Blizzard

[snowflake]

How are your chickens handling this blizzard?

 

[KimberlyJ]

It's our fourth named snow storm of the year here. This one is "Ella". They won't come outside, but are having fun inside with BOSS and scratch for some entertainment.

 

[snowflake]

I have to admit I haven't shoveled my way to the coop yet this AM . I made sure they had plenty of food and water last night guess I go out in a bit. don't think I will open their coop door though the wind chill is at about 3. I have a young rooster that is driving the hens nuts though so I may open up around new. Think I will bring them some peas to go with their BOSS and oats, dried split peas( daily treat) they love the caned ones. almost as good as grass

 

[Heidi]

I refilled my feeders and water dishes last night so I wouldn't have to go out to the coop until this afternoon after my DH snowblows us out. I felt bad for my ducks so I moved them into the barn with the chickens (sep pen inside) and they looked quite happy. Normally they sleep in a small lean to that has a door on it. I close them in at night so creatures of the night don't eat them. Bright side-we didn't get the 18 inchs they were calling for.

 

[TreeHugger]

My girls WILL NOT go outside the coop when there is snow on the ground. I'm in MO and I think we've gotten more snow this winter then we have in the last few winters combined (at least it feels that way to me). I checked on them last night and had to laugh at them. The snow blew in the little chicken door yesterday and about 1/4 of the coop had snow in it. They were all huddled on the opposite side away from the snow like they were scared of it. I kicked as much as the snow out as I could and blocked the little door up. This morning I brought them some warm oatmeal and bananas and they were a little more spread out in the coop. I can't wait until spring!

 

[mstricer]

Mine don't mind the snow. The wind is whipping too much today so I didn't let them out they are not happy.

 

[AinaWGSD]

We got off pretty easy. We didn't get quite as much snow as predicted and we were on the edge of the blizzard warning anyway, and being in town we have a lot of other houses helping to break the wind. Since it was decided yesterday that neither DH or I were going to work (nevermind that we aren't sure we could have taken DS to daycare) I slept in and the chickens were not happy with me when I went out to give them water at 7:30. I didn't even open the coop, just lifted the egg door so I could put the water bowl in the empty nest box that never gets used. Boy did I get an ear full! I hadn't planned on opening up the coop today, it was way too cold (12 with wind chill of -2 at 8am) to even think about shoveling the run for them and there's enough snow on the ground that they wouldn't go out if I didn't shovel. But when I went out to check on them and bring them more water at 10 it wasn't really that bad out, so I shoveled the run and threw down fresh straw for them. Everyone came out right away. I'll go take them warm leftover spaghetti and meat sauce in a little bit here and throw down some scratch in the run to keep them occupied.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I checked the chicken cam and they are all comfy in the coop. My husband is out snow blowing the waist high drifts blocking the way to the coop and run doors. Later, I'll shovel some snow out of the run.

 

[azygous]

It was 21 below zero this morning here in the southern Rockies. It's since "warmed" up to 5 degrees at noon. I had kept all thirteen hens and two roos inside their respective coops all morning because I was afraid of sending them out to get flash-freeze dried. I just opened the coops, but only the youngest hens came out, and now they're all huddled together, fluffed up, on their favorite perch in the pen, which is enclosed in plastic sheeting and roofed. Only one roo, the one that can't get enough girl watching, came out, but he spends all his time standing on first one foot and then the other.

How cold is too cold to let them out?

 

[furry]

The blizzard didn't bypass us this time. We got about 2 feet, with drifts of 4 to 6 feet. Chickens refused to come out at all yesterday. Wind and snow died down this morning about 10 am, and I shoveled them out, but they still wouldn't come out of the house. I worry about them not eating or drinking when they're holed up inside. Finally booted them out, and they seemed OK, but wouldn't step on the snow even when I covered it with straw. [i

Carol