Free Ranging in Snow??

[Sitka]

I guess our chickens were wimps --- when we lived in N.H. they stayed in the barn all winter ....

We had a heat-lamp for our barn cat --- everybody was spoiled!

 

[Mary Of Exeter]

My chickens just stare from the depths of their 'warm' coop like it's an armageddon out there!

Takes them forever, but they finally come out, only to retreat under the coop where it's dry. They don't like snow and yet they'll roam around in the pouring rain? Maybe mine are just a little backwards

 

[texasgal]

snow? Snow? SNOW??? OMG .. we're still hitting 100+ mark here .. and we rarely Rarely RARELY see snow .. **pout**

 

[Hoosiermomma]

Okay we've only been through one winter with chickens. Last year my roo lost the tip of his comb and part of a toe or two from frostbite due to being in the snow. Is there anything I can do to prevent that this year? Their coop is warm as we use heat lamps plus it's really insulated. I just worry when they go outside.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
My BO roo lost the tip of his comb too. But not his toes. Aren't they suppose to be smart enough to go in when their feets get cold.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

It snows like crazy here in WI and my coop (8X8) had two heat lamps in it LOL HEY, it was my first year raising chickens! I wanted them to have a warm coop. They were such wimps though and stayed indoors ALL winter. ONce in a while one would step out but then run right back in. I did shovel for them and that helped get a few more out but not many. I wonder if year two for them will be better?

 

[wildorchid053]

this will be our first winter in upstate ny for them.. we built our run so we could use the snowblower. but i am afraid of the frostbite too.. i heard use vasoline on their combs .. but what for their feet outside?

 

[vtchickenlady]

Our running pen has hardware cloth as a roof so when it snows we build a bunker for them to hang out in. Its framed with tree stumps and we place corragated roofing on top. Its about 3 feet tall. They love it.

 

[stephhassler]

I'm in Iowa and we had a cold, very snowy winter last year. My poor chickens have no heat lamp in the coop. They did fine with no help from me other than shoveling around the coop a little bit so they could get out. Mine were out most of the time, and didn't seem to mind the snow at all. Preditors are worse for me in the spring and summer than in the winter. Of course, I had leghorns last summer and they probably were hard to spot in all that snow.

 

[CherokeeFlats]

now I'm anxious to see what mine will do in the snow!! Mine aren't freerange yet. I am so afraid of them takin off and becoming lunch for a feral dog/cat/coyete/HAWK...

Also, do any of you keep wings clipped?? I worry about them getting up in the trees (well we only have like 4)

It's like having a new baby all over again... those first seasons are the hardest.. what to do, what to put on them, run outside in the winter with shorts on to see just how cold it is.... LOL

Guess I am "mother hen" right now LOL