Think it's too cold for your chickens? Think again...

[Mrs MIA]

LOL! I wish!! Like a header at the top of every page?? That would be sweet. But no. Maybe I can put it in my signature line...

 

[featherz]

predicted -19 here in a few days. Argh! I am sure the regular chickens will be OK, but my poor leghorns will have no combs left. I am not sure vaseline helps at all.

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

Does the vaseline help? I wonder...since it is a liquid,

 

[Paganrose]

I went outside this morning and the outside temp was 2 below, Inside the coop the birds were all up and moving about, between the birds and south window it was 23* inside the coop. I opened up the chicken door, and the ducks and geese insisted on staying outside, where the chickens went in and out, but were very happily scratching around in the fresh hay inside the coop! So I believe my chickens are handling the weather well.

 

[ninjascrub69]

Quote:
yes, it helps ALOT. I put vaseline on my production red (the one with the biggest comb), but didnt put it on my cochin roos (the ones with the smallest single combs in my flock) and the cochins got frost bite, but the production red didnt.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

I don' think the chickens care when I get cold coming out to take care of them in the negative temps.

On Ellie's point, I always worry about folks who are trying to winter birds in northern tier states in unaltered chicken tractors. Now I use them myself in summer quite happily, but winter quarters are another matter entirely. And some people I have talked to who think chickens find all their own food (even in winter) if allowed enough free-range room. I have to explain that there is no free-ride, and they usually walk away with a smirk (they really don't believe me and think I am wasting my money feeding the birds). I grew up on a farm and the Domestic Animal Contract requires that we keep the animals reasonably comfortable if you want them to live up to their end of the bargain.

If it hasn't been said on this page yet, if you have a sudden dip a few degrees below freezing, do not panic, your birds can take it.

However, use your common sense or the experience of neighbors when trying to maintain ANY animal in drastic local conditions. Chickens were not bred to dig through 3 feet of snow to find their own food and shelter in -20F weather.

Everyone stay warm!

 

[cabincrazyone]

Because we have a cold snap coming (-24 tonight, -13 Fri, -20 Sat, with highs of zero) I thought I'd see how this thread was coming along. What a hoot!! Human nature is fun to watch, don't you think.


Also, I had to chuckle to see a lady named Mrs Bird brain had to throw some (sensible) ice water on the thread to cool things down.

Don't look at me. I donno nuttin.

 

[ellieroo]

Quote:
Again great post! I think what sent me over the edge was someones comment about how their chickens can consume snow for their drinking water.Good Grief!!

We are having a flood here not bad but a flood the amount of people who have left horses and cows with tiny calves at their sides standing in water are unbelievable! Ask one guy after the last flood why .... answer it was to much hassle to move them and they could stand for a few days til the water left!

Logic seems to be completly missing sometimes.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Again great post! I think what sent me over the edge was someones comment about how their chickens can consume snow for their drinking water.Good Grief!!

We are having a flood here not bad but a flood the amount of people who have left horses and cows with tiny calves at their sides standing in water are unbelievable! Ask one guy after the last flood why .... answer it was to much hassle to move them and they could stand for a few days til the water left!

Logic seems to be completly missing sometimes.

Oh CRAP!!! Stay safe!! I'm so glad I live in an area that isn't likely to flood.

I must have missed that post, about the snow... I thought that was common sense not to eat snow, because it lowers the core body temp...?

Now, in a pinch, I will throw a couple of handfuls of snow in the electric dog bowl, but it melts pretty quickly. But I have noticed that the birds like to peck at any frost that's on walls or windows...

Cabincrazyone... I like your smilies.

YOU know what it's all about, don't you??

 

[Mrs MIA]

Is it true that most, if not all of us in the northern climates are in the middle of our worst weather right now? Just a few more weeks... get through Feb, and usually that's the worst of it behind us...