Minnesota!

[BlackBrookPoultry]

My Turkeys went into the coop tonight. They haven't done that ever. Lol. They must know its going to be cold tonight.

 

[jailerjoe]

I opened the coop today and to my suprise they all spent the majority of the day out in the covered run. I think it was actually a little warmer in there. They all did their girl chicken duty and gave me an egg!

Wife and I just got done lubing up the crowns and wattles of nine of my ten hens and my roo. My Ameraucana and easter egger have negligible crowns and no wattles. I wish I'd been a little more educated when I bought my chicks last spring as I probably would've bought all ameraucana's. This worring about frostbite is really getting to me!

-17 and counting. Ugh...

 

[jailerjoe]

I opened the coop today and to my suprise they all spent the majority of the day out in the covered run. I think it was actually a little warmer in there. They all did their girl chicken duty and gave me an egg!

Wife and I just got done lubing up the crowns and wattles of nine of my ten hens and my roo. My Ameraucana and easter egger have negligible crowns and no wattles. I wish I'd been a little more educated when I bought my chicks last spring as I probably would've bought all ameraucana's. This worring about frostbite is really getting to me!

-17 and counting. Ugh...

 

[Minniechickmama]

I put opaque plastic up on all the gates on the outdoor runs. I could tell the birds in there were much more comfortable than if they were out in the open or didn't have the gates covered. I wish I would have gotten to that sooner. I still have the East end of the runs to get covered though.

 

[Cluckies]

Mine spend all day everyday in the run. I have the greenhouse panels on the east, west, and north sides. The south is open except for the hardware clothe. Except on days when the wind is from the south, then I add half panels up. I wonder if when the sun ever comes out, if it will be warmer in there than in the henhouse. or maybe it already is. Basically they only go in the henhouse to sleep and lay eggs. I'm starting to worry that they will just sit out there and get frostbite instead of going in the henhouse?

Hope not. I'm with you jailerjoe, this frostbite worry is terrible. I've got two that have already had frostbit combs, hope they don't get anymore. I do put bag balm on them on the cold nights like tonight, as well, we'll see. My gold comet just has the little points sticking up, 2 got frostbit, but my Buff orpington has a huge comb, alot of frostbite, but it turned black and fell off. My EE's and SLW seem fine, no combs to speak of.

I took out the high roost so they are not roosting in the cross ventilation now (my bad) So hopefully they don't get it again. I get up for work at 4. My husband opens the door for them at 7:30 before he goes to work, it is suppose to still be -11 at that time. I hope they are ok. I wish I was going to be home to keep them inside a little longer tomorrow, just until it warmed up to at least the neg single digits.

 

[jailerjoe]

Grrr. Sorry for the double post. Posting to BYC from iOS can sometimes be challenging.

Most of my girls combs' seem ok so far. I've tried to get petroleum jelly on them when it got too cold but I noticed yesterday one of my SLW rooster's wattles was white all along one edge. Tonight we used Bag Balm instead of petroleum jelly and it was much easier applying. The petroleum jelly got really stiff right away and was just plain hard to work with.

I put clear plastic over about 85% of my run and they really seem to prefer hanging out in there most of the time (once they got used to it). The one 3 foot section that's uncovered faces the direction wind is least likely to blow from and also faces my garage so it doesn't get much wind coming through there. Only thing I'll do different next year, if I have birds in this coop, is to put the plastic up sooner!

Cluckies during the day I think it's warmer in my run then the coop. One of these days I'll put my weather station sensor out there and see if I'm right. In my mind, the plastic if giving me a little green house effect letting in some radient energy as opposed to my coop where other than a window on the south west side, blocks any radient heat. I could just be imagining it but it certainly seems if not warmer, as warm as the coop. I would think with your actual green house panels you'd be doing the same if not more so.

I would think that my (and your) chickens would find where it's warmest and go hang out there and that's why they're hangning in the run?

 

[FoxyChicken]

I have a greenhouse attached to the south side of my coop and the chickens have access to it in the winter. Our high temp for the day yesterday was -9 but it was a balmy +16 in the greenhouse.
The girls really appreciate it!

 

[Chickenchick11]

My chickens are apparently good mousers. I've had a mouse in my coop since November, but yesterday night I went into the coop and sitting on the floor was a dead mouse. That's the second mouse I've seen them kill in 6 months, but they've probably killed more when I'm not around.

 

[duluthralphie]

My chickens are apparently good mousers. I've had a mouse in my coop since November, but yesterday night I went into the coop and sitting on the floor was a dead mouse. That's the second mouse I've seen them kill in 6 months, but they've probably killed more when I'm not around.

Wow, I have never seen that. When my chickens kill a mouse they eat the whole thing fast!. I have a Delaware that is better than a cat at digging out mice. If she gets into the grain shed she is digging for mice in everything. When she sees one she runs it down, then takes it out to show off to the other birds. Of Course that sets off the chase to get the mouse.

I only had a couple chickens in the run today. I thought they might stay inside but as soon as I opened the door they ran out to do their thing. Even now three hours later they seem to be outside.

 

[jailerjoe]

Mine are all out in the run today as well and as a result all my eggs are frozen. Well that and the fact that I forgot to go collect them until about noon. I have three or four that aren't broody at all but are very good at sitting on eggs until I collect them.