Should I free range in the winter?

[mcnicolclan]

Thanks everyone! One of the reasons I chose brahmas was because they were supposed to do well in the cold. I guess I will just wait and see what the they want to do.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:

Now that is one determined-to-explore-the-outdoors roo!

 

[swimmer]

We've had two snow falls in the past week. About 4-6 inches each time. I opened the door like I usually do in the morning. All but one came out. And she came out after a little while. Either they will or they won't. Just open the door and see what they do.

 

[NHchicks]

My NH and RI reds went outside I think pretty much everyday last winter, and I'm in NH. Unless I'm not remembering correctly, but I'm pretty sure they were out every day. We had a naturally trampled path (in the snow) down to the chicken coop (no electric water heater - yuck - makes water trips every day and then opening and closing the coop) and I remember them coming up the path to the house all the time. It wasn't like they could peck anything, tho, we have snow covering here for months in the winter, but they would come up anyway and sit at my sliding glass doors and stare at us in our warm "coop" next to the woodstove... or they'd sit under the deck.

 

[Nostalchic]

We had lots of snow last winter, and my chickens initially would not set foot in it, so I shovelled an area of the run around their door and threw some scratch down to entice them, and a few would venture out, then a few more. By the end of the winter they were out in all sorts of weather, walking around on top of the snow, though if it was windy or really snowing hard they would stay in (like me).

 

[Jeezmcrow]

Those mid-west winters are much colder then what we have here in Washington State, but I let mine out.It rains just about everyday from mid Oct-mid May and they are ok with it. I just make sure they have some place that is dry to hang out in if they so desire. But lets be real, more worms show their faces in the wet than dry...Happy chickies!

 

[Akane]

I opened the door every day in winter except during blizzards or ice storms. My chickens would not go out if the snow was over a certain depth. They usually spent the coldest month or 2 just looking outside at the snow.

 

[jadekat]

I plan on letting mine free range all winter if they want to.

 

[Sparks]

I throw bags of leaves in their run whenever it snows. It is warmer for their feet and they also have something to scratch in. In the spring it turns into great compost.

 

[teach1rusl]

We do get snow here in Indiana. I always give mine the option to go out (helps prevent boredom if nothing else). Mine didn't venture out if there was anything more than an inch. Keep bales of staw around. Mine would come out if I spread straw out for them to walk/scratch around in. I shoveled areas for them too. DH wasn't thrilled, but I also opened my bay of the garage so they'd have a place to go to (wind and snow is the worst).