My Chickens Are Winter Wimps!

[Nic&Chickies]

They have made it quite clear they do not want anything to do with that cold white stuff on the ground and in the air, no way, no how! When we had a dusting last week, my boyfriend told me that when he went to open the coop & let them out, the first hen took one step onto the ramp, and went right back up into the coop! He removed the snow from the ramp, put down a good amount of straw in the run over the snow, and then they were okay.
Well, this morning, after I overslept, and didn't even get out there 'til about 8:30--'way past daylight-- I saw that behavior myself. Carried the bucket of warm water out, opened the front pop door so they could come out while I filled the water dishes, opened the run and its pop door, and realized that none of my girls came out yet. I heard them "chatting" inside, which quelled any predator panic. So I opened the big double doors, and they were just milling around, scratching at the straw, as though that's what they always do in the morning. I went ahead and filled their food dishes, and then only Comet, my sweet girl, came out to check up on me; to let me pet her and make sure I was getting their scratch. I spread most of it in the run, and under the coop, so they wouldn't have to deal with the snow too much, in the usual areas.
Then I had to get to shovelling, so when my other half came home, he'd make it up the driveway. (I won't get into the frozen lock on the shed where the snowblower is--this section is about chicken behaviors...)
I did look out later, and some have moved out, into the run and under the coop, so I guess they're getting used to it. (Of course I'm not going out into that stuff either--brrr!)

 

[tec27]

Mine are like that too. They will actually eat the snow until they make a bare spot and then walk on the bare spot to eat more snow. Eventually they will "de-snow" the entire run. They are so weird.

 

[blueberrychickens]

I had to bribe mine w/ meal worms, they wanted nothing to do with the dreaded evil white stuff!!

 

[ruffles]

This winter is not like the two previous winters .

Last winter the chickens became accustomed to biter cold and snow.

Like you we have had only two snow events, but, our 8 month old chicks spent daytime in the hutch and the two dogs houses in their fenced in area. The chickens who endured last winter just hung around in the coop and hutch.

 

[maizy'smom]

I had to bribe mine w/ meal worms, they wanted nothing to do with the dreaded evil white stuff!!

I used warm yogurt in their mash. That didn't work either.

mm

 

[mlm Mike]

Some of mine don't mind, others will just go back to their roost.

 

[cielo]

Same. I have 3 different pens of chickens right now. My youngest, California Grays have all but refused to come out of their coop since it snowed. I moved their food and water close to the door and put straw down. That helped a little. I had a chicken about 10 years ago that refused to step in the snow, all my other chickens would run around in it just fine but she wouldn't even step on it.
Silly birds!