Blizzard conditions tonight and tomorrow..........NOOoooooooo!

[cackleberrycoop]

Yup, yup, yup......... shepherding a flock through the winter months =

Can't go anywhere for Thanksgiving because it"s supposed to be 16 below and I'm only going to able to relax if I can keep a close eye on the chickens. And still, I absolutely adore those feathered troublemakers.

 

[can you hear me now?]

Wow I don't miss the hard winters of the Chicago area. It still gets cold here but the snow is nothing to what I am used to. Sorry you guys are getting hammered. Eventually we will get our bitter winter.

 

[For-The-Love-Of-Chickens]

Hello neighbors! We are south of Spokane getting hammered right now! The house is shaking and we can't even see our chicken coop which is 20-25 yards from the house! We have 7 girls and no supplemental heat as well. We made a makeshift roost box for them today out of a heavy blanket as 4 of the seven are in a heavy molt. I went out and stuck my hand in to see if it was working and it was warmer than the coop, and the coop warmer than outside, so I hope it will be warm enough. I'm pretty sure the front of the coop is drifted in by now, so that should help as well.

Good luck everyone in the Inland Northwest! Hope your flocks do well!

Please don't let the power go out!!

 

[fdnick]

We must be softies compared to the other eastern washington folks.. all our coops are insulated, barn is heated and all have heat lamps to curl under.. the kids are all doing great.. still Prefer NOT to have the blizzard conditions

BUT on a brighter note it is suposed to be up in the 20's by friday

(edited to correct my spelling -)

 

[mbrobbins]

I'm outside of Atlanta, Ga, and it was a nice 70 degrees today, but turning in the 40's by Friday, so your cold is coming my way. Whenever it gets below 30 I run the
reflector brooder clamp lights over where my chickens roost. I've always heard that seramas don't fare well in the cold, because they originated in Malaysia. Anyway, I worry about their combs freezing in the winter, and I even keep a light in each pen when it is a forecast of below 30. The flock can huddle around their light if they feel like it, or sleep away from the light if they don't mind the cold air, like the silkies don't seem to be bothered with it. I lock them up in their inside pens out of the cold wind whenever it is a forecast of under 20 degrees. (I learned my lesson in the winter of 93, I lost 3 silkies to the famous blizzard of 93 . I thought my chickens were safe in their houses, but the snow blew through the cracks and crevices and put snow in their inside pens and icicles on their bodies. so now I wrap all exposed areas up with clear plastic (for insulating windows) and a couple of clear shower curtains, that I can slide open on nice days to let the fresh air in.f I feel sorry for them in the winter, and I dread to get out in it to change their frozen water when it freezes. but I wouldn't have a reason for going outside in the winter if it weren't for the chickens, that's my main means of exercise in the winter

 

[UrbanGirls]

So glad to hear others worry about the cold - my girls have not left their coop - they will stand outside all day in the rain, but the snow - no way. I put more hay down and extra food - it is supposed to get even colder tomorrow and poss more snow - glad I am with others who worry about their girls. 6 girls, only one laying, seven months old.

 

[DelcoChix]

Wow--Cannot imagine having a blizzard this early, poor you..we had a cold spell but yesterday and today we were in the mid-high 60's and windy...unexpected but appreciated. Don't feel too jealous though, lookslike we'll be getting some of your cold temps after the rain for the next three days..back down in the 20-30's. Typical Ohio, don't like the weather, wait 24 hours.....have to admit I'd prefer snow to cold, rain though, at least until the end of January In the meantime I have two half naked hens due to poor timing with their molting, along with half a dozen others who's feathers are falling like the leaves, so I can relate to the concern. I also am counting on their instinct and nature to get them through the cold winter, along with good protection from the elements. Best of luck to you folks out west--spring's coming, eventually

 

[fdnick]

LOL.. sad to be praing for spring when its not even winter yet, its gonna be a long one i thinks

 

[mrsbos]

We actually couldn't help ourselves, and when the chickens were all standing at the back patio door looking miserable, me, my dh, and my 8 year old daughter, each took a chicken inside to cuddle with in the living room. Because of the blizzard, we thought about putting the chickens (about 14 weeks old) in a large plastic storage bin in the garage, or even the laundry room just for the night. But I thought it might be even more stressful for them to be out of their usual sleeping place. I am so not looking forward to trying to clear snow out the run tommorrow when wind chills will probably be 20-30 below zero. I have an Eglu so the coop/run are very small scale. I have the run covered with a tarp, but because the snow is so powdery, and the wind is so fierce, the entire run is filling with snow from the entrance, and it's not like I can walk in there to shovel it out. I should have just removed the waterer and food dish for the night, since I'm sure they'll be buried under snow tomorrow. If it weren't for the expense and maintenance (staining, keeping wasps from building nests on it, etc), it would be so nice to have some kind of "walk in" coop, where the chickens could actually hang out with a little recreation area out of the elements! We actually have a snow free area under our 14' trampoline that they wouldn't even go to because of the miserable weather outside, even though I shoveled a relatively snow free path for them. I can't believe that it's not even Thanksgiving yet, and winter hasn't even "officially" begun! All this work, and I probably won't get my first egg until next February. They're really making me work for it!

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
Oh don't rub it in!

Miss the nice winters we had in AZ now dealing with snow on the ground and more to come tomorrow. I'll take your Alabama weather now please!

It will be in the 30s when I get up tomorrow morning.... I'm gonna have to keep a fire going in the fire place I suppose.