Young hens coming into winter

[slordaz]

Mine lay pretty good even without adding lighting or heat they are a 2.5 year old flock and so far only time they don't lay is when they molt in the fall, but they are kept on flock raiser year round with oyster shell on the side. Mine are off during winter time , with 7 hens laying I still get 2-5 a day during the winter

** they do demand more meal worms in the winter time though as biug are not abundant when snow flies

 

[Redneckracing14]

Anyone just leave the small.door open for the chickens to go.in and out in winter im.in northern indiana so does get purdy cold figure maybe i could.just put a small piece wood in front door.to keep snow out if we had bad storm coming in and just letting them roam other wise

 

[slordaz]

I just put a recycled screen door on my coop, was down at the hardware store and they had one that had gotten dinged up a bit so they were tossing it and got it for free, has a small gap but has kept the snow out and they can still see outside before deciding if they want to go out or not as come and go as they please, they also have a small hole cut out as they took over the tool shed next door to them that is only covered with a tar[ where they can get out if the door is froze to the ground, Warning they do squawk at me if theres to much snow until I go out and shovel them a play area and path to the food and waterers. We have been beating Alaska for cold temps last 2 years,

 

[hispoptart]

Will they be complete free range then, or is this door open to a secure predator proof run? If its complete free range then it will be up to you and how many you are willing to lose to predators if not the whole flock.

 

[slordaz]

Will they be complete free range then, or is this door open to a secure predator proof run? If its complete free range then it will be up to you and how many you are willing to lose to predators if not the whole flock.

it is completely open, but into my fenced yard, thats how if I am late the rooster comes to my bedroom window and crows until I get up and moving, I have 2 male dogs and a female, nothing comes in my yard uninvited if it values it's life between them and the rooster
And the over head predators have given up on trying to get them as they have way to many places to hide

 

[Redneckracing14]

I also got a real nice heavy rhode island red rooster for my 30 hens im not to worried of predators my main goal for these hens is give me my family eggs and supplement some hog feed for boiled eggs to feed my couple pigs that im raising for butcher from spring to winter

 

[Cindy in PA]

If you do decided to use the light to get more eggs in the winter, you are correct that they will not lay as long. They have a set number of eggs they are going to lay, like a human female, but with chickens, if they lay them all in the first few years, they won't lay like my 5 year old Cuckoo Marans who still lays 4 eggs a week.

Not true that they will not lay as long. Chickens have more eggs then they will probably ever have time to lay.