First Time In the Snow!

[americanchicks]

We got some snow last week. Wasn't much but it was the first time the girls have seen it. I watched as one bird came out of the coop, stepped a few inches from the ramp then ran quickly inside. It was so funny because they kept doing it and every time a different chicken came out. After about 6 or 7 rotations my largest BR came running down the ramp about 3 feet from the door then slowly started scratching the snow. Soon everyone followed her. It then hit me "I wish I got that on camera"

 

[henny1129]

Haha! That's hilarious! I remember our chickens first snow...they were quite shocked!

 

[b.hromada]

that would have been great to see!

 

[N F C]

Glad they overcame their fear of the unknown. Winter weather (at least where I am) has quite a long run to go. Nice that they all finally felt able to get outside!

 

[RDNX]

My girls don't like the snow. They only came out after I cleared the driveway and some walking paths. I have confined them to the outside run with full access into the coop. I just hung a head of cabbage for them and they don't seem to care for it..

 

[N F C]

My girls don't like the snow. They only came out after I cleared the driveway and some walking paths. I have confined them to the outside run with full access into the coop. I just hung a head of cabbage for them and they don't seem to care for it..

My chickens never cared for cabbage either. But hang up some apple slices, and look out! Major feeding frenzy, lol.

 

[RDNX]

9 degrees outside and I went and checked on my girls, coop is 29-30 degrees and they are has a could be. They were a little mad that I came out to check on them. I'm trying to not use a heat lamp so that my girls won't be dependent on it. What temperature do you guys use a heat lamp. I was thinking that if the outside temp drop below 0 I would plug in a heat lamp on the opposite side of the roost just for a little help keeping them warm.

 

[N F C]

As long as your coop is draft free and well ventilated, they shouldn't need a heat lamp. Chickens have wonderful feather coats to keep them warm, plus they get warmth from roosting with their feathers covering their feet (that's one reason you need to have the roosting bars wide enough). And they'll huddle close to one another too.

If the get used to having a heat lamp in their coop, it's a big temp change going outside or when you stop using a heat lamp. And there have been cases where the lamps were responsible for coop fires.

It's for those reasons, I'd never use one in a coop.