getting ready for winter.

[Birdladyof50]

Hello everyone. I hope your morning is going well. Ok so this will be my first winter with my flock and I want to make sure I get this right. I have muscovees, the curly haired geese, Chinese geese, peecking ducks and lots of chickens. They are all free range during the day. The ducks and geese have a Creek that they have free access to. I have food and water in every pen and every pen has some sort of shelter for them. I was reading on Here that I do not need to have water in the pens at night. Is this correct. I am worrying about how to keep water from freezing. No electric access. If they are out all day do I need to put water in pens at night? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[dotporter]

In the winter, I empty the water dishes at sunset and then refill them in the morning. I own geese, turkeys, and Muscovy and they all get the water dishes emptied at sunset. Mine seem to need more water in the winter than they do in the summer though. I guess it's because I live in Michigan with mild summers and really dry winters.

The birds also get supplemental corn in the winter, along with their normal feed. It helps them put on fat to keep warm in the cold, and I believe it increases their metabolism. Since temperatures have been dipping dramatically, they're already started on corn so that they'll have some good fat before things freeze.