No Snowbirds!!!

[Nanook33]

My 7 girls & boy are 1 1/2 YO Sapphires. Last year we did not get any snow. This year is making up for lost time. The chicken coop is heated & the run has a tarp over 3/4 of it. The other 1/4 has no tarp. The snow accumulated in the 1/4 area with no tarp & blew in a little on one side. Those chickens refuse to step foot in the snow. Not ONE foot. They avoid that snow at all cost. They are still laying 3-5 eggs a day. Is it normal for chickens to be so afraid of the fluffy white stuff? Also, I have 1 girl that lays humungus eggs the size of duck eggs. Double yolkers. Is this normal? Or do I have a flock of "slightly different" birds? LOL

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

haha! I live in a snowy place and can confirm - they don’t like snow

 

[Nanook33]

I throw straw down on the bare areas to help keep feet warmer & to have a place to throw treats-they love to scratch through the straw for mealworms.

 

[nuthatched]

Chicken don't like anything new.
Where are you that you need to heat you coop?

 

[Nanook33]

N J

 

[Apis mellifera]

If you have a heated coop, maybe the hens don't get acclimated to the cold temps. My hens wont plow through a foot a snow but they don't have any problems with an inch or 2.

 

[Nanook33]

Could be!

 

[AinaWGSD]

Nah, snow melts chickens from the toes up!

None of my chickens have ever liked snow. If it sticks around long enough they'll get used to it, but it takes a while for them to be okay with it.

 

[Logar]

It really seems to depend on the flock. Most seem to not like it but only 2 of mine don’t like it but they still come out

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm in SE Missouri and we recently got our first snow of the year - 7"!. The chickens have one quite small pen connected to their coop and also a very large run. I had my GC make me a trail through the small pen to the coop, and when the snow on that path melted a bit so they could see the ground, my chickens came out of the coop for the first time in several days. After that they would come out into the small pen, but did not venture into the big run for several more days, until they could see dry ground there as well. I don't think they are afraid of the snow. I think they just don't like it. After all, who wants to run around barefoot in it if they don't have to?