Lets hear from all you Snow people.

[rancher hicks]

Pictures of what it is you do and how you manage in the winter time. Pics of your coops in snow are always nice.

Thanks ,

Rancher

 

[clairabean]

We live in the snowy part of BC. It started to snow about 2 weeks ago. The first pic is the outside of my coop. The 'covered porch'. It is a covered overhang of the run where the chickens can go in winter. In summer I hang a big waterer from this porch for them. The rest of the run is snowed upon. On the far left of the pic you can just barely see the run gate. Last year the snow came almost to the top. I have to shovel away from the fence from snow sliding a few times a month. It is a dreary morning today.

Enjoying some breakfast this morning.... You can see BunBun right in the middle.

Dealing with snow.... I shovel. A lot. When it really snows I have to shovel at least twice a day to get to the coop. Our coop has no runnign water or electricity. I pack out water from our kitchen and run an extension cord for lights. When we get a cold snap I have to pack water out three times a day for them.

But my chickens are worth it.

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
Maybe you can try this, though I prefer clear plastic so they can see out and I can see in. I've found some painters "drop cloths" for 98 cents that break the wind and keep the snow out.

 

[clairabean]

Do you mean along the fence to enclose the porch? In a month that entire side will be a big snow wall, and we don't get howling winds through here. The snow will be hard and solid wall.

In past years I did put a bit of wood up along the bottom, so it doesn't press on the fence so hard, but this year we have a long raised garden bed, so that will do the job just fine.

 

[phasianidae]

Heres a picture I took last winter showing both coops:

We're supposed to be getting our first snow tomorrow.

 

[phasianidae]

Quote:
Nice Christmas lights! I should decorate my coops!

 

[rancher hicks]

Quote:
I like to block the wind and keep the floor of the run dry if possible. I give them a bale of straw to spread out and keep their feet warm and somewhere for the scratch to fall so they have to keep busy scratching for it.

The inside of the hoop coop was nearly 60* today. We shall see how things go this winter. I stapled clear plastic on the front today. So the run is completely covered with just enough ventilation.

 

[goldnchocolate]

Quote:
We had a super bad winter (snow-wise) last winter, here in Massachusetts. I had 7 hens that decided that they preferred living in the barn rather than in the coop with the rest of the hens. Even though I was bringing them fresh water twice a day I also would fill a bowl with snow and leave it in there with them over night so that they would have something to "drink" if I wasn't able to get out there very early. They loved it! Every morning I would see that at least half of the snow was gone.

I see my chickens eating snow when they are out and about so I thought they wouldn't mind it served up in a bowl

 

[rancher hicks]

Word is we're supposed to have some bad weather patterns due to global warming. The reports are kinda scary.

 

[phasianidae]

One of the winter ready coops: