Free Range in Snowy Weather: What do you do?

If I know snow is coming, I pitch all the bedding (old hay) in a mini hay stack, then flip it over on top of the snow. Generally here, we just try winter on. We get snow, it melts off, and we get snow again. This year, we have been solid white since before Christmas!

Mrs K
I tried that this year, it works in small snowfalls quite well, but when we get a foot or more at a time it doesn't make a difference as my hay stack got squashed and was hard to get out of the snow. Either way it's hard to shovel the snow when there's hay underneath. I mostly just keep piling the hay on each new snowfall after trying to shovel some off, make for good deep litter and compost.
 
I agree, and two big storms started with a good rain too, so my whole run is mostly ice, covered with snow. I too am piling on hay on top of snow. And like you, will be adding this to my garden.
 
Yes yes thanks! Sounds like I am doing similar...straw on top of snow, less digging haha and the dogs are indeed making paths the chickens then use!.

The chickens are actually getting more and more used to walking on the packed snow. I agree, the straw will all be good compost or good for the earth by the time spring arrives! Wow!

No harm, no fowl.
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I will be getting more bales and using them creatively. I did get a few to start with but next winter I will really stock up.

the idea to throw scratch or treats or feed on the bales themselves: Genius!

These ideas are keeping my girls busy and active even in deep winter...they are happy and healthy and starting to lay again...all good signs, and less cooped up.

It is fun to see them out with the little dogs: The papillon gets about two feet from one she wants to get past, she stops, waits carefully, and then makes a dash for it! They are peacefully co-existing, and now that the dogs are making chicken paths, their usefulness has increased!
 
We are still covered with snow and ice {since before Christmas}! Using considerably more scratch than usual to lead them to new areas and keep things interesting. My flock has worn out the protected strip in front of the horse stalls and that area and the path I shoveled for them is quite poopy!. When I clean the ashes out of the fireplace in the morning I take the bucket and sprinkle paths on the solid ice. Then I got my husband to make a path with the tractor from the chicken coop road to a long row of trees that is protected and actually has bare grounds for dust baths. But of course then they got confused at the end of the day and couldn't find the entrance to the path back home and my husband and I had to personally escort them!
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We are still covered with snow and ice {since before Christmas}! Using considerably more scratch than usual to lead them to new areas and keep things interesting. My flock has worn out the protected strip in front of the horse stalls and that area and the path I shoveled for them is quite poopy!. When I clean the ashes out of the fireplace in the morning I take the bucket and sprinkle paths on the solid ice. Then I got my husband to make a path with the tractor from the chicken coop road to a long row of trees that is protected and actually has bare grounds for dust baths. But of course then they got confused at the end of the day and couldn't find the entrance to the path back home and my husband and I had to personally escort them!
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That made me chuckle! I bet they get it after a couple of days! And thinking of scratch being like breadcrumbs! My paths are getting poopy too!
 
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My girls have a greenhouse attached to their run. On sunny days I let them out. I have scattereed hay and woodchips around so they can walk and scrounge around I also have a sheet of plywood raised off the ground about 2ft that I covered with tarp so the ground underneith is free of snow. That is where they do their dust bath.

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I quit free-ranging this winter because we had two hawk attacks (I lost one of my girls and found the head of a neighbors rooster in my driveway). The hawks were even swooping down at the predator netting I have covering their entire run. They look longingly out their fence at the yard but sorry, nope, too much hawk activity this time of year. But even when it snows most of them usually stay in or under the coop...and then there are the few who stay outside during a snowstorm and end up covered in snow while pecking around.
 

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