Free-ranging In Winter?

[Going Quackers]

Mine have access to coops 24/7 whether they choose to use them? up to them, you can always tell a bad cold day, no one is to be seen lol. People choose what they do based on what they feel is right, this is my choice, frankly, i had less problems with frost bite and less overall squabbles by leaving the birds to decide vs my choosing.

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm in gardening zone 4. We often have weeks at a time that temp doesn't get up TO 0*F. That depends on the year. I open the people door to my coop when weather permits during the warm part of the day. (basically if the temp gets up to 15* or so) Unfortunately, the pop door is not available to them during the winter due to roof slope and risk of sudden avalanche of snow dropping on them and burying them in the run. (poor planning on my part. Hope to rectify that some day) But, they usually wont come out unless they can see a few wisps of something other than snow and ice. A bit of hay will sometimes do the trick. The biggest benefit to my flock is for them to have advantage of my green house in the winter. I hope to get it set up so they can have one bed for dust bathing, and I'll use the other bed for growing. I do keep a path cleared to the people door, and they will come out and poke around in the path some.

During the winter, they are fed and watered in the coop. Heated dog bowl with a moat for their water. They get their FF morning and afternoon.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have, or will have an outdoor shelter in the run. Just some plywood, to make a windbreak and roof, covered with hay on the ground, gives shelter to the feed, keeping it dry. Most days my birds are outside. The choice is theirs.

Mrs K

 

[Adalida]

I open the gate and let them decide, but everybody wants to come out even if it means walking on snow. I live in northern Montana so we get plenty of snow. I think my ducks like winter better than summer. They absolutely loved dabbling in the snow and gobbling ice.

 

[LilJoe]

I've seen that most or all of you let your chickens outside during winter. Can they get any illnesses from the cold?

 

[Adalida]

LilJoe, I did quite a bit of research on this last year. Cold weather does not cause illness. Now of course you have things like frostbite or hypothermia and such to consider. But think about how hospitals and such are always cold to prevent the spread of germs. The reason so many people get sick in winter is because they're mostly indoors and the windows are closed, so there's no fresh air circulating. And disease-causing germs have a heyday with that. So no, being outside in the cold won't expose your chickens to disease.

 

[LilJoe]

LilJoe, I did quite a bit of research on this last year. Cold weather does not cause illness. Now of course you have things like frostbite or hypothermia and such to consider. But think about how hospitals and such are always cold to prevent the spread of germs. The reason so many people get sick in winter is because they're mostly indoors and the windows are closed, so there's no fresh air circulating. And disease-causing germs have a heyday with that. So no, being outside in the cold won't expose your chickens to disease.

Thank you Adalida! What can I do about the chickens with single combs since they are prone to frostbite? (More that rose and walnut combs)

 

[Flock Master64]

Vassaline

 

[LilJoe]

Vassaline

On both their comb and wattle?

 

[Flock Master64]

Yup just slap it all over em