Peachicks in the winter - Suggestions?

Pandora

Chirping
14 Years
Jun 13, 2009
76
6
96
Channahon IL
I live in northern Indiana and needless to say the weather gets downright frigid here. I had my very first hatch of peachicks in July. Was wondering how they should be housed over the winter?

They are currently in a large outdoor run with the hen. So they are acclimated to cooler temps. I have two options, they can come inside and go into much smaller pens than they now have (low head height), or be mixed into the flock where they would have a coop that stays heated to the 40-50's.

Any thoughts on if either of these options are ok, or suggestions for alternatives?
 
What type are they... blue or green?
Greens need heat in winter. Blues don't.
That said, my 3 month old blue blackshoulder peas get to spend the winter in my house. They walk around like they own the place. They're in for the winter because I hatched too many types of chicks this year & my husband didn't get the peafowl shelter finished. He was too busy working on the second silkie coop, the addition to the henhouse, the quail pen in the barn, etc.
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LOL!
 
I would put them with the rest of the flock. They dont mind the cold as much but they like shelter from the bitter wind.

I am starting to put my older peachicks in with the adults now in a large flight pen. they have shelter but generally the birds sleep outside all winter long... even during a snow storm. They just huddle side by side to keep warm.
 
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If they are india they will do fine without heat, best to have 2x4 roost so thet can set on their toes.

Greens and high % spaldings need heat. Yes you can mix them with the flock,as alway watch them, just in case you have a trouble maker in the bunch....
 
Thanks for the feedback.
They are dark pieds, I think. No spalding mixed in that I know of.

When you suggest 2x4 perches, do you set them on the wide or on edge (narrow) side for the birds to roost?
 
Wide part, so the toes are all under the bird. Round roost toes can get frostbite. Seen free range birds missing part of their toes.
 
I picked up two peachicks last fall. I am not sure how old they were but they were about the size of a small leghorn chicken. I kept them in an unheated building for the winter, the only heat was a heated dish for their water. They did fine even though temps dropped as low as -38F and we had an extended cold spell.
 
I live in Valparaiso. I have six peas that I have that will have no extra heat for the winter. They do have a barn to go in to get out of the wind but it has no extra heat. They will have heated dogbowl for water. They are all india blue or variations of india blues.
 

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