fluffycrow]

Usually, when not a blizzard or high winds in subzero temps, we can keep the oil-filled radiator heater on almost its lowest setting and the coop stays 40F-ish. When it's really bad, we have to go out there and turn it up a notch as even though the coop is insulated, it's vented so when high winds come it can't keep up set on low. 400 watts is all it is.

Thanks for the information! Do you think the cold could be affecting them egg production-wise?

 

[fluffycrow]

I start stockpiling eggs early to try and make it through winter - nothing fancy, I just fill an entire fridge shelf with eggs. This year I started around late August I think? Though I have to be honest, I don't think I'll have enough as we haven't added new chicks since 2020 so laying's slowed enough to be an issue. Optimally I'd want to go into winter with 7-8 dozen but I only had maybe 6 dozen this year before laying stopped.

Previous year I think I started maybe early Sept., and stocked up enough that I had maybe 10 eggs left when the first overachiever started laying again. The year prior I started stocking up too late and ended up having to buy 2 dozen to make it through the year.

I should probably do the same next year. Although I will be keeping back some birds like I did this year, so it might not be completely necessary

 

[fluffycrow]

I’m currently buying eggs from my friend because my 3 chickens have stopped laying. Soon she will not have enough to sell and I’ll resort yet again to buying eggs at Publix with a bag on my head so no one recognizes me.

The things we do to be owned by chickens…

So true. Making relatives go and get me eggs is not beneath me.... Imagine the sheer embarrassment of your neighbour, who you've supplied with eggs all summer finding you in the egg Isle of the supermarket

 

[2ndTink]

Usually, when not a blizzard or high winds in subzero temps, we can keep the oil-filled radiator heater on almost its lowest setting and the coop stays 40F-ish. When it's really bad, we have to go out there and turn it up a notch as even though the coop is insulated, it's vented so when high winds come it can't keep up set on low. 400 watts is all it is.

I have the same heater in my one coop. On the lowest setting mine stays 36 to 40, it is not an insulated coop. The last 2 winters I had chickens hard molt starting in January, it's the start of our coldest weather, they were miserable! I have one chicken who remembers the heater, so she's been sleeping next to it already this year waiting on me to turn it on.

I used a small light on a timer in one coop each previous winter, but this year my girls will be turning 3 and 4 so I'm not doing the light on them. I did waterglass maybe 2 dozen eggs, this is my first time so I only did a few and I'll see how I like it. It was easy, I ordered the picking like from Amazon and some food had plastic tubs with lids, mixed the solution per the ratio online and poured out over the eggs.

I also have a coop with 7 pullets and they are still laying 4 to 6 eggs a day.

 

[Debbie292d]

Thanks for the information! Do you think the cold could be affecting them egg production-wise?

I think it can. It's not why we do it though.

My theory for thinking it does is what some resources will say too. It just makes sense to me with mine. It takes a lot of energy for hens to lay eggs, some more than others. It also takes a lot of energy to keep themselves warm, hour after hour, day after day, week after week. If they are exhausted and cold, they probably shut down laying eggs to conserve energy.

I bet it's close to 50/50 up here in the northern states and Canada of those who have at least a cozy coop or sweeter heater for their flock vs. those who have zero heat. My neighbor Sue across the road tells me chickens are tough yet she admits she's jealous of our coop. She found one of her dozen Brahma hens frozen in her coop last winter. She said it probably got sick.

I know there are a lot more frozen chickens than we ever hear about.

 

[fluffycrow]

I think it can. It's not why we do it though.

My theory for thinking it does is what some resources will say too. It just makes sense to me with mine. It takes a lot of energy for hens to lay eggs, some more than others. It also takes a lot of energy to keep themselves warm, hour after hour, day after day, week after week. If they are exhausted and cold, they probably shut down laying eggs to conserve energy.

I bet it's close to 50/50 up here in the northern states and Canada of those who have at least a cozy coop or sweeter heater for their flock vs. those who have zero heat. My neighbor Sue across the road tells me chickens are tough yet she admits she's jealous of our coop. She found one of her dozen Brahma hens frozen in her coop last winter. She said it probably got sick.

I know there are a lot more frozen chickens than we ever hear about.

That's sad. If we had those kinds of temps here, I'd also be looking to heat the coop. You're definitely doing what's best for your birds. I'm so thankful that up till now, we get just one or two weeks of about 30°F weather during the night, and 40°F weather during the day

 

[Mrs. K]

I am keeping track of how many eggs I am buying this winter. I have been in a rebuilding mode for the last 18 months - come spring, I am going to have eggs, and I am going to water glass eggs for next winter.

No electricity at the coop - so no lights, no heat, no warm water. My birds seem to do fine, and I have never had one freeze to death, but once, I lost some parts of the toes, an some comb damage. I will admit that my birds don't live much beyond 4, and few make it that long.

Mrs K

 

[fluffycrow]

I am keeping track of how many eggs I am buying this winter. I have been in a rebuilding mode for the last 18 months - come spring, I am going to have eggs, and I am going to water glass eggs for next winter.

No electricity at the coop - so no lights, no heat, no warm water. My birds seem to do fine, and I have never had one freeze to death, but once, I lost some parts of the toes, an some comb damage. I will admit that my birds don't live much beyond 4, and few make it that long.

Mrs K

Please keep us posted on how many you end up buying in the end. How cold does it get there?

 

[Mrs. K]

We have cold spells, kind of try on winter. The coldest we have been here, and I have lived here all my life, was -40 F, but I didn't have chickens then. I have been through -35 twice with no ill effects on my flock. However, that is unusually cold for us, It is not uncommon to be -25 F.

We get cold, we get snow, but it does not tend to stay. Maybe two weeks of dang cold and the next thing we know we at 60 above zero.

I have a large family that often come for the week-ends - and with that, I have bought 7 dozen eggs since October. I do have two pullets laying, a bit sporadically, so I keep them separate for just hubby and me! haha.

Mrs K

 

[fluffycrow]

We have cold spells, kind of try on winter. The coldest we have been here, and I have lived here all my life, was -40 F, but I didn't have chickens then. I have been through -35 twice with no ill effects on my flock. However, that is unusually cold for us, It is not uncommon to be -25 F.

We get cold, we get snow, but it does not tend to stay. Maybe two weeks of dang cold and the next thing we know we at 60 above zero.

I have a large family that often come for the week-ends - and with that, I have bought 7 dozen eggs since October. I do have two pullets laying, a bit sporadically, so I keep them separate for just hubby and me! haha.

Mrs K

Wow, that's cold! Do you dub the males and/or the females with the larger combs? Keeping the best eggs for yourself is definitely the smartest thing to do. They don't get to go out in the cold and change the feed and water, why should they taste the delicious eggs