Chickens and Snow

[Summerbirds]

one of mine roosters does

That reminds me of when my hen tried to fly over the snow, she failed and made chicken marks in the snow.

 

[aart]

one of mine roosters does

But they love to eat it.

Definitely! Yes, despite all my frostbite precautions, and a warm waterer inside coop, many get nipped wattles from noshing on the snow banks. SMH.

I keep part of run shoveled out, and a path all along it, more for my access than the birds...but it's good for them too. They do have part of run protected from most weather conditions. I'll toss out sand or straw or shavings when it gets slippery.

 

[sumi]

The first time we got snow I went and opened the coop in the morning and my flock enthusiastically flew out and landed on this cold white stuff instead of the expected lawn... They carefully did a lap of the yard and filed back into the coop, from where they made their displeasure known, loudly! It was so funny, I wish I had a video camera with me.

My current flock is not fond of the white stuff either and prefers to spend most of their time inside and away from it.

 

[path.otto]

Ha!! We put down straw so they can walk on it and keep their feet off the extreme cold..we woke up to 5 degrees this a.m. and my girls are out there scratching away (I'm still in by the fire..better get to feeding). Happy Winter!

I was thrilled to discover my pullets layed throughout their first winter. Some of them also had a molt, so obviously they had not read the manual! Now it's their second winter and some of them look so motheaten from their first real molt! I haven't had an egg in several days. Did my first walk of shame down the egg aisle at our grocery store.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I was thrilled to discover my pullets layed throughout their first winter. Some of them also had a molt, so obviously they had not read the manual! Now it's their second winter and some of them look so motheaten from their first real molt! I haven't had an egg in several days. Did my first walk of shame down the egg aisle at our grocery store.

Yeah I had to cut off eggs to a coworker. I only have two layers and one stopped laying when sunset happened at 4:30. I only add light in the morning at 5am.
So I'm getting around 4 eggs a week from one Golden Comet.
My five Golden Comets laid through two winters. Lost two last spring and one retired from laying at the same time.
I have seven Barred Rocks 14 weeks old. I'm hoping they start laying by mid January.
The Barred Rocks are my first late summer chicks so I don't know when they will start.
My Golden Comets were early spring chicks, and started to lay at 4 months, all five were laying by 19 weeks.
Do you add light?
Is that a Barred Rock in your avatar? GC

 

[centrarchid]

I like to put out bales of hay topped with a wooden pallet to form a south by south east facing cave. The bust up a bale making to ground inside and just outside cave covered by the hay. Then sprinkle grains like shelled corn, oats, wheat and BOSS on the busted up hay. The birds will more like than not go out to spend much of day in the new location, especially if they can spend time in direct sun.

 

[HennyPenny2019]

one of mine roosters does

Bah ha ha ha

 

[RodNTN]

My chickens have hated it for as long as I can remember. My only chicken that likes it is "Bibby" my Black Australorp hen, she'll walk right through it! And she loves to eat it!

 

[centrarchid]

Mine do not like it, especially when it is deep. The birds will sometimes stay hold up in barn or a tree for a couple days before going out. Then they will make impressive flights to get to another snow free patch.

 

[AnimalGeek23]

I know my friend's hens absolutely LOVE the snow. Especially to eat it, but they also run around and scratch it.