How Long Outside?

[fiberart57]

Our high temperature today on the Western Slope of the Rockies was 16 degrees. We also have about 14 inches of new snow on the ground. The girls were unhappy but walked about in the small area I cleared for them.

One thing you said concerned me, perhaps I misunderstood when you said that you go out and close up their run at night. Do you also lock up the coop, or hen house? If not, you're letting a lot of cold air into the coop and that will negate some of the effects of the insulation. Additionally, closing it up at night provides another barrier to predators. You'll probably want to keep them closed up and confined at night and let them out in the morning.

Mary

 

[annie3001]

yes def i close and lock up the hens at night. their coop is nice and secure. thanks

 

[chookchick]

Let them out as long as they want to be out. It was 8 degrees here this morning and the hens came out for the usual scratch fest. Then they stood around very fluffed up--but they wanted out of the coop. Spent a lot more time out then when it was 45 and raining! They aren't as dumb as we sometimes make them out to be...

 

[waterpossum]

i/ve never had a problem w/ the cold either. making sure they have water is my main concern. never lost a chicken to the cold and they sure like to fluff up and huddle together on the roost more now. its about 10 degrees right now in northern OKLA and getting colder and its only 9 pm. so getting up in the morning and giving more water

 

[Equus5O]

This morning, with four inches of snow on the ground, they didn't want to descend the ramp to leave the coop. But, when I opened the big door, which is covered by the tarp roof... out they went. But, I didn't let them out to free range today. There was just nowhere for them to go that wasn't covered in slush. If I'd let them out of the run, I was concerned that they'd just keep roaming further out into the woods looking for bare spots beneath the brush.

 

[mandelyn]

Mine pop out for some air, a treat, and then back inside. Yesterday it was hilarious because 3 about blew away, and Rooster looked like he said "To heck with it, back inside girls!". Today the wind is gone but there's some snow and it's COLD... but it depends on if it's dry cold or wet cold.

I heat with a lightblub, because it dries the air out inside the coop. This helps keep Rooster from getting Frostbite. The girls are fine. Rooster is the one I'm worried. I'm bound and determined that this will be the first winter where one of my roosters WILL have a nice red comb all winter. No purple!