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I may have a cold weather event coming. Will purchase some hay to put in pens. Will keep chicks off cold surfaces and provide additional windbreak. Since hay dark it should aid collection of solar heat in morning when needed most. Swapping it out periodically will also keep world drier for...

A point that must be considered is numbers I give are averages over many years, not cherry picking results. Some broods can yield zero while others can give 17. I see that range most years with many broods each year. I also have a few 12 to 14 chicks per brood which makes you proud when all...

Emphasis may not be best. My hens can rear chicks while commingled with balance of flock. Commingled I might average 4 to 6 chicks per hen reaching weaning age. Keeping hens with chicks isolated for at least first two weeks can increase my average to the range of 6 to 8 chicks per hen...

This one of three broods (second oldest @ 3.5 weeks) being kept in elevated cages. I almost lost it tonight owing to strong weather event that got them wet. This time they will be ok. If same were happen when colder then outcome would not be so rosy. Hypothermia and complications from...

Youngest of four broods to be reared outside through winter. Others to be reared in elevated cages to be treated later. Current arrangement starts with a ten x ten dog kennel. Multiple American Dominiques (male) free-ranging outside pen will provide warning system and protection when Coopers...

Last of my chicks of 2016 hatched in early AM of today. These guys will suffer a road trip before being settled into a location that expends more effort than usual to keep them dry. I will try to photo-document procedure I will be using to get through the winter. They will be hen reared...

When I have done it in dead of winter there some additional adjustments made. First keeping them in an area protected from direct wind and must be dry. A location with lots of straw or hay helps with that. Another problem will be keeping chicks in water. When it is cold their water...