Chickens Arctic Conditions Prolonged Period

[Hokum Coco]

Oops EGGS are now $2.50

February 2, 2013 the temperature currently is 7F with a wind chill of -11. The long range forecast for next week is -4F with wind chills of hovering around -20F. I got 4 eggs from the old Golden Comet flock yesterday.

 

[bilder]

We have one EE hen and she has laid 5 eggs in the last 7 days. Temps get down to the mid to low 30's at night and up to 50 or so in the daytime.

 

[aoxa]

Did you say how old your sex links are?





My Red sex links are probably my most personable birds. They are the only ones laying regularly right now.. No added heat.. no added light. They are just 6 months old though. The cold doesn't seem to bother them in the least.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Duplicate

 

[aoxa]

My Golden Comets (or Sex Link) birds are 3 years old this year. I had selected them from all the breeds that were available for me locally and they are the best fit for me in Canada. They are cold hearty; Wonderful personalities and dispositions; Great brown egg produces; dual purpose; I had black Sex Link birds as well just as good; I imagine there are some better breeds out there; For me there is no need to experiment. Any other breed would have a tough act to follow and I think I would be only setting myself up for disappointment. Shediac Cape!!
Magnetic Hill N.B. (well actually Lutes Mountain).

Wow just around the corner!!

So your girls are from co-op?

I have lots of breeds I went all over to get them, but the RSLs (or as I call them, the Pennies) are my very special girls. I want to keep them a good 3 years. If not more. The hen in the last picture, to the far right is my only older RSL. She's 3 as well. I don't know if she is laying or not. She's in the nesting box often, and I get 20-23 eggs a day.. I have 17 red sex links. She may be laying.

I think the Barred Plymouth Rock would be right up there with my most personable. Also great winter layers. Though the egg size just can't compare to a RSL. Their eggs are HUGE! Sometimes my cartons won't even close!

 

[aoxa]

Oh and you asked about the white bird.. Yes, I have a few white girls. They are happy accidents. I hatched some of my red sex link's eggs thinking they were really eggs from my barred rock.. anyway.. they were fathered by a barred rock, and mothered by my red sex links. They are an off white with ghost barring... it's really neat. They lay just as well, and just as large as the RSLs





I call the white girls Jaycie (I have 3 of them). The red girls are Penny.

 

[Ochmeuw2]

Are there any folks here from Eastern Ontario? Ottawa Valley in particular. I am leaning towards purchasing my chicks from Frey's - any feedback on this supplier?

Tanya

 

[Hokum Coco]

February 4, 2013 the temperature currently is 21F with a wind chill of 6F. The long range forecast for next week is -10F with wind chills of hovering around -40F. I brought out fresh water to all the birds I may get away with only two water changes today!

I got 4 eggs from the old flock of 6 Golden Comets this morning (one egg on the poop board clean as a whistle thank you very much). No light; No heat; I must put a thermometer in the coop next trip out just to see what the temperature is inside. I do not think that it is that much different to be honest from outside the coop.

Things are great in the coop the winds are high and it is snowing. I shut my ventilation ports up. There is enough leakage around the doors and windows in that small coop (4x8 foot print) to keep things right. The litter and poop is froze harder than a rock. The water was not frozen solid which I found odd this morning hence will be adding the thermometer.

My coop sort of blew almost into my yard one day. When I told the powers that be who owned the coop they told me it was garbage and they would be over. I told them I would look after it. Presto Chicken Coop! It turned into a minor rebuild and renovation but it has served me well.

 

[aoxa]

Roads are terrible this morning. As are my paths to the barn. All ice.

Seems warm this morning. Tonight is going to be cold, as is tomorrow.

I'm really surprised schools aren't closed. The roads haven't been this bad in a while.

Birds are doing well, though are angry at me about the snow.

 

[Vickis Girls]

This is really an interesting thread! I'm on the eastern slopes of the Cascades in Washington State, and have been complaining about the cold and snow which has been here since Thanksgiving. After reading all the posts on here, I feel like this must be the tropics. The sun hit the south side of the coop Saturday, and melted away some of the ice there so I was able to start digging a trench along that wall for hardware cloth.The ground is frozen everywhere else though. I don't want anything living under the coop.We built it in the Fall and that's as far as we got, so I'm anxious to get going again as the chicks will be here in June. Sorry to just jump in like this, just waiting for the sun to get past these trees to the coop, and found this thread. Hope you all have warmer temps soon.

Vicki