Egg eaters? First timers in winter? Bored?

[Chickassan]

Hang in there, this is a nutty time of year for the birds.
They'll be as normal as a chicken can be soon enough.

nope, as stated above it’s enclosed roof and covered mostly with tarps. No snow gets in.
But this morning I think I may have seen slime for the first time. I’m feeling like all the money I made my husband spend to get chickens and we’ve had so much go wrong in 8 months that I kind of wish I wouldn’t have done it.

 

[Jenilynchickmom]

Hang in there, this is a nutty time of year for the birds.
They'll be as normal as a chicken can be soon enough.

Everything I’ve read has said they will never come back from this and I have to cull them. Is that true? Today I’m going to get curtains to fully black out the boxes and see if that may help.

 

[aart]

nope, as stated above it’s enclosed roof and covered mostly with tarps. No snow gets in.

Yes, but enclosed doesn't mean weather proof
No snow is good, then they can have extra space during the day to help with crowding stress.
Do tarps block wind too?
Pics of run might help here.
Here's some idea for 'diversion/enrichment':
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/

But this morning I think I may have seen slime for the first time.

"Slime" meaning egg white in the nest?

What all and how exactly are you feeding?

 

[Jenilynchickmom]

Yes, but enclosed doesn't mean weather proof
No snow is good, then they can have extra space during the day to help with crowding stress.
Do tarps block wind too?
Pics of run might help here.
Here's some idea for 'diversion/enrichment':
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-cluttered-run.1323792/


"Slime" meaning egg white in the nest?

What all and how exactly are you feeding?

I’m having a hard time replying in bits like you did so I’ll paste all the pics below

 

[Jenilynchickmom]

 

[Chickassan]

Oh lord no it isn't true, nobody would have chickens if it was they'd all be dead.

Everything I’ve read has said they will never come back from this and I have to cull them. Is that true? Today I’m going to get curtains to fully black out the boxes and see if that may help.

 

[Jenilynchickmom]

Oh lord no it isn't true, nobody would have chickens if it was they'd all be dead.

That makes me feel better. I need to avoid Facebook chicken groups and come here instead

 

[Chickassan]

Yes, save your sanity.

That makes me feel better. I need to avoid Facebook chicken groups and come here instead

 

[Brenda Jones]

@Jenilynchickmom,
I am in Northern Michigan and I know it was -2 degrees last night here (with wind chill) and only 4 degrees above when I went out to check on my girls this morning. They were pretty stressed and CRANKY, even though I kept a brood heater on them last night (equivalent to a 40 watt light bulb, but no light). They were very cranky with each other and didn't want to share the nesting area at all. I had to separate my girls and bring the one that is at the bottom of the pecking order into the house in a storage tote so she could lay, as the others wouldn't let her nest. once they had all laid their eggs I put them all back together and now they are fine. My coop is in the garage, out of the wind, but still gets cold ( stays a few degrees warmer than outside though) I also have insulated the walls around my coop and put a blanket over the top, plastic around the bottom, AND have the brood heater inside the roosting/nesting area... and my girls were still stressed... I'm sure that with the weather your girls may be getting stressed as well. I have found "slime" in my nesting box and even just broken yolk, when my little girls had stress and didn't produce a good shell. I have added some vitamins to help with the stress and they are doing well now. Besides looking here for advice, I use 3 books for reference... I find them very helpful. AND when all seems chaos I grab a chicken and love on her... THAT helps both of us

 

[Jenilynchickmom]

@Jenilynchickmom,
I am in Northern Michigan and I know it was -2 degrees last night here (with wind chill) and only 4 degrees above when I went out to check on my girls this morning. They were pretty stressed and CRANKY, even though I kept a brood heater on them last night (equivalent to a 40 watt light bulb, but no light). They were very cranky with each other and didn't want to share the nesting area at all. I had to separate my girls and bring the one that is at the bottom of the pecking order into the house in a storage tote so she could lay, as the others wouldn't let her nest. once they had all laid their eggs I put them all back together and now they are fine. My coop is in the garage, out of the wind, but still gets cold ( stays a few degrees warmer than outside though) I also have insulated the walls around my coop and put a blanket over the top, plastic around the bottom, AND have the brood heater inside the roosting/nesting area... and my girls were still stressed... I'm sure that with the weather your girls may be getting stressed as well. I have found "slime" in my nesting box and even just broken yolk, when my little girls had stress and didn't produce a good shell. I have added some vitamins to help with the stress and they are doing well now. Besides looking here for advice, I use 3 books for reference... I find them very helpful. AND when all seems chaos I grab a chicken and love on her... THAT helps both of us

Thank you! I’m definitely feeling overwhelmed and like I failed that’s for sure.