The First Big Snow - The Flock Chilling Out (Pictures)

[HiddenHens987]

We saw about 1" of snow the Saturday before Halloween. So far, haven't seen anything since. It has been relatively warm so far with some days getting into the upper 50's and lower 60's with is crazy for the metro Philly area! No snow for us yet so I can't wait for the first storm to see how the girls take to the snow!!

Thanks for sharing the pictures, your flock looks content and happy!!

 

[Shayna]

Quote:

We saw about 1" of snow the Saturday before Halloween. So far, haven't seen anything since. It has been relatively warm so far with some days getting into the upper 50's and lower 60's with is crazy for the metro Philly area! No snow for us yet so I can't wait for the first storm to see how the girls take to the snow!!

Thanks for sharing the pictures, your flock looks content and happy!!

I'm jealous of your mild winter! Before this came along, we hadn't even had an inch of snow and very mild temperatures. I don't see that returning for us anytime soon, so enjoy it! I'm sure your girls will be happy in the nice winter weather. I do want to see how mine will react to the snow too, so I plan to let them out this weekend when it's a tad warmer. Hopefully get some cute fluffy chicken in the snow pictures!

Yup. Same weather change here in Northen Ill. I went out to check on the girls before I went to bed, one of them had a bit of snow on her back that blew in...I think it bothered me more than her. I love the big vertical branch in the run.

It's a big change to adjust to, isn't it?! The birds do seem to be adapting well so we probably just worry to much. The guineas love those branches too, and it keeps them off the ground to sleep at night. I gave the silkies their own mini branch that basically sits on the ground - and they use it like they're big! lol
I included a couple pictures before of the silkie branch, and I also decided it would be fun to add a "before" picture of my run before the winter weather.

 

[NYChicks345]

I like your open set up.... wish we could have more open style coops like that here. I guess we could but the winters are long and very cold, it would need a lot of enclosing. I might set up something like yours for a summer coop or for ypung pullets. Very Nice.

 

[Shayna]

I like your open set up.... wish we could have more open style coops like that here. I guess we could but the winters are long and very cold, it would need a lot of enclosing. I might set up something like yours for a summer coop or for ypung pullets. Very Nice.

Thank you! But, you're actually looking at my attached run which is huge, because my silkies get very little free range time since I hover over them when I let them out. Where I am, we have hot summers, freezing winters, AND almost every possible predator except bears. I built my run large to accomodate for that and made it very solid to help block the elements and predators. The roof will protect them from snow, rain, direct hot sun. Attached to that run is an old shed that's been converted to the coop. It's ugly but it works. I'd like to upgrade it later, but we put all our effort into the run for now. The chickens just sleep in the coop at night, which keeps them warm, and we added external nest boxes for laying. In the 5th picture in my original post, you can see a guinea standing in front of the coop on the ramp, I have a sliced rubber mat to covering their "chicken door." I assure you our Iowa winters are typically about as long and brutal as yours. This year was MUCH kinder to us than normal. You can see it a little better on my coop page (that I'm in the process of updating) here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/coop-page-7

 

[NYChicks345]

Good idea to spend time and money on a secure run rather than sleeping quarters since the run is where they spend most of there day. I like all of it, and your coop is not ugly. I always say putty and paint, make it what it ain't. So what color have you decided on

 

[Shayna]

Well, thank you! It will look a million times better with a coat of paint and some putty in the nail holes. I really want to do that some time this summer when we have some dry time! A color... hmmmm... I know I threatened to paint it eggplant once to terrify my husband

but I really have no idea. I might have to do a poll on that when the time comes!

Good idea to spend time and money on a secure run rather than sleeping quarters since the run is where they spend most of there day. I like all of it, and your coop is not ugly. I always say putty and paint, make it what it ain't. So what color have you decided on

 

[b.hromada]

Your babies look very happy! Really nice coop. Love those snow pictures. Thanks for sharing.