Marans Thread for Posting Pics of Your Eggs, Chicks and Chickens

[drom]

I have a question for all the folks in states with warmer climates in the winter. What does everyone do with their coops in the winter? I am Northern California and the winters are relatively mild here. When it is very cold here, the nights can drop in the 30s but rarely below that. I want to make sure the birds are comfortable in their coop. It has a very nice gable roof and stays completely dry, but the sides are framed hardware cloth. So, I am assuming I should enclose it for the winter. Do they need heat lamps as well?

 

[hcammack]

You probably should enclose it but a tarp on three sides would be enough with the mild weather there. Here it stays freezing for about a month or two my girls free range and are out all the time. At night they return to the uninsalated coop and roost with no heat lamp. They are very hardy and heat lamps can actually cause problems. My hen have also lived in a three sided chicken tractor over the winter so everything sounds alright in your setup.

Henry

 

[onthespot]

if they are used to being outside I wouldn't think they would need a heat lamp. I would make sure they have access to a windbreak and dry food and a roost that is out of the elements and feels safe for them. It gets pretty cold here too. We had pipes burst a couple years ago, in march. I have no plans to put heat lamps out for the chickens at all. I am going to probably be hatching and brooding through the winter, so the indoors babies is a different story. I don't plan to try to move them from indoors to cold, windy rainy outdoors. I'd rather just keep them up inside until spring. I have a vacant house that needs to be torn down, so I have options other people don't. I could keep a hundred birds in there and they would be safe and dry and out of the wind. I don't plan to heat, but just keeping them dry and out of the wind is most of the battle.

 

[siz8003]

I have Marans chicks hatching Monday!! From my own chickens.

 

[tfpets]

Quote:
Congrats! Post pics! The countdown is on!
Tina

 

[drom]

Thanks Henry and Patty,
I think I will just enclose it and make sure they have a fluffy bed in their roost. I get a little concerned about fire hazard anyway with these heat lamps.

 

[klf73]

Quote:
Me too! My Cratty cuckoos are supposed to hatch Monday

 

[karanleaf]

Update on my injuried pullet she is now called Miss Cluck. She still does not use her leg . But Dh and I can not find any breaks so we are thinking she my have pulled something in the joint, or sprained it.

Here she is when I brought her in and put her in the laundry room.

Then we put her in the pet carrier the next day.
Tonight Dh took her for a while while I cleaned it and got her fresh bedding.

Here she is in her clean bed.

She moves around in the carrier and has a very good appeitite. She has had popcorn and cooked carrots for snacks in between her feed. I am hoping in a few days she will start trying to move the lower part of her leg.

Everyone

Karan

 

[cruzinTbird]

Hi everyone !

 

[ginasmarans]

Good hatching vibes to you. I have some on day 19 and I can hear chirping. No pips yet,but I can't wait.