Sad Update : Chicken may not be tolerating the cold well. . .

[1cutechick]

-20 this AM here in Wisconsin. I shovel a bit outside the coop door, and then shovel some of the straw out of the goat barn and put it in front of the chicken door. Everybody comes out as long as they can stand around for a while on the straw rather than going right on the snow. They eventually do walk out on the snow. Keeping all the food and water in the coop. This is our first winter with chickens. It's been a fun experience, and they are most interesting to watch. We have a communal pen so sometimes they wander into the goat barn. Any suggestions for keeping them out of there? Both the chicken and goat doors have those heavy plastic strips to walk through. One day there were 12 chickens all lined up on the hay trough like they were having a party and the goats were too polite to make them leave.

 

[maddog3355]

If my chickens are cold they won't be making much noise.

 

[BlossomSilkies]

Thanks for the replies.

She is still so vocal and comes running up to me when I go out there, even at night when I go out to close them up, she is just chattering away. I don't know what her deal is.

I do not want to provide them with a heating lamp, those scare me and plus there is a feeling that providing heat actually does more harm than good as far as them being able to adjust to the weather.

Yes, I am pretty in tune with their behavior, even with 70 chickens (actually 74, I did a headcount tonight). That may seem like a lot, but when you look at them in a group, on over 5 acres to roam, it's not too many at all. Some stand out more than others. This little girl does because she is so petite compared to the others she hatched with. I wonder if she will ever lay or if she will survive very long being as tiny as she is.

 

[aart]

I've got a couple that are blabbermouths at times....seems to come and go.

ETA: I kinda doubt it's the cold she's suffering from or she wouldn't be running round squawking. My smallest pullet is the one who unfailingly goes out in the cold on the snow to see what she can see...and she's my most prolific layer.

 

[islandgirl82]

You could also give them a boost on these extra cold mornings with some warm oatmeal and take the edge off...although 70 chickens is a lot of birds to have to make oatmeal for.

Warm water would work too

Edited for redundancy due to coffee not kicking in yet; still not sure I edited well

 

[BlossomSilkies]

Sad update : This morning when I let the kids out of the coop, my little EE came right out, ran to the food and started chowing down. When I came back from getting my car serviced, she was in the exact spot I had last seen her, at the food, and dead. I really don't know what to make of this, it's just one of those chicken mysteries I guess.

 

[islandgirl82]

Oh no! I'm so sorry!!

 

[aart]

Sad update : This morning when I let the kids out of the coop, my little EE came right out, ran to the food and started chowing down. When I came back from getting my car serviced, she was in the exact spot I had last seen her, at the food, and dead. I really don't know what to make of this, it's just one of those chicken mysteries I guess.

Oh that's terrible!! I'm so sorry.

Wonder if she choked?

 

[1cutechick]

I'm so sorry! I've never had a chicken pass away. What do you do with them in this situation? Can you eat them not knowing what the cause of death was? Not trying to be morbid, I just don't know. This is my first year with chickens and I haven't encountered this yet.

 

[chickengr]

Sad update : This morning when I let the kids out of the coop, my little EE came right out, ran to the food and started chowing down. When I came back from getting my car serviced, she was in the exact spot I had last seen her, at the food, and dead. I really don't know what to make of this, it's just one of those chicken mysteries I guess.

sorry for your loss.
a week ago my sick pullet looked better, came out of my bathroom where I kept her for 3 days, looked around even tried to peck something from the floor. and suddenly went to the corner, started to breathe heavily and opened her beak. I took her out to have more oxygen, but she died literary within 3-4 minutes. no explanation.