Winter care for my hens

[MissChick@dee]

Mine run and play in the snow. Their run has straw down in it if they choose to get out of the snow.

 

[Annalee Robin]

Welcome from CT also! The hens did not have any interest in going outside when I opened the door yesterday to let them out.
So I shoveled a path for them and a few went in and out briefly, this morning I used the tractor and opened up alot more area for them and no sooner did I leave they all came running out. I wouldn't worry about frost bite they will go in when needed. I have a poop board under roost with flake pine shavings on top of it. Clean that off 1-2 times a week. Bottom of coop I have several inches of pine flakes and they don't really get dirty.
This is them a few minutes ago:
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[Annalee Robin]

Your pics are beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Annalee Robin]

Tha

Do they have run? They love to be out more often than not.. at least mine do and healthy for them. As long as they have dry place to go if needed and desired the snow shouldn’t hurt them. Some are hesitant about it at first but now mine run right out in it

Thank you so much! I live in a more urban area and my first hen was abandoned and came into my yard - I had to give her a good home! I fell in love with her and got her a friend- another beautiful hen. They are best friends! But I can't let them out unless I'm outside with them, because it would be unsafe for them. So when I'm outside cleaning their coop, they go out into a makeshift pen we made out of chicken wire. I rent and my landlords have been great about this but I can't build a big extension for them. The hens seem happy, but this is all so new to me and I want to do what is best for them. Thank you so much again! Best, Annalee

 

[Annalee Robin]

Mine run and play in the snow. Their run has straw down in it if they choose to get out of the snow.

Thank you so much! Mine have a run, enough room for both of them but still I want them to go outside and play whenever I clean their coop. Thanks!

 

[aart]

Thank you so much! Mine have a run, enough room for both of them but still I want them to go outside and play whenever I clean their coop. Thanks!

Pics of your coop and run, please?
I shovel off part of my run, they'll come out, some more than others.

 

[Annalee Robin]

Pics of your coop and run, please?
I shovel off part of my run, they'll come out, some more than others.

I posted a pic of my coop and run. There are only two hens. They are in their run each day, but I have a makeshift extension out of chicken wire for them for when I clean their coop each week. Thank you so much again!

 

[llombardo]

I have the same coop but I redid it my way..lol. You can make a temporary area that is a run. My neighbor has 34 chickens and simply has stakes in the ground with fencing and a net. I don't like how unsecure it is, I would add electric fencing to be super safe, but it has worked for them. We got snoe and I passed my neighbors, none of their chickens were out. Mine on the otherhand? They had no problems with the snow and went about their business as usual.

Coop--my version

Flaps on the door so they can come and go--keeps wind out. They all use it now--took my boy a while to use it, but the girls took to it. Right away

Out on the snow--this is my side area for supervised out of the run time. It's covered with a net for those aerial predators. I just used some stakes to hd up the net. When not supervised they are in the run

 

[Annalee Robin]

I have the same coop but I redid it my way..lol. You can make a temporary area that is a run. My neighbor has 34 chickens and simply has stakes in the ground with fencing and a net. I don't like how unsecure it is, I would add electric fencing to be super safe, but it has worked for them. We got snoe and I passed my neighbors, none of their chickens were out. Mine on the otherhand? They had no problems with the snow and went about their business as usual.

Coop--my version
View attachment 1593145

Flaps on the door so they can come and go--keeps wind out. They all use it now--took my boy a while to use it, but the girls took to it. Right away

View attachment 1593146

Out on the snow--this is my side area for supervised out of the run time. It's covered with a net for those aerial predators. I just used some stakes to hd up the net. When not supervised they are in the run

View attachment 1593147
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Thank you so much for sharing! Your coop is amazing! It's actually brilliant I think. I'm learning so much from this wonderful community. I'm so new at this but so far my girls seem very happy. I just want to see them be okay as we go on this winter. Thank you so much again!

 

[New2Chicks97]

I posted a pic of my coop and run. There are only two hens. They are in their run each day, but I have a makeshift extension out of chicken wire for them for when I clean their coop each week. Thank you so much again!

Cute coop and it has that small attached run space so that is something.

The other thing you might consider is a dog kennel. We have one of the Black 6’ tall dog kennel kits that we bought to use as a run for our prefab coop kit. So it isn’t a permanent fixture and can be moved. Maybe something like that could be an option for you in the future.