100 Broilers and Fermented Feed Project

[aoxa]

You are probably right about us Southern folks. Raising poults and peafowl keeps me with a watchful eye on the temps. A cold AND wet poult is a DEAD poult. I have heard the horror stories of others who try unsuccessfully raising poults.

I guess with 100 chicks, I was afraid they would pile up on one another (like they are doing now) and smash one another and die (which they have done now). So the heat was the last thing that I wanted to worry about. Especially since my brilliant builder built an NON functional brooder and put the heat lamp in the corner.

Mine were really piling on top of one another, along with the smaller chicks, at the feeder. I was actually quite shocked that none were squashed by goats, because they have no boundaries.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I'm guessing there is a sweet spot in the south when it comes to meat chickens. I've read they don't tolerate the heat well. This winter has been RIDICULOUSLY cold though. And I think southern chickens are wusses too. The days that we had 20F with snow/sleet on the ground, the chickens wouldn't even come out of the coop, lol.

You are so right.

Our animals are not accustomed to cold weather because it's usually just not that cold here. There are so many jokes out there about we Southerners and how EVERYTHING shuts down when it gets too cold while other colder states just go about their days like any other day. In the South, we shut EVERYTHING down (schools, businesses, road, etc.) when it's too cold. And our animals just can't take the cold weather. Kinda like me if I went to a cold state. I think I would die (no joke).

Those cold days and nights were really scary for me. I was hoping that I didn't lose any birds and thank goodness I didn't.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You are so right.

Our animals are not accustomed to cold weather because it's usually just not that cold here. There are so many jokes out there about we Southerners and how EVERYTHING shuts down when it gets too cold while other colder states just go about their days like any other day. In the South, we shut EVERYTHING down (schools, businesses, road, etc.) when it's too cold. ...
...

I don't want to hijack but I had to comment.
I was serving in Fort Polk, LA for a couple months back in the early 70s. I worked in an office that had equal numbers of civilians and army folk. They got about an inch (maybe less) of a wet snow on warm pavement and the civilians were petrified. The officers went around to all the soldiers (from all parts of the country) and asked if anyone had experience driving in snow. We each had a civilian to drive home in their car. We drove their cars back to the post and the next morning we drove back to pick them up for work and the drama was over.
That's one of the most bizarre things I've been involved in. (Northerners would understand)
The lady I took home lived about 40 miles from the post and compared to MO weather, it was like driving on dry pavement.

 

[kuntrygirl]

 
I'm guessing there is a sweet spot in the south when it comes to meat chickens. I've read they don't tolerate the heat well. This winter has been RIDICULOUSLY cold though. And I think southern chickens are wusses too. The days that we had 20F with snow/sleet on the ground, the chickens wouldn't even come out of the coop, lol.

  It's whatever they are acclimated to and, it could have something to do with owners as well.....I've noticed that people who never acclimatize themselves to the seasons and stay indoors a lot for winter months with the heat on 80* will also think their dogs will get cold when left outside to live and will bring them indoors so they won't "get cold".  When they do that, they render the dogs as helpless against the cold weather as they are, so it's all self-inflicted. 

I see dogs tied to a box out in -20F, no bedding in their dog boxes and they are just sitting next to the box like it's a sunny day.  My dog has a very warm, deeply bedded dog house with hay bales stacked all around it and a flap that holds in his heat but he's still out there rolling in the snow in subzero weather, happy as a lark, running to and fro with his bones and deer hides and marking his territory.

I think maybe southern flock owners are more likely to heat and insulate a coop when cold weather comes instead of letting their chickens grow accustomed to the cold.   

Here in the south, EVERYONE puts emphasis on protecting your pets and other animals when it's REALLY cold and when it's REALLY hot.

That dog that was out in the -20F weather would have gotten visited by Animal Control and police and probably get a warning, a ticket or arrested or have their pet removed from their property if the owners did not supply some type of warmth or protection. They take that VERY serious in my area. With the last cold spell here, there were many dogs that died due to the cold weather and several people were arrested because of that. It was features on the news. They didn't provide the proper protection for their animals. On the news, animal abuse, etc gets almost the same amount of TV time as local arrests, robberies, etc. They have zero tolerance for that. During the cold weather, the TV station contacted me and wanted to do a story on how farmers protect their farm animals during the cold freeze. Unfortunately, I was at work and I couldn't meet with them to do the story for that evening's news.

I think you're right when you say we are more likely to heat and insulate a coop when cold weather comes. Probably because we know our animals can and have died due to the cold weather.

 

[kuntrygirl]

You are so right.


Our animals are not accustomed to cold weather because it's usually just not that cold here. There are so many jokes out there about we Southerners and how EVERYTHING shuts down when it gets too cold while other colder states just go about their days like any other day. In the South, we shut EVERYTHING down (schools, businesses, road, etc.) when it's too cold. ...

...

I don't want to hijack but I had to comment.
I was serving in Fort Polk, LA for a couple months back in the early 70s. I worked in an office that had equal numbers of civilians and army folk. They got about an inch (maybe less) of a wet snow on warm pavement and the civilians were petrified. The officers went around to all the soldiers (from all parts of the country) and asked if anyone had experience driving in snow. We each had a civilian to drive home in their car. We drove their cars back to the post and the next morning we drove back to pick them up for work and the drama was over.
That's one of the most bizarre things I've been involved in. (Northerners would understand)
The lady I took home lived about 40 miles from the post and compared to MO weather, it was like driving on dry pavement.

WOW! I totally understand. We are not use to that kinda weather.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I guess you could compare the different regions and different kinds of weather to how some areas have to deal with snow and freezing temps while we Southern folks have the Floods and Hurricanes to deal with. I hate when hurricane season is near. I get paranoid because I know what damage the floods and hurricanes can bring. All we can do is keep our chicken coops and chicken houses open, so that our birds can fly to try to escape the weather and they return after the horrible rains and flooding. When you hear horror stories of hundreds of cattle, horses and other livestock drowning because of the floods and hurricanes, we panic when any type of threatening weather is about to hit, so we tend to be more cautious with our animals.

 

[Beekissed]

Here in the south, EVERYONE puts emphasis on protecting your pets and other animals when it's REALLY cold and when it's REALLY hot.

That dog that was out in the -20F weather would have gotten visited by Animal Control and police and probably get a warning, a ticket or arrested or have their pet removed from their property if the owners did not supply some type of warmth or protection. They take that VERY serious in my area. With the last cold spell here, there were many dogs that died due to the cold weather and several people were arrested because of that. It was features on the news. They didn't provide the proper protection for their animals. On the news, animal abuse, etc gets almost the same amount of TV time as local arrests, robberies, etc. They have zero tolerance for that. During the cold weather, the TV station contacted me and wanted to do a story on how farmers protect their farm animals during the cold freeze. Unfortunately, I was at work and I couldn't meet with them to do the story for that evening's news.

I think you're right when you say we are more likely to heat and insulate a coop when cold weather comes. Probably because we know our animals can and have died due to the cold weather.

Around here that dog being out in the cold is just life...except in town where suddenly people feel that dogs are somehow now human children and cannot tolerate the cold. Nor horses...all horses now have to be in or have a barn for cold weather in these parts(large PETA population here)....and in some parts of the state horses live outdoors all their lives in the coldest of weather. Just like wild mustangs.

I don't know where folks got the idea that animals couldn't live outdoors any longer but they were designed for just that very thing, regardless of the temps. Shade and water in the summer heat, shelter and a place to get into in the winter cold-or not, depending on the hardiness of the animal.

Up here, a dog house is proper protection. Some are more merciful than that and actually supply fresh hay, straw or shavings in the dog house but many do not. And the dogs do not die...actually the dogs are healthy as all get out and live to a ripe old age being fed cheap dog food and living outdoors in all weathers. Same with horses....out all day in all seasons without a barn and fed cheap hay~never grain~for their lives. They aren't constantly vetted or pampered and they live to be in their late 20s and die of old age.

The more one pampers an animal, the more they will have to pamper them to get them to survive. The more one treats them like an animal instead of a human, the tougher and more resilient they are and they survive very well. I've never seen an animal die from the heat or cold here.

 

[MamaKitty913]

I have to laugh I was born and raised in Chicago/Milwakee area and was to used to that weather when I got in Louisiana December of 85 I put on shorts and a long sleeve T-shirt, drove people nuts, they were all like "aren't you cold" ? I was like "notherner recently transplanted,lol" But the killer factor here is the wet humid stuff called sleet! Louisianan's they brave bucket rainfalls (I do mean 10 gallon bucket) scares me how fast they will go, sleet too! But if a snow flake falls... SCHOOL"S out! The chill and the heat are very intensified here in northern La. due to the humidity. As a result mildew and mold will set up in a heart beat! The chill from the wet, the 100 + days = me hoping to get the right combination for happy chicks. That are "in the mail"

Sorry had to share my friends and family are NOT excited but I can count on Ya'll to know it's a WOOt moment for me.

 

[aoxa]

Around here that dog being out in the cold is just life...except in town where suddenly people feel that dogs are somehow now human children and cannot tolerate the cold. Nor horses...all horses now have to be in or have a barn for cold weather in these parts(large PETA population here)....and in some parts of the state horses live outdoors all their lives in the coldest of weather. Just like wild mustangs.

I don't know where folks got the idea that animals couldn't live outdoors any longer but they were designed for just that very thing, regardless of the temps. Shade and water in the summer heat, shelter and a place to get into in the winter cold-or not, depending on the hardiness of the animal.

Up here, a dog house is proper protection. Some are more merciful than that and actually supply fresh hay, straw or shavings in the dog house but many do not. And the dogs do not die...actually the dogs are healthy as all get out and live to a ripe old age being fed cheap dog food and living outdoors in all weathers. Same with horses....out all day in all seasons without a barn and fed cheap hay~never grain~for their lives. They aren't constantly vetted or pampered and they live to be in their late 20s and die of old age.

The more one pampers an animal, the more they will have to pamper them to get them to survive. The more one treats them like an animal instead of a human, the tougher and more resilient they are and they survive very well. I've never seen an animal die from the heat or cold here.

There were a lot of border collies removed from a breeding property in NY because the animal rights activists found out about it. This actually looked like a decent breeding facility (as good as one with a lot of dogs can look!) They had lots of space to run around, and barrels full of hay to sleep in. Wasn't enough, and they removed the dogs.

They weren't even chained...

Some images of the dogs that were taken away...

 

[aoxa]

We were discussing volunteers for farm chores a few days ago. Looks like we have an ADULT capable volunteer for helping 3 times a week.. I can't even believe it. We are paying her in eating eggs