What about snow?

[redhen009]

Hi,
I am a little (actually a lot) new to raising chickens. I own 12 barred plymouth rock chickens who are a few months shy of being two years old. It snowed for the first time in their lives today. I opened to coop to give them choice to the snow. Some of them came out and others stayed in. Is there anything extra things I should do due to the snow?

 

[DianeS]

Nope, not a thing different that you need to do in the snow. Some chickens hate snow, others don't care. As long as they have somewhere dry and out of the wind to go to (like the coop), they'll be just fine. Opening the coop and letting them do what they want, just like you do on a normal day, is exactly right.

 

[redhen009]

Thanks for your help!

 

[Mommy 2 Wee Ones]

Mine came out, same age as yours. But they spent most of their time under the stairs of our deck, and as night fell, 4 went back to the coop, the other 13 remained under the deck stairs. It is totally inclosed, it is dry, no snow, but it is getting down to 16 deg tonight. I hope I do not wake up to popcycle chickens in the morning.

 

[midnightroo]

Another newbie here. Mine came out this morning before it started to snow and then went right back in when the snow came. I have their food and water outside, should I put anything in their coop or force them to come out when they get hungry or thirsty? Also, just in case it is important they are in a snaplock coop. Thank you for your help. I have been lurking for a month now and have learned a lot!

 

[Mrs. K]

I always keep my food and water outside, and mine will come out for it. But I do keep it under some cover, so that the pan does not fill up with snow. Try it and see, they should be eating more food in cold weather, if they are not, you should move it inside. I don't like feed inside, cause I think it draws rodents and diseases.

But right now, I have something that has dug under the house, ugh!

 

[midnightroo]

Thanks mrs k. We went out to play in the snow and we heard them complaining about the snow, but didn't come out. I put put some food in a container in the coop, but I can tell they knocked it over already. We did put a cover over the feeder, but the snow didn't come straight down so it got in the feeder. I will keep an eye out to see if they come out when the snow stops later today and out more food out for them if they do.

We did build a straw house for them earlier in the year and when my husband moved them to the snaplock and disassembled the straw coop (setting on the ground) he said there were lots of mice in it. We have the snaplock on a cart with bale of straw around it, but hopefully nothing will go inside the coop.

Thanks again