Cold weather, hot carbs!

[OccamsTazer]

We're having crazy weather for Alabama, it's been snowing all day. My birds are not used to this at all, so I've been giving them special energy treats the last couple days. Yesterday they got a plate of warm mashed potatoes with butter!
Today, I don't have any potatoes I'm willing to waste on birds, so I'm making a goodie mash out of their scratch. I'm boiling it to soften it up with a scoop of sugar and a glob of bacon fat. I figure they need the fat and carbs especially right now. The low tonight is 10F!
Poor birdies. My lone banty roo usually sleeps alone on top of the coop, I've been going out every night this week and tossing him inside. He screams bloody murder, but I bet he's warmer!
What do you guys do to keep 'em happy in nasty cold snaps?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Cooked veggies, meat scraps, rice, oatmeal, bacon grease, pasta, canned tomatoes....my birds are spoiled ROTTEN! Anything warm, the poor little fluffies even like warm water carried out to them. Gives them some needed body heat to stay warm in this cruddy weather

 

[Uzuri]

Now how's that working... it's going to be 8 degrees colder down there than here in Ohio!

I have to admit that I'm not doing much extra for them. Plenty of food, vegetables to supplement their water, water in the coop instead of outside so it doesn't freeze. And the box I'd put in for the rooster to huddle in I've gone and taken out because the crap was freezing to it and making the coop stink inside -- and when it stinks inside the air quality is bad, a far worse thing than a little cold.

Mine are getting a 60W bulb in with them on Saturday night, though, since our predicted low is 3, making the functional low at our place likely to be -5.

 

[Hennyhandler]

Do you roosters not sit on the roost with your hens?

 

[CTChickenMom]

It hasn't even been that cold here in New England! I've been giving the girls warm oatmeal with some ground flax seed and fruit. They attack it! We've had lots of wind here. There is snow predicted for tomorrow but the weather is supposed to be in the mid to upper 20s through the weekend. This is their first winter and they are handling it well.

 

[DonnaBelle]

This morning I took a big pan of cornbread made with 4 eggs, extra fat, corn, tomatoes, and oatmeal out to my locked up chickens. They were like little piggies gathering around the trough!! They have plenty of feed, along with fresh water, but they do love hot treats.

This is the first time I've left them in the chicken house. They are used to be outside, but today when I opened their coop door, they didn't rush out like they usually do. It's 18 degrees here, but the wind is 25 mph. So big time wind chill.

They are still laying up a storm though, 20-25 eggs a day from 26 RIR, and usually a banty egg or two from 2 banty hens.

I have now got them all in together, 10 week olds, and grown hens and 1 RIR roo, and one banty roo. They are getting along nicely.

DonnaBelle

 

[Hennyhandler]

Do your chickens not get huffy when locked up in the coop? Or is the cold changing their minds?

 

[RocketDad]

Mine get stir crazy about being locked in after a few days, but they don't want to go out in snow.

I made mine some oatmeal-polenta this morning. I poured hot water over a mix of quick oats and yellow cornmeal and let it sit. Then I mixed in the scrambled egg I dropped on the way to the 9 year old's plate (doh!), some leftover ham, a bit of pasta and sauce, and the ubiquitous eggshells.

 

[Amethyste]

I make mash for them.... take some of the dry oats and feed and mix it well, then add hot water til its all goopy and gross. Add in some cut fruit, some peas/green veggies....and any leftover meat scraps from night before. If its warm outside, i do cold yogurt instead of water and dont add as much feed/oats. Either way its a hit!

I don't add salt or sugar etc...the fruit has enough imho, and if its any extra meat like ham etc we have laying around, it has enough salt. Course now and again I do give them leftovers, but I dont feel too badly about it since we dont use a lot of salt lol and I only get to splurge a few times a year when i make desserts! So for holidays birdies get sweets that are leftover...but only things like pumpkin pie or apple pie...no chocolate etc.

Mine love tomatoes too btw

and polenta is a huge hit!!