Here in the PNW we're experiencing a very unusual temp cold snap. It's not to get above freezing until maybe this weekend, which is the longest/coldest it's been since the 1950s!
Last night I rushed home to check on my 4 girls. I had moved their fodo & water into the coop that morning so that it was at least in a slightly warmer spot. Well, I came aroudn the corner and there's my BSL outside the run.
It's dark out!! How did she get out of the run??? I can't figure it out. She has never escaped the run. The only thing I can think of is that maybe the nesting box door wasn't 100% latched because we'd put a heating pad in the coop via the nesting box door. Maybe she squeezed out that way? Since none of the others are laying, that makes the most sense: they wouldn't be in the nesting boxes.
On top of that, she's my only layer so I had to find where she'd done the deed. With the help of a flashlight I found it, frozen in some dirt.
But wait.. what's that noise under the coop? Why are the other girls under the coop instead of inside it??
Turns out the coop door had blown shut. Who knows how long they'd been outside with no water or food.
My poor girls!
DBF and I dusted off their old brooder and stuffed all 4 girls into it for the night. They spent the night in a corner of the kitchen. They were happy to be warm and have food/water. Once they settled down they were pretty quiet. Surprising how all it takes to keep them in a box is a blanket over the top.
Suffice it to say, my kitchen didn't smell so great this morning.
We'll bring them inside again tonight (ick) so we can guarantee they're hydrated & fed.
Even though they're OK I feel awful! They didn't have food or water or shelter for most of the day. Gwen lays between 10-1 so for her to have laid outside the coop meant that they were probabaly locked outside of the coop/run from noon until I got home around 7.
Last night I rushed home to check on my 4 girls. I had moved their fodo & water into the coop that morning so that it was at least in a slightly warmer spot. Well, I came aroudn the corner and there's my BSL outside the run.
It's dark out!! How did she get out of the run??? I can't figure it out. She has never escaped the run. The only thing I can think of is that maybe the nesting box door wasn't 100% latched because we'd put a heating pad in the coop via the nesting box door. Maybe she squeezed out that way? Since none of the others are laying, that makes the most sense: they wouldn't be in the nesting boxes.
On top of that, she's my only layer so I had to find where she'd done the deed. With the help of a flashlight I found it, frozen in some dirt.
But wait.. what's that noise under the coop? Why are the other girls under the coop instead of inside it??
DBF and I dusted off their old brooder and stuffed all 4 girls into it for the night. They spent the night in a corner of the kitchen. They were happy to be warm and have food/water. Once they settled down they were pretty quiet. Surprising how all it takes to keep them in a box is a blanket over the top.
Suffice it to say, my kitchen didn't smell so great this morning.
Even though they're OK I feel awful! They didn't have food or water or shelter for most of the day. Gwen lays between 10-1 so for her to have laid outside the coop meant that they were probabaly locked outside of the coop/run from noon until I got home around 7.
