Each day I let my chickens out they walk for a few minutes then look like the pictures below. They stand stil and get all fluffy. I feel bad because they are always outside.
Mine do the same thing. What they are doing is trapping some air next to their body and warming it. It's very effective, I wouldn't get worried (if you are). They are wearing down coats!
I gotta say, I don't see any snow in your pictures. They're just fine. You're projecting. That's OK, we all do it, but we also have the capacity to overcome those emotions and realize they are just fine.
This is my first chicken winter and believe me, I read everything I could get my hands on about keeping chickens in the winter (cold climates). Chickens are pretty resilient in the cold. As long as they have good shelter and are fed well, it seems they do just fine. It can get pretty cold here in SW MO in the winter. It has been pretty mild this year though. We did have some pretty cold nights and days though and I worried about them sooo much. Lost a lot of sleep some nights, really for nothing, because next mornings they were all up bright and early and as chipper as can be waiting for me to let them out of the coop. My girls (and boys) couldn't care less how bad the weather is! Even the most crummy dreary days...they want to be outside, going back into the coop only to lay their eggs for me! I still worry, and I suspect they will get through the winter better than I will! Your girls are beautiful....great pics!!!
i recently put 2 8 wk olds out in the cold. And yes i checked on them probably as much as when we brought my daughter home from the hospital. But they have been fine with no heat even when it gets into the teens at night. As long as the wind isn't bad they go into the run even if its cold. Guess they are tougher then i thought.
