Chickens Afraid of SNOW!

[HyLinda]

We just got 6" of snow last night. Today, when I noticed my rooster and some of the hens had not budged from their roost all day, I carried the rooster and one hen to the heated water dish (20 yards away). They drank for a good long while. I went to work and DH just called to say they were still there and had not gone back to the roost.
Will my chickens get used to the snow?

 

[TeamChaos]

This is my first time with chickens and today was our second day with snow, so it's not sage wisdom but my flock is starting to get used to snow. Yesterday all but three of the most fearless chickens stayed in the coop. They looked out the windows, they pecked snow off the ramp, but they wouldn't have any part of it. Today I shoveled enough so that their little chicken feet wouldn't sink- should they choose to come out! I threw down some hay and by the end of the day, all but one boy had come out and explored.
I think reducing the depth of the snow helped them feel more comfortable and the soft pile of hay to jump into at the end of the ramp made it seem less strange.

 

[HyLinda]

I like your barn sign

Maybe I will try the hay path to the water dish. I don't have power in the roost, so they have to come to the house to get water. They are stuck outside until I get home at 1am

Thanks for the suggestion

 

[sourland]

Yes, they will acclimate to the snow. Rule # 10.5 of chicken psychology: they hate change and adapt to it very slowly.

 

[Lyon3mchics]

I think its strange that my girls like to play outside in the snow. Since they do - they should learn how to start/run the snowblower!!

 

[teach1rusl]

Last winter mine would (eventually) venture out if it was just a dusting. But they would stay in the coop if it was more than an inch unless I raked or shoveled a clearing or paths and tossed down a bit of straw. I spent a lot of time shoveling last winter

You might want to move their water closer.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Mine are afraid of the snow too!! I would love to have my birds go outside more - less poo to clean in the coop, lol! Even with the first 1/2 inch on the ground, they just look at the run from the pop door and look at me like, "are you kidding? you expect us to get the scratch by walking in THAT stuff???"

I cleaned the droppings board today and left the main door open, hoping they would go out to free range while I did chores...nope, they just mumbled and grumbled while I cleaned nest boxes, filled feed and water, etc. Crazy girls!!

 

[nanawendy]

We had an early snow in the PNW. The girls wouldn't come out of the coop. UNTIL... DH went out and turned the snow under the straw. They all ran outside and clucked, scratched and clucked some more. My guess... The snow was too chill-e for their pretty little feet.

 

[ozark hen]

Get some hay and throw down for them. we cover our run with it. snow melts and drops through the hay. We unroll a large round bale and it keeps them up off the frozen ground. Actually the ground can't freeze under the thick blanket of hay so insects are there and the seeds drop through and give them some very early spring greens. The chickens can pick at the seeds in the hay, too. it is a win/win situation. Plus the earth under all the hay will be very rich. I would love to move the run and put a garden in there now.

 

[woodmort]

We'd had 5 of the 12 inches of lake effect stuff by the time I opened the pop door yesterday. Three of the Black Stars came out because I dumped the kitchen scraps by the end of the ramp but they were the only ones to venture out. The rest stayed in the coop giving me a piece of their collective minds while I collected eggs, filled the waterer and feeder. I tossed them a handful of BOSS, they went for that and shut up but never did go out judging from the lack of tracks.