jmagill
Songster
Not light out yet but I gave the chickens all the alfalfa that I could sweep up off of the floor of the hay storage.
That and some extra corn will help.
That and some extra corn will help.
-13 without factoring wind chill
- Thread starter jmagill
- Start date
-13 on Thanksgiving? that is way to cold.
I am sure they will huddle and keep each other warm. I think you can buy heat lamps for coops.
I am sure they will huddle and keep each other warm. I think you can buy heat lamps for coops.
Wow...better you guys than us!!
- Thread starter
- #4
jmagill
Songster
Quote:
They don't need heat lamps. They are out running around the run. They have their own down coats.
They don't need heat lamps. They are out running around the run. They have their own down coats.
-10°F here, the night before last.
The alfalfa may help with insulating the floor but it doesn't have much in the way of energy for hens needing body heat. "Alfalfa, provided in meal or pelleted form, provides only 1/2 the metabolizable energy and 1/4 of the calcium required of a laying hen that is reproductively active." Texas A & M
Alfalfa pellets are sometimes used to induce molting in a layer flock by the commercial outfits.
The more protection they have, the less feed (and calories) the birds will require.
Steve
The alfalfa may help with insulating the floor but it doesn't have much in the way of energy for hens needing body heat. "Alfalfa, provided in meal or pelleted form, provides only 1/2 the metabolizable energy and 1/4 of the calcium required of a laying hen that is reproductively active." Texas A & M
Alfalfa pellets are sometimes used to induce molting in a layer flock by the commercial outfits.
The more protection they have, the less feed (and calories) the birds will require.
Steve
If they are used to the cold, then they will be fine. But if you have some where you alway had them lock up inside the coop to keep them warm, then their are the ones you want to look out for because they are not used to the change and temp dropping.
- Thread starter
- #7
jmagill
Songster
digitS' :
-10°F here, the night before last.
The alfalfa may help with insulating the floor but it doesn't have much in the way of energy for hens needing body heat. "Alfalfa, provided in meal or pelleted form, provides only 1/2 the metabolizable energy and 1/4 of the calcium required of a laying hen that is reproductively active." Texas A & M
Alfalfa pellets are sometimes used to induce molting in a layer flock by the commercial outfits.
The more protection they have, the less feed (and calories) the birds will require.
Steve
The alfalfa is an extra, not a substitution as it is used when trying to induce molting.
-10°F here, the night before last.
The alfalfa may help with insulating the floor but it doesn't have much in the way of energy for hens needing body heat. "Alfalfa, provided in meal or pelleted form, provides only 1/2 the metabolizable energy and 1/4 of the calcium required of a laying hen that is reproductively active." Texas A & M
Alfalfa pellets are sometimes used to induce molting in a layer flock by the commercial outfits.
The more protection they have, the less feed (and calories) the birds will require.
Steve
The alfalfa is an extra, not a substitution as it is used when trying to induce molting.
I have the layer feed free choice in the coop all the time. I throw some cracked corn some days for them to scratch at and a block of alfalfa hay some days. We have had a week of -10 to 15 with wind chills to -30. They still go into run and hide out under coop so the wind isn't there. I heard some alfafla would help make the egg yolks a darker yellow? But I don't want to make them molt. They are still eatting their layer food also. And I have heated dog bowls for water, 1 in coop and 1 in run. They seem to be doing good. No heat or light in coop as if the power goes out they wouldn't be ready for the cold. It just seems like it got cold fast this year. Maybe because this is my first winter with chickens
I do pick up eggs 3 times a day so they don't freeze. I have one that lays under coop which is not nice to get. I may lock them down in coop for a few days to see if I can get her to lay there. But over all water and food seems okay.
I do pick up eggs 3 times a day so they don't freeze. I have one that lays under coop which is not nice to get. I may lock them down in coop for a few days to see if I can get her to lay there. But over all water and food seems okay.
As jmagill says, alfalfa is used as a substitute for a well-balanced diet to induce molting. It will not, in itself, induce molting.
Often, induced molting is done by drastically cutting feed. By feeding only alfalfa, the commercial outfits are giving the hens something to eat but it is an insufficient diet to sustain production. Feeding only alfalfa would probably result in starvation if continued too long even if it was available in unlimited amounts.
If chickens are given a choice between a high-calorie feed and alfalfa, during a time when they are in cold weather stress, they will probably eat very little alfalfa.
Steve
Often, induced molting is done by drastically cutting feed. By feeding only alfalfa, the commercial outfits are giving the hens something to eat but it is an insufficient diet to sustain production. Feeding only alfalfa would probably result in starvation if continued too long even if it was available in unlimited amounts.
If chickens are given a choice between a high-calorie feed and alfalfa, during a time when they are in cold weather stress, they will probably eat very little alfalfa.
Steve
- Thread starter
- #10
jmagill
Songster
digitS' :
As jmagill says, alfalfa is used as a substitute for a well-balanced diet to induce molting. It will not, in itself, induce molting.
Often, induced molting is done by drastically cutting feed. By feeding only alfalfa, the commercial outfits are giving the hens something to eat but it is an insufficient diet to sustain production. Feeding only alfalfa would probably result in starvation if continued too long even if it was available in unlimited amounts.
If chickens are given a choice between a high-calorie feed and alfalfa, during a time when they are in cold weather stress, they will probably eat very little alfalfa.
Steve
Well I think I may have proven you wrong. The last three days my chickens have had free choice layer feed and alfalfa sweepings( almost all leaves and not stems). They eat the alfalfa first and then the layer feed. Of course they eat the corn I give them first.
The funny thing is I had not had an egg for 10 days and two days after I started feeding alfalfa I am getting eggs again. Not sure if there is a correlation.
As jmagill says, alfalfa is used as a substitute for a well-balanced diet to induce molting. It will not, in itself, induce molting.
Often, induced molting is done by drastically cutting feed. By feeding only alfalfa, the commercial outfits are giving the hens something to eat but it is an insufficient diet to sustain production. Feeding only alfalfa would probably result in starvation if continued too long even if it was available in unlimited amounts.
If chickens are given a choice between a high-calorie feed and alfalfa, during a time when they are in cold weather stress, they will probably eat very little alfalfa.
Steve
Well I think I may have proven you wrong. The last three days my chickens have had free choice layer feed and alfalfa sweepings( almost all leaves and not stems). They eat the alfalfa first and then the layer feed. Of course they eat the corn I give them first.
The funny thing is I had not had an egg for 10 days and two days after I started feeding alfalfa I am getting eggs again. Not sure if there is a correlation.
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