It is snowing. The Flock is locked up. What do you do ?

[Guinea Goonie]

Woke up to about an inch on the ground. I always lock up the birds for a snowy day. They do not seem to mind. Lots of hanging food containers, lots of fresh water, lots of roosts and lots of dust bath areas.

I am always afraid of frost bite on combs, waddles and chicken toes.

What you you all do ? Do you let your birds out and if so for how long ?

 

[cointoss]

I lock mine up in the coop/run when it snows, no free-ranging while its snowing -- because mine tend to "get lost." Then I find them that night or the next morning huddled by the house covvered with snow, or under a bush somewhere. Not the best roosting places generally. I don't really worry about the frostbite, but more about them getting eaten while they are "hiding" in the open. They are fine in the snow, just not while its falling.

 

[teach1rusl]

So far, I've always given mine the option to go out (into the run). But often times they politely decline my offer...lol.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

hey GG (i think i'm following you around today.. sorry!)

we open the door for the hens - they can choose to go in our out. i have a couple trouble makers who tend to stay away from the main flock and act like their only option is to stand miserably in the snow.. so i either put them in with the goats or in a brooder coop in the hen house so they arent picked on. the waterfowl can come or go as long as they stay off the pond....we dont want any one else snatched off the frozen pond by foxes.. and the turkeys have to stay in.

and we employ a number of methods to entertain the poultry - add a shake of hay or straw, toss in some apples or pumpkins, etc.

 

[JakRat]

Mine hang out in the coop, but since they arent getting along and they dont like the weather lately I have had to put bag balm on their combs and wattles... also I have bought them some suett blocks (none with black sunflower seeds of course) but it was so windy out today that I couldnt get up to the coop to give it to them... they seem ok though

 

[AHappychick]

I open the door but they don't like to go in it unless I shovel the snow away. I usually do in the runs but today it was below freezing and windy, the snow is half gone and I opened up the door to my FBCM figuring no one would be out to hear my roo and that they should be big enough not to be bothered by the cold. an hour later they had still not ventured outside, so I closed it back up. oh well I have quiet a few chickens who live pretty much in a coop only, they have lots of space and friends and I try to let them outside when I can but it is not always possible, I bring greens to them an give them meal worms and such and they are happy and healthy so I would not worry about keeping them locked up if that is easier for you during the snow.

 

[DonnaBelle]

It's about 25 above here today, and light snow. I went out about 4:00 pm and called everyone into the chicken house, put out some treats, and locked them in. I've got a couple of heat lamps in there, it's about 35 inside, so no frozen combs I hope. I have deep litter, about 8-10 inches, so with adequate ventilation, they should be OK tonight.

It's supposed to get down to 5 above the end of this week. That is really cold for Oklahoma. We put insulation in the ceiling of the chicken house this fall, along with a plywood ceiling. The chickens were mad at me and wouldn't speak to me for a week, because they loved roosting in the rafters!! We did add some more roosts, so they finally quit pouting.

DonnaBelle

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Just got back from gaining the mini horses and Donkeys. Put the chickens up in their pens. It was AT LEAST 10 degrees warmer in the chicken barn, Yea.

All are happy, with big crops and frost free. Another day down.

 

[HEChicken]

I give mine the option. There were three days Christmas week where they stayed in the coop all day but today, although it was just as cold and we had snow overnight, they decided to come out for the day. I guess they figured if they stayed in every time it snowed or was cold, they'd be in all the time so they may as well come out.

 

[sonew123]

I have the garage that we sectioned off a 14 x 12 area for 30 of our birds-they have nests-roosts-DLM-breeding cages etc...with a heater to maintain 35 and above. I opene the door every morning and they come flying to a screeching halt if I dont have hay layed down for them to walk on-princesses! On a day like today when we got 14 inches-I was not wasting hay or my time-they stayed locked up toasty warm with a bag of apples and a bag of bread scraps and scratch-besides their regular laying food.