Blizzard Tonight, worried about my Chickens.

[SarahJaneB]

Here's one of my girls in the snow. They're still avoiding it so I coaxed her out into it for the pic.






See? They just skirt the edge of the snow in their run

They just don't know what to think.

 

[trooper]

This morning the run was bare.This is most of my chickens first snow and as said they did not know what to think.I went down and fed them their treats and some of them came to get the treats.They mostly stayed at my feet and Picked up what I was dropping.After I gave them their water and feed I started to gather the eggs and they all came back to the coops.I have plenty of area under the coops for them to get to where there isn't any snow,and that's where they headed.I had to leave for a few hours and when I pulled in I seen them standing in the run.They survived.Temp is about 25 to 30 with sleet falling.It'll make them tough.

 

[citychickx6]

Glad to hear all is well.
This morning we were a wonderful -2 on the outside thermometer here. Inside the coop it was a toasty 12 above 0. All is well here too. I was a bit concerned since our outside humidity was 99%. No signs of frostbite though.
Mine do not like to step in the snow either.

 

[SarahJaneB]

This morning the run was bare.This is most of my chickens first snow and as said they did not know what to think.I went down and fed them their treats and some of them came to get the treats.They mostly stayed at my feet and Picked up what I was dropping.After I gave them their water and feed I started to gather the eggs and they all came back to the coops.I have plenty of area under the coops for them to get to where there isn't any snow,and that's where they headed.I had to leave for a few hours and when I pulled in I seen them standing in the run.They survived.Temp is about 25 to 30 with sleet falling.It'll make them tough.

Glad they're ok!!

 

[SarahJaneB]

Woooow so cold! Glad everythings ok right now I feel a little silly about worrying about mine now. Very glad this winter storm is over for us right here, this storm was really bad and there's a lot of people still going through it

 

[trooper]

People don't realize it , but Chickens can handle the cold very well.When it comes to the weather,heat is actually worse..If they have a place to get in , and it doesn't have to be fancy.As long as it can stay dry and they can get out of the wind they will be ok. I'll bet from the time that we settled the USA until the present time you could ask a farmer about heat for the chickens and they would laugh.And the chickens survived.

Heat in the summer is actually worse than the cold.Those feathers don't let the cold in and don't let the heat out.I do use fans in the summer.I also have plenty of places for them to get out of the sun.More on this subject when the time comes.

 

[scooter147]

A draft free coop with plenty of good feed, a little cracked corn or BOSS and fresh clean unfrozen water and they will be just fine.
When people ask me about the cold and chickens my standard response is: In 40+ years I can't ever remember losing a chicken to the cold weather but almost always seem to lose some to the heat.
I don't think I had one person ask me this summer about chickens and the extreme heat and drought we incurred. But I've already gotten questions this winter about the cold.

 

[trooper]

I agree.Mine have done great in the cold and sometimes my coops have been in the process of being remodeled,as they are now.I don't worry about the cold,But I did loose a hen in the heat.I am making it so my chickens can get under the coops for relief from the heat.Believe it or not they will get out of the warm coop in the winter and get under it where it is actually colder.

Go Figure

 

[SarahJaneB]

People don't realize it , but Chickens can handle the cold very well.When it comes to the weather,heat is actually worse..If they have a place to get in , and it doesn't have to be fancy.As long as it can stay dry and they can get out of the wind they will be ok. I'll bet from the time that we settled the USA until the present time you could ask a farmer about heat for the chickens and they would laugh.And the chickens survived.

Heat in the summer is actually worse than the cold.Those feathers don't let the cold in and don't let the heat out.I do use fans in the summer.I also have plenty of places for them to get out of the sun.More on this subject when the time comes.

Yeah, we first got the chickens right when the heat here skyrocketed into the 100's this summer. Learned my lesson on heat and chickens pretty fast when they started panting. Out came frozen treats and a mister

 

[SarahJaneB]

A draft free coop with plenty of good feed, a little cracked corn or BOSS and fresh clean unfrozen water and they will be just fine.
When people ask me about the cold and chickens my standard response is: In 40+ years I can't ever remember losing a chicken to the cold weather but almost always seem to lose some to the heat.
I don't think I had one person ask me this summer about chickens and the extreme heat and drought we incurred. But I've already gotten questions this winter about the cold.

BOSS? And i'm very glad my chickens are good in the cold but does that really go for most breeds? What about the silkies?

They just look so small and dainty. It's a constant learning experience for me.