Cold weather here what about the birds?

[oesdog]

Well the weather is really cold getting. Some parts are getting to be -8 or 9 at night. So what about the birds. I don;t have any heat in their coop and they never did they kind of keep eachother warm. But this year the two Roo boys are seperated in a much smaller coop. Just the wee triangle type really so no room for anything in it but them, loads of hay and wood chip. I usually use it for the brood hen - but the Roos are making noise so I had to seperate them away from the neighbors fence. The only other coop I have is in the garage and it has the two Bator chicks in. So I can;t use that. The big girl house is ok has loads of straw and everything and is coasy. But I fear for the Roo boys. Today they had a big fight and hurt eachothers combs for the first time ever. Do you guys think they may get too cold???? Should I give up and cull them???? I wanted to breed from the big maran boy. I can;t put them in with the bator chicks as one is a roo and is younger and the big boys will hurt him.

What do you guys think? I am watching the snow as we speak. It is set to get very cold this next while?

Oesdog

 

[midget_farms]

Ireland - I have not been there for a couple of years. I sure do miss it! I spent most of my time in the North, but did spend a weekend in Donegal & another in Dublin. Can't wait to go back.

Your chickens will be perfectly fine in the cold. They can manage easily to -17c & colder as long as there is no wind blowing through the coop.

If there is a wind they will chill & have a rough time - but if the coop is closed up they wont mind the cold at all.

Here in the midwest we see temps much colder than any in Ireland & our birds do just fine.

Consider the wild birds around you do not have nice cozy coops to sleep in & they do OK in the cold. Its the heat that most chickens have problems with.

 

[JLS]

It sounds like your biggest problem will be with the roos tolerating each other in such close quarters not the cold:/ If they continue to fight you may have to seperate them from each other? I sure do hope you can find an arrangement that works for everyone.

 

[blue creek chicken man]

jls is right i seperate mine just to avoid damaging my hens

 

[oesdog]

Quote:
My two Roos were taken out imediately they started to crow this week and mount the hens. The two bad boys wouldn;t leave their mum alone. - She is their Brood mum not real mum but they fight over mounting her so I took them out for that reason and also because of the noise upsetting the neighbor. Bertha the Brood mum still cried and looked for them after all these weeks. She is back laying again so should get over it eventually. - She was still brooding them up to 18 weeks!!!! The other Roo boy Blue only has eyes for Omlet his bator mate. He wont let anyone near her and they got everywhere together like an old married couple so they still sleep together in the shed. He is a week younger than the big boys but a lot nicer as he has been handled more being a bator chick. I worry a bit about him with Omlet as her legs are not good. But he would pine terribly and so would she if they were seperated. I am hoping I am doing the right thing. - I am trying to keep them quiet at night - so hard!!!!!!!! The main one I want to keep is Blue the Bator roo boy. The others I think will have to be culled eventually though I did want more Maran chicks next year from teh big roo boy. I hope they settle down as they never had a fight before. Usually Mable their sister would start fights and then get the boys to join her and usually I would find her sitting on Blues back trying to pull his feathers out. So I don;t want her near the big lads again as she is a bad influance!!!!

THanks for all the advice
Oesdog - no drafts through the coop we made sure of that.

 

[Charles07]

The low here today was -16 when I left this morning and the high was -11 when I came home this afternoon. (Celsius)

The birds were out and about scratching in the snow.

 

[oesdog]

Thanks that is great

I worry about my birds a lot. When we get frost I even vasaline their combs so they don;t get frost bite on them!!!! My girls are spoiled rotten. I do have too many Roos but I want chicks from them so I have to keep them until I can get that but its so hard to keep them quiet and away from the neighbors!!!! I hope I never have to kill Blue boy because Blue and Omlet are more pets and they really are treated as such while all the others are for laying and meat. I guess I worry too much about the cold but I heard of Chickens losing toes and all sorts.

Oesdog - Ok I am soft!!!!! DH says I will be knitting them jumpers and little booties next!!!! Didn;t someone have a pattern here on BYC?