Maine

[quailtrail]

@buckabucka not alone. ..dh was thinking the same and had me second guessing myself. We will hold out and let nature take its course. With that being said I feel bad and make hot oatmeal for them lol!!!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Bucka do what feels right to you. I don't want to heat my hens for a variety of reasons that make sense to me.

I don't love my birds any less than the woman with an 8 year old leghorn (heck, I'd keep an 8 year old leghorn if I could get them to live past 3 years) but I will not give them supplemental heat. I will bring them hot water and mash, though.

When it gets this cold I will also throw a block of suet out there (if I have one) along with a lot of BOSS right before sundown, so they have some high calorie food to digest all night. I do not have a block of suet currently, but they got a ton of BOSS about an hour ago when I went out, and will get another can of it before bed.

PS My bees are still alive!

 

[buckabucka]

Hooray for the bees! Don't be opening that hive and killing them like DH did.

Maybe I'll get a chance to provide some warm food today. I do throw a mix of scratch and BOSS each morning and evening, but I don't have any suet.

I asked the woman with the ancient leghorn when I can expect my chickens to die. I told her they will be 4 years old this spring, - can I expect some to die? Her response: "No. The only ones that die at 4 years are those brown ones. "
"Rhode Island Reds?"
"Yes".

Of course, I don't have any of those. I am really pleased with the white leghorns (2 hatchery birds from Meyers). One of them is still laying occasionally this winter, even at 3 1/2. I have brown leghorn pullets from Cackle now. The are beautiful-looking, but can't hold a candle to the white ones.
I'd better go get something done now...

 

[superchemicalgirl]

My RIR are still going strong (they'll be 4 soon) but the red sex links and the leghorns died quickly once they hit 2 years. Interestingly my black sex links are all still alive. Those are McMurray birds.

 

[Widget]

Beware!!!!! Chicken math is easily transferred over to goats. I somehow ended up acquiring two Nigerian Dwarf does today. Someone was moving and needed to find homes for the girls. So they are now here getting acquainted with Trinket. And I have two more youngsters that will be coming in June. I went from two goats, down to one, up to three and in a few months will have five.

 

[lazy gardener]

Widgett, the numbers don't actually count if money does not change hands. So, those of you who have leghorns, how do you find their temperaments? I've had them in the past, mini-pearl as I recall. I wasn't overly impressed with their personalities, as I remember... they had no personalities, were quite skittish and I couldn't tell them apart, but what egg laying machines they were! I'm intrigued by the rose combed brown ones.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Widgett, the numbers don't actually count if money does not change hands. So, those of you who have leghorns, how do you find their temperaments? I've had them in the past, mini-pearl as I recall. I wasn't overly impressed with their personalities, as I remember... they had no personalities, were quite skittish and I couldn't tell them apart, but what egg laying machines they were! I'm intrigued by the rose combed brown ones.

I found the opposite to be true - they were lap chickens and enjoying jumping into my lap to be petted until they fell ill. I did raise them from chicks. My mom got a few leghorns as POL pullets, and after a few months they stopped being skittish and will let her pet them. They are not lap chickens, though.

 

[ashandvine]

Beware!!!!! Chicken math is easily transferred over to goats. I somehow ended up acquiring two Nigerian Dwarf does today. I went from two goats, down to one, up to three and in a few months will have five.

I guess its good those whethers are already whethered or you'd end up with a herd in exponential time! Glad Trinket has friends.

PS My bees are still alive!

YEY for bees! Torpor could be a beautiful thing if only my kids weren't there to wake me all the time lol

I should probably bank the goose house and barn with snow for added insulation. sigh. My back was just starting to feel better.

 

[NorthChicken]

Thanks for the warm welcomes!! About the only thing that is warm around these parts!

Was -25F below zero this morning, went out to check on the girls and found the coop was at -25F as well. I was hoping their body heat would raise the temp up in there a bit, guess not.

I broke down and put up a heat lamp in the coop today, about 2 feet off the floor..I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to turn it on or not, maybe just for a few hours before I go to bed?? I know they will probably be fine, but -35 to -40 below is cold!!! I am on my way out now to give them some warm mash of oats, BOSS and cracked corn before they head to bed. I will be so happy when summer rolls around. January is miserable in Maine!!

 

[lazy gardener]

Thanks SCG. Perhaps I'll add one or more brown RC leghorns to my spring order. So many birds, so little space.

Anyone grow comfrey for chicken fodder? I'm considering adding some of that, as well as Siberian Pea shrub. as well as a couple of small fruit trees: ? cherry, plum or apricots.