Winter's coming and I have a few questions...

[chickengirl8]

Winter's coming and I have a few questions.

We've had chickens for years now and last year I noticed my roosters lost a bit of their combs due to frost bite. By the time I noticed it it was too late. I think I read a some where a way to prevent it is by putting vasaline on your chicken's combs. Is that true? Any other suggestions to that?

Also, I have some hens that started to loose feathers and due to other hens picking at the feathers growing back in they never really had the chance to grow back. I'm concerned about them since it gets really cold were I live in the winter. I thought I read some where that you can get some stuff called Blu-Cote of something to change the color of the skin so it's less noticable when feathers come in or something? I just have a few hens I'm really worried about and I'm hoping their feathers will come all the way back before winter hits. Any suggestions to helping the feathers grow back?

Any other advice about keeping hens through the winter?

 

[77horses]

get a heat lamp for the coop. Most breeds of chickens(RIRs, red stars, etc..) are hardy in winter, and they do OK. But to help yours stay warm, like I said, heat lamp works. To help feathers grow back, separate the hens.

Hope this helps!

 

[chickengirl8]

Yeah, we have electrical in the coops (it's new and fancy) and we'll put in heat lamps. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Wildsky]

Vasaline works basically by keeping moisture off the comb etc. That frost bite loss is because of excess moisture freezing.

Best thing is to make sure the coop is DRY - that will solve the problem without you running around with a jar of vasaline trying to catch chickens.

Are you sure the feather loss is because of others picking? I have one chicken right now going through molt - she looks really ugly but otherwise fine.

 

[chickengirl8]

Quote:
I have some going through a molt right now but other's have looked this way for months. One that's bad is one we rescued and her feathers just have never got a fair chance to grow in.

I looked on McMurray Hatchery's site. I finally found the Blu-Cote. There is also some other Anti-Peck products. It had Pine Tar and this Hot Peck or something. Is there any suggestion of which is the most effective?

 

[Wildsky]

I'm not experienced with those products, but it would be a good idea to give your chickens extra protein. Could be their diet is lacking.
What are you feeding them?

I don't have the feather picking problem, but now and then I do give my girls left-over meat, and they do LOVE tuna.

 

[chickengirl8]

They eat anything they find outside. I've seen them run around chasing each other for mice. I've never given them leftover meat, that's an idea.

I've seen some of my hens though lose some feathers and each time they tried to grow back in the hens would peck away the little stumps of feathers that popped through.

Does anyone else has a suggestion on the best Anti-Peck product?

 

[Hardy Hen]

I would just like to say it is NOT a good idea to put a heat lamp in a chicken coop at all. If any dust from the ground touches that lamp your whole coop will go up in smoke. Chickens are hardy. They know what to do when it gets cold out. They puff up their bodies and they all sleep together. Their feet also help them stay warm as well. Put vasiline on the combs definitley. If any of your chickens are bald or close to it when it's about 35 degrees or below put them somewhere warmer, but not a very warm place because then they won't grow the feathers back. Put them somewhere where it's about 40 degrees.

 

[chickengirl8]

Any suggestions then on letting the feather's grow back? Should I try an anti-peck?