Winter is Coming! Checklists, tips, advice for a newbie

[jburts]

my chickens are eating lots I suppose they are gearing up for cold weather or they are getting bored they still get out three days a week that I'm home, to the back yard that is.
with snow coming they usually like to stay in more, unless they have areas of no snow on ground.
or if it is pouring down rain they don't like that much.
later in winter depending on snow I let them out in back yard more but usually later in day because I have to watch our for a cooper hawk, don't know if he will try to get them or not.
the hawk usually goes for the doves and little birds, but I don't take any chances.
then come spring the hawk usually leaves and I don't have to worry all summer until mid to late winter.
so far no eagles have come down they stay close to the river.

 

[Alaskan]

Hawks love chicken

 

[LadyCluck77]

We got our first snowfall today, well, first snow that stayed on the ground anyway.
It was a chilly, but pretty morning.
I've got six very rare and expensive five week old chicks to put out soon too. They've got feathers now. I've taken them off the heat lamp as of two days ago, but they're still in a large brooder in my basement with an ecoglow. I'm thinking of contacting Blooie- she had an educational article a while back about how to safely keep chicks outside despite cold weather. I just don't want to risk loosing any of them!
DH is hoping to get them out of the basement brooder and into the old smaller coop before Christmastime- but our winters are so harsh...Maybe I'll compromise and put them out sometime in May

 

[Alaskan]

I have a house duck

I put her out during the day, and let her sleep in the house to warm up.

 

[the poppster]

So is Alfalfa bad? just curious I'm a newbie thank you

I have gotten many bags of the moist alfalfa mix that you are asking about and my birds love it...I've made up a couple box frames with 1/2 inch hardware cloth on both sides...to use as feeders for the loose alfalfa....I made them narrow at the bottom..about two inches and wider at the top...about four inches...that's the sides...the front and back are covered with the hardware cloth....and I made a wooden lid for it...I stuff it full of alfalfa and put the lid on...then hang it from the cross brace inside the run...they spend hours picking away at the alfalfa thru the wire...since we get an average snow fall of 300 inches or more ...my birds would need to know how to run a snow blower to get to any grass...

 

[the poppster]

It's got electric start!! Maybe I'd better not give them any ideas!

 

[Alaskan]

my chickens are eating lots I suppose they are gearing up for cold weather or they are getting bored they still get out three days a week that I'm home, to the back yard that is.
with snow coming they usually like to stay in more, unless they have areas of no snow on ground.
or if it is pouring down rain they don't like that much.
later in winter depending on snow I let them out in back yard more but usually later in day because I have to watch our for a cooper hawk, don't know if he will try to get them or not.
the hawk usually goes for the doves and little birds, but I don't take any chances.
then come spring the hawk usually leaves and I don't have to worry all summer until mid to late winter.
so far no eagles have come down they stay close to the river.

I should have mentioned...

The colder It gets the more the chickens will eat.

All of the extra feed keeps them warm.






Poppster,

 

[Shabana]

I have gotten many bags of the moist alfalfa mix that you are asking about and my birds love it...I've made up a couple box frames with 1/2 inch hardware cloth on both sides...to use as feeders for the loose alfalfa....I made them narrow at the bottom..about two inches and wider at the top...about four inches...that's the sides...the front and back are covered with the hardware cloth....and I made a wooden lid for it...I stuff it full of alfalfa and put the lid on...then hang it from the cross brace inside the run...they spend hours picking away at the alfalfa thru the wire...since we get an average snow fall of 300 inches or more ...my birds would need to know how to run a snow blower to get to any grass...

That's a great idea !! It'll save it getting kicked all over and spoiled in any mud.
Thankyou

 

[the poppster]

That's a great idea !! It'll save it getting kicked all over and spoiled in any mud.
Thankyou

You are very welcome!

 

[Debandchickens]

I am so happy to read this post......I am in Nova Scotia and this being my 1st year with my beautiful layers, I've been fretting night and day that they will get cold and get a chill. We have their coop pretty well sealed so no drafts and 2 vents installed. Still, I'm going to worry until spring, no doubt! I appreciate this post though!