when to close up the coop? (winter)

[Chicken Woman]

Those are a couple hundred dollars right ?

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote:
I bought it on sale but it was an excellent investment for my chickens as this is the fourth year and it will probably last many, many more years. It stays up year round and in the warmer months the sides can be rolled up and fencing material tie wrapped to the frame and it becomes a covered run.

 

[cwhit590]

As far as shutting them in the coop goes....

This is my first winter with chickens too, so I've been learning as I go. They seem to be able to take the cold just fine, but like Windy Ridge said, they don't like to go out in fresh snow. If I shovel out the run they will go out and explore, but they don't stay out for long. When it is snowing and blowing out, I just leave the door shut to help keep the heat in and protect them from the elements. To me it's just not worth keeping it open in the cold if they aren't even going out....

When I have to keep them in I give them extra treats and scatter birdseed in their bedding and they go crazy scratching around for it! I'll also let them go on little 'field trips' out of their pen to explore the rest of the shed....they clean up spilled feed/seed and it makes them happy. You can tell they do get grumpy and more irritable towards each other when they don't get to go out as much.

I wish I could let them out more but the snow just ISN'T letting up this winter...

We did have one day where the temps got just above freezing and the snow turned to rain...the snow on the ground was almost gone so the chickens were out...but some of them were soaking wet! That kinda concerned me since they were wet and it was still cold out...so I shut them in early for the night. Of course they acted just fine

, but I don't think I'll be letting them out again in freezing rain.

Just some of my observations so far! Good luck with your birds!

 

[digitS']

Lovely setting for a henhouse . . .

My hens don't have a lot of room indoors so I open the pop door if it is above zero and there's no wind. They still tend to stay confined but that door acts as something of a safety valve, I think. If one really needs out she can go into their covered "sunporch."

Even tho' it has a roof over it, the snow blows in a little. The first one to discover this "horrid situation" was so upset that she began cackling

. Then, she retreated back indoors.

It took them about 2 days before they would venture out even where there was no snow. After about 5 days with a little snow on their porch, I just noticed today that they were walking around a little on it. Courageous, they are not

.

Real important . . . make sure they have water to drink. I'll freeze their water in just a few minutes with that door open but will bring it in to thaw - 3 times a day. They don't seem at all desperate to get a drink now that they've become accustomed to not having the water thru a few hours each day. But, it took a little while for them to learn that it would only be available 3 times a day.

Steve

 

[tygab]

Thanks for all the great suggestions and stories about your chickens!

I have been meaning to do the cabbage and that probably would help a lot with boredom if they are enclosed.

They did come out for a short time late in the afternoon today when I put some scratch out. A few even stayed out longer. I noticed that the hens would stand on one foot, and alternate so they didn't get too cold. Our rooster stood on both feet and appeared to be shivering the whole time. But he wouldn't go back in the coop either. Maybe he's not so bright.

I closed the coop up early to prevent too much heat loss. I think the copious amount of snow on the roof may also be insulating it a little. I couldn't even see my breath when I was in the coop this afternoon, which is unusual given it was extremely cold.

I love the idea of an enclosed area for them to come out to. I even have an idea on how to do that with polycarbonate panels. Maybe we'll do that next summer.

But, if nothing else I think as long as they have some form of entertainment, if it's really nasty out I can close up the coop.