Frozen eggs

[DonHess]

I have 15 hens, all were bought as day-olds about 9 months ago. Over the weekend they experienced snow for the first time (not happy) and the coldest temperatures they have ever known (15 degrees).

I have read many discussions on this site about heat the hen house/don't heat the hen house. I have chosen the latter. All of my girls are big, and all of them like to huddle closely on their hen house perches, and a few even venture outside to observe the world, huddling together on top of a plastic milk carton. None seem distressed -- and-- they are eating a ton of food! Way more than in warm weather. Now, three of them are hungry black Jersey Giants, one is a barred rock that several have commented she is way big for her breed, and the others are this and that, all brown egg layers. Keeping them happy is my biggest priority. For a down season they are laying extremely well. Out of 15 I have twice been gifted with 13 eggs a day and often a dozen. It is unusual when they lay fewer than 10.

So I am keeping my fingers crossed about the cold weather and the snow. It appears they are okay, and that is reassuring.

Don

 

[caseybean025]

I have 15 hens, all were bought as day-olds about 9 months ago.  Over the weekend they experienced snow for the first time (not happy) and the coldest temperatures they have ever known (15 degrees).

I have read many discussions on this site about heat the hen house/don't heat the hen house.  I have chosen the latter.  All of my girls are big, and all of them like to huddle closely on their hen house perches, and a few even venture outside to observe the world, huddling together on top of a plastic milk carton.  None seem distressed -- and-- they are eating a ton of food!  Way more than in warm weather.  Now, three of them are hungry black Jersey Giants, one is a barred rock that several have commented she is way big for her breed, and the others are this and that, all brown egg layers.  Keeping them happy is my biggest priority.  For a down season they are laying extremely well.  Out of 15 I have twice been gifted with 13 eggs a day and often a dozen.  It is unusual when they lay fewer than 10.

So I am keeping my fingers crossed about the cold weather and the snow.  It appears they are okay, and that is reassuring.

Don

If it makes you feel any better, I live in Wisconsin. I have 4 bantams (although one is approaching the size of a small LF) who were all born around the middle of July. I do not heat the coop and only provide a heated water source to prevent frozen water and a deeper litter bed to nest in if they want. We had a couple bouts of -20ish wind chills for a week+ at a time and the girls still came out EVERY SINGLE DAY for most of the day. And the best part is now that the days are getting longer, 2 out of 4 have started laying and another one should be pretty soon! And the breeds that I have are known to be late layers, otherwise I'm convinced they would have Been laying for awhile now.