How do you get ready for winter?

[RodNTN]

Great winter plan @alibabba! I shovel, but my chickens won't come out; even if it has just been a light dusting of snow. My birds are picky

 

[alibabba]

Great winter plan @alibabba! I shovel, but my chickens won't come out; even if it has just been a light dusting of snow. My birds are picky

Ditto, where are you? Sometimes I have layed big old rugs down. I always have some old thing hanging around. They love that! Big brown rug, island in the sun.

 

[RodNTN]

I am in TN. I don't go to all of that trouble for my chickens Sometimes I carry each of my 30 birds to our porch when it has snowed... but other than that they can either stay in or come out.

 

[alibabba]

I give my poultry hay all the time. I haven't had a single problem from it. Hay keeps them busy, gives them winter forage and give them something to stand on instead of frozen ground. Chickens will eat the leaves, and not the stems in general. I highly recommend a good grass hay for winter. It has so many uses.

Hmm, I have thought about alfafa hay, because it's really good for horses. Is grass hay the thing? My chickens free range the yard and grass does grow through winter. Might be not needed, but they might like it...?

 

[RodNTN]

I am not 100% sure, but I don't think that grass and alfalfa hay are the same thing. Correct me if I am wrong though. My chickens free range, but I use hay. My chickens love it

 

[alibabba]

Hopefully this is the right thread to post my two questions since they are both related to winter. So here they are: #1) We recently added another 12" x 12" vent in the upper portion of the coop (in the peak of the roof). The vent is open to the run which faces west and the run is fully covered by a metal roof, with sun/windscreen on the west facing run wall. My leghorn has taken to roosting right in front of this vent at night. Is this OK, seeing how there could be some breeze/draft blowing in; temps are just now starting to drop in the upper teens/low 20s (F) at night. I really don't know what I can do about it if its not OK, except maybe place something up there to keep her from roosting but it would be blocking the new vent, to some degree. #2) My girls really love to free range. Is it still OK to let them outside during the day even if its cold out (20-30F on ave., can go lower) and snow on the ground, or should they be restricted to just the run and coop? I should mention that my girls are cold hardy, moreso than the leghorn.

Omgoodness yes, let them out. They find little places in the sun... Try laying an old rug down, they love it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I am not 100% sure, but I don't think that grass and alfalfa hay are the same thing. Correct me if I am wrong though. My chickens free range, but I use hay. My chickens love it

Alfalfa hay is generally just alfalfa, grass hay will contain many different species which can include alfalfa.

My birds eat the greens of all species provided, be it grass, alfalfa or clover. They never eat the stems generally so it's important to pick forage hay that has lots of leaves and less stems.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have deep hay in the run too. This time of year, I will rake it up and make mini hay stacks, then after a snow, I just flip the hay on top of the snow, and out they come. It is not the cold, it is that strange white stuff that scares them.

 

[thearkenstone]

thanks for ideas

 

[cavemanrich]

Hmm, I have thought about alfafa hay, because it's really good for horses. Is grass hay the thing? My chickens free range the yard and grass does grow through winter. Might be not needed, but they might like it...?

I have been using Alfalfa Hay and also Tymothy Hay for ever. I skip buying straw and use hay instead. Chickens don't eat straw, but they will munch on hay. They don't eat the stems, but do scratch thru the hay and find what they can. Last time at the feed store I also bought a bag of alfalfa pellets. Believe they are meant for rabbits, but my chickens do sample the green pellets. Winter here there is not much natural green growing. I serve free-choice alongside the oyster shells.