Another breed ID for my daughter

[SweetSilver]

Thanks. I cross-posted with the chart, so I didn't see it.

How cold-sensitive are they? We also have a Sultan pullet that I don't think is too cold hardy either. Our area of W WA can have some pretty deep cold snaps, and nights are regularly down to 36F during the winter. We have had one 0F 3 years ago, 10 ya, we recorded -1. A normal cold snap can easily hit 10-15F most years.

 

[hdowden]

the lowest its gotten here is in the 20's and they didn't have a problem as long as you have a draft free place for them to get into with ventilation they should be fine

 

[animallover505]

If it gets that cold they may need a heater and/or scratch and corn/grain, but they may be fine

 

[hdowden]

watch them but dont baby them. you want them to be hardy if you provide heat they may well end up getting so used to that that if the elec goes and they dont have it they may freeze. use hey as a bedding in winter. i feed mine layer and scratch throughout the winter and thats only to my bantams my lf only get layer and maybe scratch here and there

 

[SweetSilver]

It would only be enough heat to bring the temp up a few degrees on the coldest nights, if they do fine at 36. That's the coldest it gets regularly. But we do get freezy weather which can last for a couple weeks and that's where we can dip down pretty low. We have had some years where it didn't get above freezing, day or night, for 2 weeks.

We have (or are finishing) a pretty cozy coop. We do use hay for bedding, and deep litter, esp under the roost. We will also be storing piles of bales in the coop itself.

Providing more scratch during the winter is a good idea. Wheat or corn, split peas lentils? High carbs or high protein? I tend to avoid scratch except occasional because food=love for me and they get too much. Winter they'd be burning more calories.

 

[hdowden]

they should do just fine at 36 as mine were about 6 months of age and have just reached a year old.

 

[JerseyGiantfolk]

I went to a fair once with my red Dorking and somebody asked me, "Oh she's cute. She must lay brown eggs because white chickens lay white eggs?"

Dorkings have red earlobes, but lay cream colored eggs (and have five toes).

I messed up in the post back there, as I would have if I had not owned Dorkings. I'm not the Sumatra "expert", but hdowden seems to know quite a bit about them.

 

[aoxa]

That is one gorgeous bird! I agree, Sumatra. Soo beautiful! I love the iridescent sheen to her feathers

 

[SweetSilver]

That is one gorgeous bird! I agree, Sumatra. Soo beautiful! I love the iridescent sheen to her feathers

Thank you! I hope she outgrows her ragged tail feathers. They've been that way since she started growing feathers.

Do you think they tend to do that? Or do Sumatra's need something other breeds don't?

Hmmmmm.....

 

[hdowden]

they should be fine