Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!
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Winters like that is when I have fun with deep litter and BOSS. I like throwing some in the litter each day to give the birds something to do, something to "forage" and it also gets my deep litter really worked up and aerated when the conditions in the coop are the most moist...humidity from the snow/atmosphere and the increased humidity from the bird's bodies and respiration can increase the humidity in the coop and this can lead to things like frost bite and it can super chill birds when the temps aren't even all that cold.
I also provide other areas where they can just be out of the coop but not braving the snows. I have small open sheds and lean-to's next to the coop in which they can lounge, peck, and even dust without dealing with the deep snow. They even take advantage of the hay in the shed on which to have their outside nests they love so much and I allow it...I let them have one nest outside. It's just as easy to collect eggs there as it is from the coop and it gives them that outside atmosphere they have during warmer months.
It also helps to have dogs or other livestock in the area to cut trail for chickens. These kind of trails are often not as slick as the trails we pack down, so chickens can negotiate these much easier and also have that exercise and socialization with the other animals to stimulate their minds. I've seen one of my SS hens find a way to keep her feet warm by riding around on and roosting on a sheep's back...it's fun to watch and good to see the animals interacting during times when most people's chickens are merely standing in a coop or run with nothing to do but peck each other.
I also provide other areas where they can just be out of the coop but not braving the snows. I have small open sheds and lean-to's next to the coop in which they can lounge, peck, and even dust without dealing with the deep snow. They even take advantage of the hay in the shed on which to have their outside nests they love so much and I allow it...I let them have one nest outside. It's just as easy to collect eggs there as it is from the coop and it gives them that outside atmosphere they have during warmer months.
It also helps to have dogs or other livestock in the area to cut trail for chickens. These kind of trails are often not as slick as the trails we pack down, so chickens can negotiate these much easier and also have that exercise and socialization with the other animals to stimulate their minds. I've seen one of my SS hens find a way to keep her feet warm by riding around on and roosting on a sheep's back...it's fun to watch and good to see the animals interacting during times when most people's chickens are merely standing in a coop or run with nothing to do but peck each other.
Very neat! I would love to see a chicken riding a sheep!
We get very little snow here. It may snow 3 times a year and no more than a foot each time. The coldest I've ever seen it get was 5 degrees and that was 1 night I believe 2 winters ago. We do have ice storms that close the schools down and can be a concern. There are maybe 5 days a year that I don't let the chickens free range do to the weather. I've considered moving to colder states and specifically looked into Colorado. Now I'm looking into Missouri and it looks like the one. It's colder than Arkansas but not extreme. It should be a fun experience to see how the chickens do in a real winter!
Bob always has good posts. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/400344/heritage-large-fowl-thread/5200#post_9387292 This explains some of the reasons why the APA requires certain attributes in the breeds. These are things you don't usually hear about on BYC.
Walt
Walt
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We get the single digit temps and infrequent deep snows also and I never restrict free range. Of course, there isn't much to forage, but I create foraging type activities just so they can be all the chicken they can be during these down times. Their pop door is open at all times unless the wind is piling the snow into the coop...this doesn't happen too often, though.
My coop had one whole wall of windows on one side and half a wall of window on the other. To me, you can never have enough sunlight or air flow. In the winter, those windows have plastic coverings but that pop door is always open and the numerous gaps and cracks in the walls of the old coop also allow plenty of ventilation.
If I lived in even colder climes, I'd do just the same....lots of light, lots of air, provide activity through the deep litter and areas of lounging that has different levels of being. Hay bales are excellent for this purpose and they can also become "wild" nesting areas during winter. I also provide areas of dust that are out of the weather and these areas have wood ashes in them....winter time is the time of the parasite for some livestock. This is when birds can be most bothered by mites and lice, etc, so I take a proactive approach to that and provide a preventative measure.
It's also important to not overstock your coops and areas, as Fred indicated, as winter time changes that area by sheer number of birds staying indoors at any given time. It's far better to have too much space than too little at that point because, not only do you have overcrowding, but you have bored animals who are also cold stressed. Keeping chickens is so much more than just providing a building and a fence in which to live...some thought needs to go into providing an environment, not just a living space.
My coop had one whole wall of windows on one side and half a wall of window on the other. To me, you can never have enough sunlight or air flow. In the winter, those windows have plastic coverings but that pop door is always open and the numerous gaps and cracks in the walls of the old coop also allow plenty of ventilation.
If I lived in even colder climes, I'd do just the same....lots of light, lots of air, provide activity through the deep litter and areas of lounging that has different levels of being. Hay bales are excellent for this purpose and they can also become "wild" nesting areas during winter. I also provide areas of dust that are out of the weather and these areas have wood ashes in them....winter time is the time of the parasite for some livestock. This is when birds can be most bothered by mites and lice, etc, so I take a proactive approach to that and provide a preventative measure.
It's also important to not overstock your coops and areas, as Fred indicated, as winter time changes that area by sheer number of birds staying indoors at any given time. It's far better to have too much space than too little at that point because, not only do you have overcrowding, but you have bored animals who are also cold stressed. Keeping chickens is so much more than just providing a building and a fence in which to live...some thought needs to go into providing an environment, not just a living space.
FuzzyButtsFarm
Rest in Peace 1950-2013
Loved the post. I was astounded by the description of a Leghorn. It's nothing like what the hatcheries are offering. The carcass wouldn't make a mouth full, but boy can they lay eggs. My brown leghorns aren't any better. It's a good thing people breed heritage breeds. If you had to start from hatchery stock you'd have a lot of work to do.
I'll show what I do. You should be able to get a free bucket at a bakery or deli. Try to get one about 2 gallons and make sure you get a lid with it. The hard part for me was to find something to use as a base. I would up with this planter bowl.
Near the very top of the bucket, cut two or three small holes. Fill the bucket with water and put the lid on. Turn it over and set it into the bowl. Water will flow out the holes until the water level in the bowl is higher than the holes. Then air pressure will hold the rest of the water in until the water level sinks below the holes. This is for summer. I hang something over it to keep them from perching on it and knocking it over.
In the winter when it freezes, this won't work. Instead of this waterer I get a big rubber bowl. I had to buy that at Tractor Supply. Put this black rubber bowl where the sun hits it. The water will stay thawed into the low 20's as long as it is a sunny day. If its a cloudy day, well, it can freeze. I'm around home so that is not a big deal to me. In the morning when the water in the dish is frozen solid, throw it on the ground and stomp on it. The ice comes out and the rubber bowl does not break.
They can turn that rubber bowl over when the water gets low by perching on it. You can hang something over it to keep them from perching on it or you can build something like this.
I take a piece of plywood and cut a hole in it so the bowl fits in. Then I put pieces of 2x to raise that piece of plywood a little. You can firmly attach this to your coop or a fence post so they can't turn it over. This is the one from my grow-out coop but you might get the idea.
Thanks for the replies on the watering methods that you both put to use. Think I'm settling on these Murray McMurray auto-watering dishes with a gravity feed from a 5 gallon paint bucket. Really similar to the watering nipples and I won't have the mess of the water getting knocked over or pooped in. In the winter I'll dump the bucket out at night then fill it again when I open the coop up in the morning. I think the constant drinking by the chickens will keep water flow entering the watering bowl and help to keep it freezing over in the day (our average winter temps are in the 20's and 30's through the day). Thanks for all the info from all of you about the square foot chicken gardening as well. Like I said, we bought six chicks, maybe we'll end up with six come December but more than likely not. We can't keep roosters here. I'm thinking an 8'x5' run with a 3'x5' hen house will work out for us and we don't see that much snow in Rio Rancho although our night time temps are usually around 20 degrees cooler than the day. I've actually put quite a bit of thought into their environment for a chicken newbie, their little chicken cage they are in now has some 1/2 inch PVC pipes tied across it that were laying around in my garage for roosting poles as well as a nice little aluminum roasting dish filled with sand for dust baths. When my wife and I get home from work we stick the dogs inside with the cat and let the girls have free roam of our backyard along with our Sulcata tortoise. Their larger coop will have some roosting bars built in at different levels and I think I will screw some tree branches into the run for perches as well. This fall I'm going to plant some cereal rye and hairy vetch into my gardens for some foraging material during the winter. I've really enjoyed all the tips I've discovered both in this thread as well as other ones on the site. Great crowd!
I agree. I had read that article re-print. Bob does a great job of teaching in that article.
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