Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[Fentress]

We got down to 12. The birds are fine. They do not even act cold. They are acting as they always do.

I am wondering about some of my plants. Some of them are cold hardy up to and around this point. This weather will have some effect. 12 is unusual for us so it will be interesting to see where the limitations are.

I was down to about 12 as well. No frostbite this morning. I had frostbite last year when it was barely freezing, so the new, larger open front coop is doing the job!

 

[gjensen]

I was down to about 12 as well. No frostbite this morning. I had frostbite last year when it was barely freezing, so the new, larger open front coop is doing the job!

I guess 11 is my official. LOL.

No frost bite here. I left the south side and southeast side open myself.

I was a bit surprised to see them active and alert as if it was not cold. I had expected them to be a bit more "bundled up". They are certainly tough critters. I would have been balled up in a corner. Stiff.

The weather was of interest to me, because I have not experienced a lot of this with birds. This is unusually cold for here.

 

[3riverschick]

Weather service called for high of positive 6 and low of positive 4 today in PA 15658

Right now it is minus 6 here with minus 29 wind chill. Gusts to 30mph.
If we can just hold on till Thursday in the coops, I think we will be all right.
How you doing, hellbender?
Best,
Karen

Just curious, has anyone's electric pop door frozen yet?
Our house is at 61 and hopefully will hold there. The bones of
the house are beginning to chill despite our best efforts.

 

[catdaddyfro]

15 here an all's well(cept the well pump is froze up) I just heard one leave out of the garage(her secret hidey hole she thinks) LOL after doing her morning ritual just a hollern' and raising cane like she was PeeOde from having to leave her warmed comfortable sanctuary to go eat after laying her morning egg.

Those birds are tuff hey George even the ones that sleep in the tree (roosters of course) are just fine and dandy I heard them about their normal 3:30 am crowing concerto this morning if it was those $150 a head Buffs or a super duper flare tailed WR it probly still been stuck on the tree limb like ol Jeremiah Johnson found ol Cactus Jack and 'bout the way I feelt last evening after lock up time




Jeff

 

[gjensen]

Jeff, they unknowingly set a standard. I will not keep any that acts all hunched up in this weather moving forward. A bird hunched up in the cold is not staying.

That is what you want. Birds as active and vigorous in this weather as any. It tickled me to let some out this morning and they are at the door ready to go. Chattering away. All the while, I am bundled up and hunched up. LOL.

I say all of this knowing that our conditions are milder than many. Just not mild to me.

 

[3riverschick]

I am not sure if this is better news or not?!? Now it is 2 degrees warmer
but the wind chill has increased with the wind gusts.
currently minus 4°F Feels Like: -30° Gusts to 39mph
Best,
Karen

 

[catdaddyfro]

Jeff, they unknowingly set a standard. I will not keep any that acts all hunched up in this weather moving forward. A bird hunched up in the cold is not staying.

That is what you want. Birds as active and vigorous in this weather as any. It tickled me to let some out this morning and they are at the door ready to go. Chattering away. All the while, I am bundled up and hunched up. LOL.

I say all of this knowing that our conditions are milder than many. Just not mild to me.

Exactly George I'm sitting here inside with this unit a churning out 65 degree air/with my mules on my feet and an indian blaket wrapped around me and still got cold toes. My birds are out in the frosty pasture and yard barefooted and carrying on like its just another day in the park, so I stand at the window and say well go ahead on I'll see ya'll about 32* till then get it kitty get it. LOL Folks worry too much for those critters they have to be able to withstand this stuff or they will surely begat unthrifty/cull stock. All the ladies on the La-yers thread probly think I'm cruel and mean but they are all worried to death about their bunnies and birds light bulbs going out an all that, not me cause there's none to go out. Same as fans in the summer none of those here either, there's shade trees an I give plenty of water and food the rest is up to them. The sparrows do it(lookin' at them now), so my chicken should be able to also their forefathers did it. My forefathers did it too because they didn't have an electric furnace they got warm splitting the wood and toting it in, carrying the ashes out and they probly sat in the far corner of the house to get a break when they ever did come inside reckon.

Jeff

 

[armorfirelady]

Weather service called for high of positive 6 and low of positive 4 today in PA 15658

Right now it is minus 6 here with minus 29 wind chill. Gusts to 30mph.
If we can just hold on till Thursday in the coops, I think we will be all right.
How you doing, hellbender?
 Best,
 Karen

Just curious, has anyone's electric pop door frozen yet?
Our house is at 61 and hopefully will hold there. The bones of
the house are beginning to chill despite our best efforts.

My pop door opened like normal. It's solar powered. -6 here with wind chill over -30. Temp in coop is +2 and that was before I put up a couple tarps inside to block snow blowing in. Girls are doing great

 

[Canieldonrad]

Buckeyes are fine, La Flèche females are fine, Young La Flèche male is fine. But all three of my older La Flèche got a little bit in the wattles. One far worse than the others. I did not think they would have an issue with the way I was keeping them. But I guess I was riding that fine line, as no one else was harmed.

 

[NanaKat]

Staying warm in the house.
The brooder room is fine..just lost 1 one week old chick due to piling up..even though the thermometer in there was reading 98 degrees.
The others were running around pecking crumbles. The outdoor open front coops faced south are filled with straw and have a partial cover on the front. Water tubs were almost solid ice. Birds were eager to get out when I took the wire screens off the fronts.
Inside the hen house in the barn...all water bottles and cups on cages were frozen as were all the jug waterers...even the two under a heat emitter.

I think a lot of the success n winter storms beside good draft free buildings and good feed and water I is healthy vigorous Heritage breeds....mine are Wyandotte, Buckeye, Cochin, Australorp and the Bantam OEGB, Rosecomb, Delaware and d'Anvers. They are laying up a storm.