Icelandic Chickens

[mlm Mike]

"Other Mary, beautiful birds - my favorite is Gaela - love her coloring.

We are supposed to be -12 below for a high on Monday and low of -18, pretty much the same on Tues. Not so bad but from today thru tomorrow 5-10 inches of more snow - big difference, wish they were more specific.

Keep warm Diva. Usually the one good thing about really cold temp is it doesn't snow, I hope you stay on the lower end of their guess.

 

[NotAFarm]

We got 5 inches of snow overnight and the current temp is 14 F, going down to -19 F tonight. The forecast says we could have snow until 11 am (9:18 now) but I think it is done......now for the north/northwest wind to start blowing at 20-25 mph.

If we can make it to Wednesday, it looks like we will be getting some closer to normal temps (highs in the upper 20s) for awhile.

I put a large bag of shredded leaves on the coop floor and everyone is loving scratching in them.
Stay safe and warm everyone!

 

[mlm Mike]

We're supposed to get up to 40 F today, with rain starting late this afternoon, into the evening. Then them temperature is going to drop, rain turns to snow. Monday high of 16 F with a low of -11 F. Tuesday high of 5 F low of 0 F, then warm back up to normal on Wednesday. We're off to get some groceries, and hope we don't need to go anywhere for the next couple of days.

 

[coldupnorth]

I'm not sure if any of our chickens will come out of this winter without frostbite to some degree. Even the ones with pea-combs are getting a touch of it. We've just had too many really cold days. Our forecast for today and tomorrow has actually warmed slightly. Our high is supposed to be -12F (instead of -17) and low of -30 (instead of -37). I think we've had one day in the last month and a half that the temp was above freezing. Most days its been 0 or below. I didn't think I lived that close to the Arctic!

Our coops are insulated, so they do stay a little warmer than outside and it keeps them out of the wind. But most of the birds have been in uninsulated coops up until a week ago, when we finished our "chicken barn" enough for them to be moved. They are much happier and it should cut down on the severity of frostbite.

We are not getting eggs, everyone is saving their energy to stay warm. I had to buy store bought eggs when I have at least 75 hens that could be laying (some are still growing back feathers from their Fall molt). So sad! My younger Icees are some of the few that I am getting some eggs from.

 

[NotAFarm]

Laurie, Wow, that is a long stretch of cold! We don't have anything above freezing in our 10 day forecast, but I'll take the mid-20 positives to the negative double digits anytime!!

I got 7 eggs yesterday....3 Icelandic... (from the Forsaela pullets or the only one of hens have started back since molting or rearing chicks, Eldey)...1 Araucana...2 NH and 1 RIR (all spring hatched pullets, the hens have not started back)...bet I don't get that many total from today through Tuesday!

Eldur hanging out in the barn with the RIR pullet....she seems to be his favorite since the Icelandic girls are not laying or hanging with Audun.

 

[Penny Hen]

I hope all of you are staying warm and safe!

Only chicken In the chicken yard today is...


the concrete one!

Everyone else was hanging out in the coop.......not the best place for pics but here are a couple of Forsaela's daughters........since Jake won't post any of his........

The only rose comb pullet I kept....Gaela:



The only mottled one I kept...Glora:



And the blue, non-crested pullet.....Glima:



Missing is Gola who was up in the rafters already.....maybe next time.......

.......and Galdur, older brother to the above pullets. He has a bit of damage to the front of his wattles from drinking from an open dish in this bitter cold. Anyone have a solution to this? I tried applying Vaseline but they are not easy to catch.....especially after they have been "doctored" the first time! Is this something that is just a "fact of life" for chickens living in the far north? Audun is also suffering with this.

Try the drinking nipples. That should reduce the water getting on his wattles.

 

[coldupnorth]

Laurie, Wow, that is a long stretch of cold! We don't have anything above freezing in our 10 day forecast, but I'll take the mid-20 positives to the negative double digits anytime!!

I got 7 eggs yesterday....3 Icelandic... (from the Forsaela pullets or the only one of hens have started back since molting or rearing chicks, Eldey)...1 Araucana...2 NH and 1 RIR (all spring hatched pullets, the hens have not started back)...bet I don't get that many total from today through Tuesday!

Eldur hanging out in the barn with the RIR pullet....she seems to be his favorite since the Icelandic girls are not laying or hanging with Audun.

I just love Eldur's coloring! His son, Hraun is turning out just like his dad - gorgeous!

Let's hope this weather warms up for all of us! I think we deserve a "normal" winter from here on in.

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: How do you keep the nipples from freezing? Can you heat the water in a bucket enough to keep the temperature in the nipples warm enough?

 

[Penny Hen]

How do you keep the nipples from freezing? Can you heat the water in a bucket enough to keep the temperature in the nipples warm enough?

One lady on another thread posted today that she puts an aquarium water heater in her jugs that she has the nipples attached to. I will see if I can find her post again because I liked that idea very much. In deep cold it would be hard to keep pipes unfrozen but the aquarium heater can handle a 5 gallon pail with the nipples studded around the bottom. You have to be sure that you have air coming in the top so that you don't get vapor lock. The nipples have to be well caulked where they join to the bucket so the weight of the water doesn't pop them out.

I will admit to have been "cheating" up until now. I have my 5 free ranging and they have access to the creek and the sheep's water so I haven't made a special waterer just for them. I do have the plastic trough caps that can be popped onto a coke bottle or beer bottle (I like these better being glass, they are easier to sanitize). That worked well for them when they were little living in the dog kennel. But I am close to finishing a closed coop for them and must consider the watering system. Currently they are camping in the old slowly falling down shed that must be 75 years old. I may catch them tomorrow night and put everyone in the dog kennel in the garage for the evening since it is going to be in the single digits here.

 

[NotAFarm]

Thanks for the info Penny Hen. I have a five gallon bucket with two nipples waterers that have cups on them that a friend gave me. I just don't know if a heating element in a plastic bucket will keep the small exterior pieces from freezing....or how safe that would be. There are two heated dog dish waterers in the coop so access to water isn't a problem, just the long wattles of the cocks hanging down into the water as they drink.
We are at -16 F this morning...with a high for today now forecast at - 13 F.....going down to - 15 F tonight and a high tomorrow of + 11 F........a couple of days above freezing are in the 10 forecast

Heat Wave!!

Just to emphasize the point...........a drift near the chicken yard's 4 + foot fence..........