Bay Area BYCers!

[dedicateddourly]

My 2 girls seem to be doing fine so far without any help. Their coop is small and cozy. There's a hardware cloth-covered window right next to where they like to roost, but once they sit down, the window is above them. I've considered covering that particular window, but honestly, the coop seems protected from wind (our fenced yard is smallish). All that being said, I haven't let them out yet this morning

 

[OrpingtonManor]

Renee, are you up in the hills at all? Here, I'm in the hills, but protected from most of the severe wind and cold. My girls are already out in their pen, preening, and looking fine.

 

[dedicateddourly]

Hi Steffanie!

No, I'm in the flats. I don't think we had any wind last night - it was just cold. BUT Yolanda and Bridget are happily preening themselves in the sun right now.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

 

[jeremy]

Feeding them some of those drunk cupcakes should keep them nice and toasty...

 

[dedicateddourly]

Quote:

No drunk cupcakes to be found today, but maybe some boozy pumpkin pie!

 

[clio]

Our 8 pullets are doing well ... it was very cold Thanksgiving morning in Petaluma, probably in the high 20s or low 30s; a bit warmer this a.m. ... their coop, the size of a large shower stall, is draft free and well ventilated ... the three that started laying in August, are still laying almost daily, and the cochins, born in June, and the Delawares and Welsummers, born in July, should be starting soon. The 4 that I brought to my Berkeley house are having a great time in the huge garden, playing in the dirt and the kids enjoy interacting with them (safely, supervised) !

Renee, You should sell those cupcakes especially during this holiday season !

 

[cherylcohen]

Quote:
I forgot to tell you I named my blue orps(50% english ones) Clio and Daphne! They are so sweet and gorgeous

 

[clio]

Cheryl, Thanks for the thoughts !! Love those colors ... maybe if they start laying and hatching, I wonder what my husband will think if I .......

Did you get any of the chicken/hens t-shirts printed yet??? I'm the one who asked about the different neckline style .. no rush, just for me ...

Hope you and Larry are doing OK with his mom in S. CA

 

[HHandbasket]

Quote:
Here in The Big Tomato, we have had similar temps. The first night that it was so cold, our RIR didn't fare so well the next morning, but I noticed she was all wet on her head & back and that one of small waterers was on its side, so I wonder if she got wet and then sat there in the cold. She was shaking REALLY bad (I thought at first she was having a seizure), but I scooped her up in my arms and brought her in the house and she stopped shaking almost instantly. Five minutes later, she was back outside with the rest of the girls and digging around for bugs and such in the yard. So the last two nights, we have braved the "chicken poop on everything" syndrome and put them in the garage with their coop light, some water, some scratch, a mini feeder, and a big roost my husband built for them. They've done very well. We aren't going to put them in the garage unless it drops below freezing.

I know people all over the country have their chooks in subfreezing weather, but mine are spoiled California chickens. They're not acclimated to the subfreezing temps yet, but I think they're gonna do ok now. We're gonna leave them in their coop tonight & I'll be sure to check on them early in the morning.

 

[Jajika]

I'm confused about the cold weather thing?

There was an aricle on this board that said chickens do just find in freezing weather, so let them be.

Now I'm hearing from you folks that we should put a warming light in the coop?

My situation is complicated. I have "tree sleepers" and coop sleepers. If the tree sleepers won't go into the coop with the warming light, then I'm guessing they are not that cold, or am I giving them to much credit.

They do go into the coop when it's raining, so they have some smarts there.

What to do?