WINTER IS COMING!!!!! sweaters? insulating? vaseline?

[bantambury]

Hey yall its bantambury!!!

as you all know, winter is right around the corer, and cooler temperatures kick in. some chickens are molting, others are not cold hardy. I just had a few questions....


1) I was thinking about making a sweater for my male jap bantam....jap bantams are not cold hardy. but my boy is beginning to shiver in the cool fall whether. would a sweater help for him in the winter?

2) anyone have sweater patterns for bantams, or any tips of making them, or opinions of using them?

3)Vaseline, or petroleum jelly as called....if I put this on my jap bantams comb, earlobes, and waddles will it protect him from frostbite? some say it does, some say it doesn't.

4)what is another usable chicken product you can use for frostbite protectants?

5)I've heard scratch is a good chicken 'food' to get them ready for the winter......is this true? if so, what is it made up of, and how does it help the chickens?


If any of you have great winter tips, PLMK!!! this is my first year with a non-cold hardy chicken...and I don't want him to die....here he is....

he is a 4 month old Japanese bantam, black tailed white.




anyways, here is my flock, they are all 4 months except for my splash silkie, which is 5 months.

its small, but I am hoping to add a few chickens from the fair coming up.
any ideas of chickens which would be good to add to my flock that have a good egg supply?

Breeds consisting in my flock:
~silkies (white and splash, roo and pullet)
~red Sussex (pullet)
~Japanese bantam (roo)
~and the little tan chicken, of which I don't know her breed yet (pullet)
*the RIR is not part of my flock anymore though*

My girls have not started laying yet as well....will they hopefully start before winter, or will they not lay at all until spring?

out of these breeds.... any winter tips on them? I've only had black astralorps during the winter, so i don't know what to expect out of this mixed flock yet.....




Thanks guys!!!!

~bantambury

 

[mrsc1951]

Sorry, no cold tips, we live in south central Florida. Most of North Carolina has relatively mild winters doesn't it? I lived in Nashville for a number of years and think the climate is similar. As I understand it, not cold hardy means that they don't tolerate extended, extreme cold. If it's freezing or below for a few days at a time, they should be ok. Quite a handsome fellow, your Japanese Bantam. Best of luck with them.

 

[bantambury]

Sorry, no cold tips, we live in south central Florida. Most of North Carolina has relatively mild winters doesn't it? I lived in Nashville for a number of years and think the climate is similar. As I understand it, not cold hardy means that they don't tolerate extended, extreme cold. If it's freezing or below for a few days at a time, they should be ok. Quite a handsome fellow, your Japanese Bantam. Best of luck with them.

thank you! yes, NC doesn't have that bad of winters, but the farmers almanac is stating we will have a bad winter this year since we have had so much rain. its already getting chilly here, but no frost yet. so far the almanac has been strangely accurate....this time I hope not! hahaha. thankyou again!!!

 

[centrarchid]

Where you are located, protection from direct precipitation and strong northerly wind is about all that is needed. Keeping them properly fed when going to roost is also important. And dry place to stand is good also.