Sourdough Hens

[servant_of_fluffs]

Oh, yeah I didn't mention this, but I am also going to keep track of chicks that get pasty butt. I am fairly certain some chicks are pre-dispositioned to it. I know that extreme temps can also cause it, so if anything too crazy happens with the temps I will consider my findings moot unless it's just one chick getting afflicted.

 

[NatJ]

Actually, feathered feet are a detriment in cold. When they get damp, wet, muddy, that source of moisture can freeze. Think wet socks.
Better to be dry.
The best way to keep feet warm is a plush floof underside.
I like to call them pantaloons on my E. Orp type mixes.
That kind of floof helps on the roost, where they can snuggle their feet all the way under.
And it helps during the day, when they can stand on one leg and tuck the other up into their tummy fluff. They tend to alternate feet.

I've seen a few posts from someone in Montana, saying that feathered feet actually do seem to protect their chickens from frostbite.

From January of 2022:

I also want to point out that those feathers come in handy on feet where i am too. I have some poor clean legged birds that have fractions of their toes left and most of the lucky ones are missing at least a toenail.

My birds with feathered legs and feet have never lost so much as a toenail to the cold.

More details, in February of 2022:

Yes, forgot to add that. Out of the tens of dozens of birds that have stayed over winters here over the years, 1 feather footed bird here got severe frost bite, and the loss of toes happened before he came into my possession.

Where as my clean legged birds fare far worse. I have probably 100 birds total currently. Roughly 15 are feather legged fully and 3 are sparsely feathered. The rest are clean legged. Out of those clean legged birds, maybe 20 have all their nails. The rest either are missing multiple nails, knuckles or complete toes.

Several have also had frozen feet that result in the loss of the foot entirely and have had to be put down.


I think part of the cold intolerance is hereditary, but I still also believe that feathered legs are far less likely to get frostbite, let alone severely

And an update in April of 2024:

I will say, that count did go to 3 over the years. Two of my older silkies got severe frostbite this year. But that stills less than my clean legged ones

I have a personal dislike of feathered feet because they get muddy, but I find it interesting that someone does see benefits in really cold weather.

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

I've seen a few posts from someone in Montana, saying that feathered feet actually do seem to protect their chickens from frostbite.

From January of 2022:


More details, in February of 2022:


And an update in April of 2024:



I have a personal dislike of feathered feet because they get muddy, but I find it interesting that someone does see benefits in really cold weather.

Interesting. Personally, none of my chickens have gotten their feet frostbitten, except for Griffin, my old roo, who made a very bad decision when he was a cockerel and put his feet in his water (I guess he liked that it was warm?!) Which in my opinion was natural selection lol. He ended up losing about 2/3 of all his his toes on one foot and was mostly fine after that. His remaining toe nodules (chunks? I cant think of the right word) were pretty swollen and looked kind of painful to me, but he got around fine... Generally the hens don't lose toenails, but most of the roosters do.

As long as the hens don't get wet or are outside during cold conditions they are perfectly fine. I have a "run" for the winter (that is actually more of a solarium), so they are never exposed to the wind and most of the snow. They are still exposed to cold temperatures (-20F and colder at night) and a nasty draft, but do just fine.

I want to make a "breed" that can survive very cold weather, in case their coop got the ceiling blown off by the wind or whatever else could make them need to survive colder weather than they are used to.