How was your winter?

[TheEggCollecter]

Spring is doing a sort of tease fan dance here in northwoods of Wisconsin. In the last couple of weeks we've seen temps run from 20s to 60s. Not good with the snow and ground freeze. My first winter with my hens and I think we did very well. One casualty thanks to the nutcase neighbors and their feral cat colony

That cat actually tried to attack with me standing right there. But given all the eagles and other birds of prey, foxes, fishers, coyotes, wolves and other predators...and the crazy low (and long) winter temps I'm calling it a success and hoping I didn't just jinx myself. I was surprised at egg production too...reading had me prepared for little or no eggs. Looking forward to a good spring cleaning of the coop and building a run. They've been free range but the cat problem is bad. We don't have an ACO or governing body that will deal with it and the only one that will can't be done anonymously and these people are wackadoodle and unpredictable at best. The only other option is what they call the "three S" solution: shoot, shovel, & shut up. I'm not going that route for a variety of reasons and in no particular order.

oh jeez! Temperatures here went down below freezing and even further down with the wind chill and stayed that way for a while.

But spring is definitely dropping little hints! As mentioned before in a previous post i had a few losses too. Most I have had in one period of time. Each winter gets a little worse very year and I'm losing it. I can't wait for warmer temperatures. I have a large 20 ft by 20 ft run for the winter and fall and certain time periods in the spring and summer. But most of the time they are free ranging. My coop definitely needs a good spring cleaning too!

 

[keesmom]

Lol. I feel you. Still feels like winter at night but the past two weeks in Mass has been in the 40s and 50s! Its been beautiful and lots of sun too.   Almost no more snow on the ground and hoping it stays that way!   How did your flock do? Any losses?

How could your snow be almost gone? The only places I can see ground is where I shoveled trails to the coops and woodpile. Some has melted. I can see out the front window again, and the top of a few bushes are finally visible, but there's still a lot out there.

 

[TheEggCollecter]

How could your snow be almost gone? The only places I can see ground is where I shoveled trails to the coops and woodpile. Some has melted. I can see out the front window again, and the top of a few bushes are finally visible, but there's still a lot out there.

To be honest i really don't know! My property is located on a large hill and gets a lot of sun all day (almost no trees)

 

[lazy gardener]

Lol. I feel you. Still feels like winter at night but the past two weeks in Mass has been in the 40s and 50s! Its been beautiful and lots of sun too.

Almost no more snow on the ground and hoping it stays that way!

How did your flock do? Any losses?

My flock did well. They moved into their new coop in late November. (Still needs finishing touches: pop door, run, completion of a broody cage, tweaking a few doors) I gave them a heat lamp for a few nights when it was below zero. They laid pretty well all winter with a 7W CFL x 14 hours/day. Only had a few frozen eggs. No flock losses.

 

[dragon30276]

no snow

 

[TheEggCollecter]

no snow

haha! Hows your flock?

 

[whittychick]

This winter was long, cold and sooooo snowy! Tonight the wind is blowing almost 60 mph and its freezing

spring is almost here

I'm done with winter!!!!!

 

[whittychick]

How WAS it, you ask?  Past tense?????  Still winter for me.  Snow storm Sat through Sunday.  I believe more snow due Tues night.  Haven't checked past that.  Still 2.5' of snow on the ground.  

Oh I saw maine was suppose to get a lot of snow again

how much did you get?

 

[whittychick]

Lol. I feel you. Still feels like winter at night but the past two weeks in Mass has been in the 40s and 50s! Its been beautiful and lots of sun too.   Almost no more snow on the ground and hoping it stays that way!   How did your flock do? Any losses?

Where in mass are you? It's been freezing where I am

 

[TheEggCollecter]

This winter was long, cold and sooooo snowy! Tonight the wind is blowing almost 60 mph and its freezing

spring is almost here

I'm done with winter!!!!!

Yes its windy where i live right now. not as windy as the cape though. extremely cold again!