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

[centrarchid]

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.

Try giving the them soaked oats and germinated grains. Latter will provide many if not most benefits of consuming summer time greens. Temperature you are describing since still wet should not be all that stressful so long as nutrition is good.

 

[chicknmom]

Try giving the them soaked oats and germinated grains. Latter will provide many if not most benefits of consuming summer time greens. Temperature you are describing since still wet should not be all that stressful so long as nutrition is good.

Thx. I've been reading up about sprouting grains for chickens. Seems caution is necessary, and there is some question of whether or not the increased sugars are that good for them. Any tips on how to source, soak and use sprouts for chickens?

 

[centrarchid]

Thx. I've been reading up about sprouting grains for chickens. Seems caution is necessary, and there is some question of whether or not the increased sugars are that good for them. Any tips on how to source, soak and use sprouts for chickens?

I do not have a issue with the sugar type when it comes to chickens. The intact starches are slower to be assimulated than the simple sugars but chickens handle carbohydrates very well. My birds are expected to live several years on high carbohydrate rations and do fine on restriction rations during winter months.


The soaking part is easy, immerse oats (seeds) for about three days in tap water. They will swell and early changes associated with germination will commence as will some fermentation. Will smell a little like rising bread from ethanol generated.

Several good threads deal with germinating grains in the feeds and feeding section.

 

[cofast]

its rainig here today and the girls got wet the coop is dry but its going to be 20 tonite never had this happen ?