“What the eff is this white stuff on the ground and what are you going to do about it?” Said my hens

[LtDanFan]

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.

 

[rosemarythyme]

1. I would, to ensure all the birds can freely access food and water and a little room for exercise as well. My birds find even 1/2" unacceptable, but I don't want them to stay in the coop all day.

2. Yes they still should have liquid water.

4. I'd keep an eye on her to make sure she can still get to spots that are dry so her remaining foot/ankles can get out of the snow as needed.

 

[Penpal]

A path to the food, but a few inches short of it so they will step into the snow and realize they survived. They will get used to it. I would not continue to make paths every time it snows.

 

[Snowbelt]

My Buff Orpingtons have gone through six winters, so they are used to it, but the eight pullets are not and were very reluctant to go out in the 4-6 inches we got this weekend. I have a 7 x 11 foot pen inside the main pen that I have secured a tarp on. It still gets a little bit of snow through the sides, but is much less impacted. I also bought a small (4 x 4 x 3 feet tall) animal shelter/tent, which remains snowless. I did shovel a place from the coop to the shelter (about four feet) and from the shelter to the tarped pen (maybe five feet) and all of the hens were out enjoying the outside while being able to find cover from the heavy snow. I have found that they prefer to be outside, even in inclement weather, as long as the snow isn't too deep. When it does get too deep I will shovel out enough for them to get to covered areas so they have the option to get out. I don't bother unless it is more than about four inches deep. They will walk through shallower snow when they get used to it.

I did have an issue with one of the Buff Brahmas during the first snow. She was petrified of the snow, and during my dusk check of the coop, I found her outside perched on a rubber bowl I use for water and unwilling/unable to make her way to the coop. She missed the automatic door closing and was calling to her flockmates frantically. I picked her up and carried her from the run to the coop and placed her on her favorite spot on the roost bar. She complained until she realized she was being carried to the coop, and stepped right up where she belonged. The rest of the flock was concerned and milling about on the floor, but as soon as I placed her on the roost, they began flying up to assume their usual nightly roost positions.

I don't have electricity in the coop, so I have to carry warm water out to them one or more times a day, depending on temperature. I use metal waterers and swap them out every time I go out to the coop. The hens gather around like office workers around the coffee machine.

Hopefully the Wisconsin winter isn't too bad this year. We've had some recent years with little snow, and some with almost 200 inches in upstate NY. Every year is different.

 

[Ponypoor]

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 would put up one of those 10x10 dog runs, cover it with a roof and make sure to cover the sides also with 6 mil poly to keep wind and snow/rain from getting in. It’s fast and easy. Chickens are not grouse they need protection from winter snow and cold. Esp your hen witj the missing foot and toes.

 

[Not-so Slick Chicken]

You can ease them into the idea of snow. Most of them have never seen it before, so they'll be unsure. But with your one being confident around snow, the others may warm up to it quicker.

You can start with paths, then only add in bad weather or as necessary.

Water is a must. It'll take a lot of energy for them to survive off snow. If they have water and choose to eat snow, that's fine.
Ours have cold water. If yours are used to warm, you may need to give them the option of warm and cold until they're used to cold.

They'll need places to keep out of the snow. They will be standing on one foot, holding the other close to the body to warm it up.
They also still need dry ground for their dust baths. (This can be difficult if you have wet winters)

 

[SourRoses]

The only thing I know about snow is a survival tip for humans... It has to be melted before consuming.
It takes a lot of energy from the body to turn frozen water into usable water, because cold is actually an absence of energy. So it sucks heat energy away.
Also there is a lot of air in snow, so the melted value of water is very low compared to the quantity of snow.
You can test this out by collecting snow in a pot and put it on the stove to melt. The result is surprisingly little water.
If a person is stuck out where abominable snowmen wander, they're supposed to melt the snow (whether with a fire, solar radiation, external body heat, etc.) into drinkable water.