ScottishMike Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Oh, I know, I just excel at daft newbie questions Anyway, to the point! How do hens cope with wintertime? If I have them, they would be being let out (door opened into the run) before it got light, and shut up again pretty much as soon as I got home, in the dark... Now that means much less interaction with them, as well as them potentially getting more bored... But also pretty much no free ranging, at least not mon-fri other than within whatever size run we end up getting.. So I'm wondering how hens usually cope with that kind of restriction? Does the dark evenings just encourage them to 'shut down' and kip much longer?? Does the cold give them stronger appetites? Would the lack of interaction time make winter a poor time to start hen keeping?? Thoughts please!!! Thanks!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hen Watch Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Got mine in Spring last year but actually found Winter was much easier than I expected. They will get used to your work routine. In winter I open eglu door when my alarm goes off (sometimes dark sometimes not). They free range much shorter time due to shorter days. And in deepest winter I have to make sure they are locked in their run before I leave for the school run at 3pm as it will get dark at 4pm. Mine will not always free range in Winter even if I am in, since really filthy bad weather means they will rip my soggy grass to shreds, so on those days they are confined to the run. When it's dark at 4pm, off they toddle to bed and go into roost mode right until morning. They wake up hungry but then I didn't really notice their apetites increase at all last year. On the plus side, winter means neighbours windows are shut and any egg announcements are muffled. So hens can settle into a new home and routine before longer summer days arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandychick Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Mine won't get any time out Mon - Fri when it's dark before 5pm. I'm thinking that they probably won't get too bored because they will be sleeping more - their actual 'awake time' in the run will be the same. I guess they will look forward to stretching their wings at the weekends though. I imagine that rumaging about under sleeping chickens, in the dark, to get the eggs will be fun though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I got my girls about this time last year and wondered the same things. It turned out fine. At the moment we let them out for half an hour or so in the morning (once it's light - I'm nervous about them freeranging when it's too dark to see them!) and if we're back before it's dark, we'll let them out for a bit again. We try to make up for it at the w/e. They seem to cope fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I don't see my girls during the week at all over winter, well only by torchlight while I'm trying to scoot them off the nest to collect the eggs when I get home from work. I do try to hang extra veggies up for them to keep them occupied while I'm at work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HENthusiastic Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I didn't think they'd be laying eggs over winter time?? I'm so not looking forward to the dark mornings and evenings. I'm going to miss my girls so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa33 Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I didn't think they'd be laying eggs over winter time?? I'm so not looking forward to the dark mornings and evenings. I'm going to miss my girls so much. I don't think anyone told mine they were allowed to slow down in winter. They just kept on producing (but they are hybrids). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Mine didn't really slow down last winter either. Two started laying about Oct/Nov and went on right through but the third didn't even start till late January . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyReckless Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 I've had hens that stop laying for 3 months plus, hens that lay right through and a couple in between! The pure breeds all stopped for winter, the hybrids did a mixture of stopping for about 8 weeks and laying but a bit less frequently. I didn't notice an increase in feeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenanne Posted October 3, 2008 Share Posted October 3, 2008 OOh, I live quite near you - near Stirling... Anyhow, Mon- Fri mine get out in the morning at about 7.15am, and are shut in when I get back from work, about 6.45pm. Typically they're in bed by then, but so long as you can see them to check them over (a head torch is great) no worries. I had no problems last winter. I think worth getting a good, big run for them - ours isn't massive, but about 5m by 2m for 4 hens, which am sure some would say is excessive. In really bitter weather, I did worry the water would re-freeze in the morning, but putting plenty of luke-warm water out first thing seemed to work fine. Mine layed all winter, even the two pure breeds. I think something to do with luck! They didn't seem to eat much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
