Illinois...

[Molpet]

You know you have spoiled chickens when ....
you bring them into the basement for the night because the temp is dropping below zero. The good news is that it's only for the night. I leave the seramas outside in a heated coop if the temps are in single digits or above. Exception = the spoiled house rooster!


Update from the odd family:View attachment 2025793
MaiMai cares for her little and big chick. Solo is still skeptical about her new cage-mates. I can understand being afraid of the silkie, but she's also afraid of the little black chick that follows her around. Thankfully, MaiMai and the chick do not attack Solo, so perhaps she'll gain more trust over the next few weeks. At least she no longer runs away from them.

And half my turkeys are in the trees
Some were in a small coop when I did evening feed, so I locked them in. Some went in the main coop and some I ran into it

 

[BReeder!]

I'm locking the chickens and turkeys in. The ducks for will stay open because the pond is ther only source of water that is likely to not freeze completely. I don't have a birdbath heater to keep container of water thawed inside the coop. The chickens have a heated water, but the poultry nipples on it are useless to the ducks. Let's hope their extra fat and down keeps them warm. I also have cracked corn in the feed with the hope the extra carbs aid in the biothermal processes to warm all the birds up too.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

I have a heat lamp in with mine. I want to go close the door the rest of the way but if I disturb Coop (rooster) and heat lamp is on he will crow all night long.

 

[cavemanrich]

I have mine in winter housing inside garage loft. Just looked, and it is 24*F. I did not have to fire up the wood stove this winter yet. Will see how it is during the day tomorrow. Might just lite it up to raise garage temp to about 30*. Saturday supposed to be above freezing.

 

[BReeder!]

I have mine in winter housing inside garage loft. Just looked, and it is 24*F. I did not have to fire up the wood stove this winter yet. Will see how it is during the day tomorrow. Might just lite it up to raise garage temp to about 30*. Saturday supposed to be above freezing.

Any pics of chickens in the garage loft? I don't have a loft in my garage at this house since there's living space over the attached garage, but that sounds like a neat place to put them.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Everyone good so far? I collected 5 of 6 eggs that froze and busted open but my girls and my guy seem fine. I took some cooked oats for extra boost. They love them and it's funny to watch them eat. It goes everywhere and they chase each other around. Afterwards they scrape their beaks to get the sticky off.

 

[Faraday40]

Fertility check. Please let me know your guesses.

I can't believe they're not all fertile. I have 3 males!!! Let's face it, the flock is locked up for the winter, so they literally only have ONE job.

Perhaps my orps need some butt cuts.


5 eggs total. 2 pics from each egg.

#1 Jewel's egg

#2 lav orp pullet

#3 Leghorn egg in front (She runs away from the boys)

#4 Tyrion (7 year old hen = flock matriarch. She may not allow them to mate)

#5 another orp pullet

Below. I think egg spot is more in middle - not by the light reflection

 

[cavemanrich]

My garage loft is where I kept my pigeons year-round, and separated a portion for chickens during winter. Now, with no pigeons, the chickens have the whole area. They are safe, and secure, even if a predator would stowaway inside garage. A large one like a raccoon or opossum.
It is a project I built, and added on to as my needs expanded. There are 2 large dog cages, as part of it. 2 other added sections are home, made enclosures.
Here are some. Not the best pix.

Port door is the little closed-able window seen in above pix.
This was the outdoor portion accessible thru a port door, when I had pigeons.

 

[cavemanrich]

I can't believe they're not all fertile. I have 3 males!!! Let's face it, the flock is locked up for the winter, so they literally only have ONE job.

Perhaps my orps need some butt cuts.

Or inform them, that they are already married, and its OK to be submissive

 

[BReeder!]

Everyone good so far? I collected 5 of 6 eggs that froze and busted open but my girls and my guy seem fine. I took some cooked oats for extra boost. They love them and it's funny to watch them eat. It goes everywhere and they chase each other around. Afterwards they scrape their beaks to get the sticky off.

DW collected a frozen egg this morning that was cracked too. One of our chickens got out and was sitting by the human door this morning. She seemed fine, just a bit cold. DW scooped her up and put her in the coop. She found that one of the birds got the sliding door open that leads to the duck area. The duck door was open and there's only a 3ft fence around the duck pen, so that's how the chicken got out. BTW, the escapee was the Cornish X we hatched last year from @Molpet eggs. All birds were accounted for though and a board is blocking the sliding door from opening again. I need to put a barrel lock on that door, which I've been meaning to do for some time now. I'll be in the yard Sunday, so perhaps I'll get it done then.