LtDanFan
Chirping
we got our first big snow of the year yesterday and of course, i was wholly unprepared because i’m not native to the great white north. where i grew up (so cal), we drove a couple hours to play in the snow, it did not come to us. Somehow, after 10 years of being here, i still get caught unprepared every time 
i guess de-nile is also a river in wisconsin.
So now that its here, i have questions about what to do with the ladies. I let them out this morning and one came running out, started eating snow and happily began pecking around (my oldest gal who has been in the snow before i got her this summer). The others (younger) either did not come out while i was there or came out and went right back in. I’m tempted to make them paths, but not sure if i need to do that. There are 2 small pre-fab coops in the chicken yard with no room for food and water inside and i have a shelter with a feeder and dust bath for them. There is another shelter on the way to cover the other feeder and the water bucket. Here are my questions:
1. Should or do i need to give them paths? If i don’t, will they walk through the snow to get to the food and water?
2. If there is snow on the ground or piled in the water cups, is it enough to provide them with water? Do i really have to drag a bucket of warm water down to the yard?
3. If i don’t clear paths, is there a maximum depth of snow that would prompt me to do this? We got about 6 inches total so far.
4. One of my girls is missing a foot on one side and all toes on the other. should i make special accommodations for her? she gets around fine all other seasons apparently, but this is my first winter with her. The place she came from was a rather hands off free range place so i don’t know if she has ever had any accommodations.
we are in the process of building them a bigger coop and turning the adjacent shed into a proper walk in coop (so there will still be two total) but until then, we will have to limp along with what we have. outside projects have been sidelined by the house fire this spring and we are only now finally moving back in because the reno company we chose dragged their feet for 5 months.
i guess de-nile is also a river in wisconsin. So now that its here, i have questions about what to do with the ladies. I let them out this morning and one came running out, started eating snow and happily began pecking around (my oldest gal who has been in the snow before i got her this summer). The others (younger) either did not come out while i was there or came out and went right back in. I’m tempted to make them paths, but not sure if i need to do that. There are 2 small pre-fab coops in the chicken yard with no room for food and water inside and i have a shelter with a feeder and dust bath for them. There is another shelter on the way to cover the other feeder and the water bucket. Here are my questions:
1. Should or do i need to give them paths? If i don’t, will they walk through the snow to get to the food and water?
2. If there is snow on the ground or piled in the water cups, is it enough to provide them with water? Do i really have to drag a bucket of warm water down to the yard?
3. If i don’t clear paths, is there a maximum depth of snow that would prompt me to do this? We got about 6 inches total so far.
4. One of my girls is missing a foot on one side and all toes on the other. should i make special accommodations for her? she gets around fine all other seasons apparently, but this is my first winter with her. The place she came from was a rather hands off free range place so i don’t know if she has ever had any accommodations.
we are in the process of building them a bigger coop and turning the adjacent shed into a proper walk in coop (so there will still be two total) but until then, we will have to limp along with what we have. outside projects have been sidelined by the house fire this spring and we are only now finally moving back in because the reno company we chose dragged their feet for 5 months.
