Free roaming hens in sub-freezing temps, snow & wind?

[chicknmom]

@ Schnebbles -
Oooh - worrisome abt the silkie getting disoriented.

 

[schnebbles]

Really? Are they just kinda dumb? That sounds mean but you know what I mean. I hope they stay in the Coop. I opened the door but they didn't come out. I'm working today

 

[centrarchid]

Make so they can stay out of wind, in sunlight, and on something made of wood or hay or straw.

 

[chicknmom]

Really? Are they just kinda dumb? That sounds mean but you know what I mean. I hope they stay in the Coop. I opened the door but they didn't come out. I'm working today

Perhaps they ARE more dumb than other chickens! They do not stay in the coop or spend almost any time in there during the daylight hours. They sit and huddle and shiver (or at least *look* like they shiver!) out in the yard!
But I love my dumb birds!

 

[schnebbles]

I love mine too Today no one came out of the coop.

I did notice a tiny bit of frostbite (I'm guessing that's it) on my d'uccle. I put vaseline on him. I think their coop is ventilated enough, but they do sit outside most of the day so it could have gotten a little wet and cold yesterday.

 

[3chickchicks]

It's about 26 here right now in lovely Dallas TX

and my hens are wandering the yard like it's a beautiful spring day. They aren't loving all the ice, but they seem fine. I am sure if yours have the option to go in and out of the coop if they decide to seek shelter during the day, they should be fine like mine are.

I'm out towards Denton. Sounds like yours are a little tougher than mine. They kicked up a fuss about the run being locked since they're normally out and about. I opened the door and they took a few steps out, had a short discussion, and marched back in and haven't been out much since.

 

[centrarchid]

The staying in the coop or in my case on the roost longer in morning when temperatures are low is transient. It may take a couple days but they will come down and get out on the snow. Mine apperar to loose weight durng the process. My free-ranging games also tend to fly a lot more once they adapt.

 

[FrozenWings]

The staying in the coop or in my case on the roost longer in morning when temperatures are low is transient. It may take a couple days but they will come down and get out on the snow. Mine apperar to loose weight durng the process. My free-ranging games also tend to fly a lot more once they adapt.

I noticed that my flock lost quite a bit of weight after our temperatures were between 0 to -13 degrees for about 5 days. I figured I was doing a good job of letting them plump up, but after the cold snap, it was like they hadn't eaten which I know wasn't the case. My birds choose not to go out below 10 degree temperatures, or if it is actually snowing, and I coop them up below zero degrees. Otherwise they will go play in the snow, some look happy, other do not.

-Frozen Wings

 

[centrarchid]

I noticed that my flock lost quite a bit of weight after our temperatures were between 0 to -13 degrees for about 5 days. I figured I was doing a good job of letting them plump up, but after the cold snap, it was like they hadn't eaten which I know wasn't the case. My birds choose not to go out below 10 degree temperatures, or if it is actually snowing, and I coop them up below zero degrees. Otherwise they will go play in the snow, some look happy, other do not.

-Frozen Wings

Some the weight.loss at intermediate cold temperatures is voluntary. When cold stress is more intense then weight occurs unless egg production stops. Many of us are keeping birds at temperatures well below where commercial folks are concerned about keeping them because the commercial folks step in and provide heat.

 

[chicknmom]

My babies continue to avoid their coop during daylight hours, except to lay. But some do seem to have lost quite a lot of weight. I have chosen to not add light or heat, and they have a protected and covered area as well as a large back yard. This has been the harshest winter I recall in the 17+ years I've lived in SW WA. Now that the severe cold has broken for a while, it is very wet. And the large grassed area is mostly just mud now. Almost no greens available for them to nibble on. I feed them organic layer pellets (and the chicks are on organic chick starter), along with a varied home-made non-gmo scratch a couple of times a day, and chopped up leftovers of my summer and autumn harvests.
So - as this is my first winter with my chickie-babes, I am just watchfully waiting and looking forward to winter being over. It's rather stressful, though! And I sense that they are somewhat stressed too.