First snow today; Chickens going crazy.

[boersmamrs]

They won't leave the coop. One of my hens is crowing. They are legitimately yelling at each other. Pecking each other.. and I think my only layer has gone broody and the smallest girls went in her nest and won't get out. She is freaking out and attacking them. It is very crazy. I worry they might destroy each other before the day is through. I think they "love" winter as much as I do.

 

[boersmamrs]

My coop is next to our sauna so I built some trusses today and connected a roof. It looks absolutely ghetto LOL. But it made the coop at least ten degrees warmer. I had water in there today that didn't freeze and it was 28 degrees ALL day. I am glad to have gotten it done, as we are in the middle of a winter storm ALREADY! It is really awful out there.. I also had a old piece of metal roofing that I screwed into the back side of the coop and connecting wall the sauna. I hung an old vinyl table cloth on the front side and they are set for the winter!! It looks so hilarious. I will sleep much better tonight knowing how much warmer the girls are. I have done all the winterizing myself without the aid of my husband, so I feel accomplished no matter how silly it looks.

 

[EagleEyes]

I opened the door to the run to see if anyone wanted to come out, and they reluctantly strolled out to eat a bit of scratch.
I went into the garage and when I came back out she was standing there, seemingly not knowing what to do next.
We had 4-5" of snow.
I watched for a little while before I went and rescued her. She gladly let me pick her up.
Kinda funny.

 

[N F C]

Hi,

You didn't mention, but I was wondering have your chickens seen snow before? Maybe once they get used to seeing it, they won't be so leery about going out in it and will leave the coop.

Hope things have calmed down, I know I don't like to see my girls worked up and crabby. A crabby chicken can make everyone nuts!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Mine don't like snow either. They will brave the ramp to get under the (snowless) coop. They do like to stick their heads out and eat the snow though.

 

[boersmamrs]

Yes, that was their first time seeing snow. They are a little more relaxed about it today, perhaps because the sun is out! They have been hanging out in the small partially enclosed space on my back stairs; soaking up the sun.

 

[kim10261]

put some straw down in the run so their feet can be dry and warm also throw some scratch in the straw so they can be entertained I hope they all settle down,this is also my 1st winter with chickens so I am trying to make things as comfortable for them as possible without adding a heat source

 

[boersmamrs]

put some straw down in the run so their feet can be dry and warm also throw some scratch in the straw so they can be entertained I hope they all settle down,this is also my 1st winter with chickens so I am trying to make things as comfortable for them as possible without adding a heat source

I have pine shavings in my coop. I have heard that straw works better for winter? Is that true? I won't be adding a heat source. It gets REALLY cold here. I am afraid that if I heat the coop and the power goes out due to a bad storm that they will freeze to death.(Not acclimating to the cold nights) Our coop has really thick insulation on the outside though and a deep layer of pine shavings. It stays pretty warm in there.

 

[boersmamrs]

There is no run BTW. They are free range.There is a enclosed space under their coop? Should I put straw down there?

 

[kim10261]

yes it just gives them something warm to stand on, some entertainment and exercise. my chickens have a large run and free range on my off days for an hour or so after I get off work,way to many birds of prey and neighbors cats and dogs for me to risk them being unprotected, what kind of chickens do you have? I have 3 RSL and 3 BO that are 7 months old and have 15 four day old BO females