Storms and chickens

[Sue Ayalon]

Only having had my chickens 2 weeks and with the weather already turning wintery with frost and snow - can anyone tell me what sort of temperatures the chickens can withstand in their egloe? My chickens Thelma and Louise have settled in so well and the thought of waking up one morning and finding them frozen to their perch is a bit worrying so if anyone can put my mind at rest over this I would then be a happy chappie!!

 

Thanks

 

Sue

 

 

 

Hi Sue, I've moved this posting out of the nesting box because it seemed to fit in the Eglu section better.

 

Hope you don't mind and that I haven't caused offence .

 

Anyone looking for a posting about how warm Eglus are will find it easier in this section than in the Nestbox.

 

Cheers, Kate (moderator)

[Mrs Frugal]

Hi Sue,

 

I think from the blurb which came with my Eglu, it's been specially designed to be both cool in summer and warm in winter - something to do with the double plastic skin (too technical by far for me!). I think if it gets really cold, your girls will snuggle up together for warmth. Think how cold the traditional wooden arks must be in snow. I think the Eglu will be considerably warmer than those.

 

When it snowed here, I put a rug and an old towel over my Eglu to keep it from freezing shut and to keep out any draughts and the girls seemed fine in the morning. I'm applying vaseline to their combs in the morning when it's cold outside (they really do seem to like that - I highly recommend plenty of handling when your girls are new because it makes tasks like this soooo much easier ). The other thing I'm doing is bringing their water in at night so it's at room temperature for them in the morning - much nicer than ice cold water, don't you think?

 

From what I've read so far about hens, they don't mind the cold as much as the damp. So long as the Eglu isn't damp inside, they should be fine.

 

Good luck with your girls. They are lovely creatures - funny to watch and lovely to cuddle !

 

Cheers,

[Lesley]

Hi Sue

 

Same message as Kate really. We have two eglus now and we haven't put anything over them on the cold nights. The girls have been cosy and warm when let out in the morning.

 

We also put their water in the shed overnight.

 

Have fun.

 

Lesley

[Sue Ayalon]

Thanks Kate, I am still getting the hang of this - can't seem to add the Avtars either but I will keep trying

 

Sue

[Mrs Frugal]

Hi Sue,

 

Don't worry! Anything you do wrong, we can sort out !

 

You're doing fine so far and the Avatar is terrific! I was hanging my nose over that one too, it's great !!!

 

 

Keep on posting!

[motherhen]

Hi Sue

The eglu is a massive improvement over the old wooden hen houses. My big one use to have a wire grid floor about 10 inches off the ground and the walls of the henhouse from that level to the ground just had chicken wire on them. You can imagine the draughts. Although all my hens were fine on their roosting bars - they just cuddled together - and I'm sure the winters were a lot colder 20 years ago.

 

The only thing I would repeat from the other replies is to make sure your girls have the opportunity to stay dry if they want to. If they are free range a lot you'll probably notice that they find sheltered spots in your garden. If they are in their run most or all of the time Omlet are now doing a winter shade that looks as if it will keep the rain (and the wind) out of a lot of the run. What I did during that wet August we had was cut a piece of very thick polythene to form a roof over the eglu. It's a bit like the winter shade, though not nearly as stylish, but lets in more light. The sides and end are open to ensure good air circulation and so the girls can see out and I can see in. I tied on plastic camping hooks with elastic cord and it works very well but clothes pegs would probably do the job as well. (There are photos on the citychicken website if my description doesn't make sense) If the hens go in to roost all nice and dry then they will just fluff up their feathers, have a cuddle together and be warm and cosy. If you want to be really obliging you could close up the eglu as soon as they roost to keep out any cold wind.

[Sue Ayalon]

Thanks for your responses - I do have the winter cover which is great for keeping off the rain but as it only goes over the top of the run it leaves the sides exposed so doesn't really stop the wind.

 

Does anyone really know how cold these eglus complete with chickens can really withstand, I know we can protect them to a greater degree with blankets or carpet but I just wondered.

 

Anyway after having Thelma and Louise just over 3 weeks and thoroughly enjoying them (even our African Grey parrot Georgie now talks about chickens in the garden) we are all looking forward to our first egg.

 

Still don't know how to sign off with the eglu and chickens but never mind

 

Sue

[Richard]

Hi

 

My girls don't seem to mind the cold at all (something to do with wearing a double duvet perhaps?) but they really don't like the wet. I got the winter cover; they sit under it dejectedly when it rains - Georgina does however like to try to catch the raindrops off the bars of the run

[Sue1411]

Bit embarrassed to confess this really, but I couldn't stand the worry any longer and bought two small hot water bottles from Boots which they promised me were insulated enough not to cause burns. I realise that this probably is totally unnecessary, but they seem to appreciate snuggling up to them when I go to lock up for the night!

 

[Guest]

Hi

Having read your question I have put the receiver for my weather station in my eglu overnight tonite.

 

Live in Poole, Dorset & its very cold here at the moment.

 

Will post how warm the chikz (Ethel & Edna ) stay tonite & the out doors/side temp too ASAP

 

Lou

[Nicola H]

Thats a good idea louisa, hope you get a good reading don't forget to let us know how it goes.

 

I am sure the Eglu is warmer than wooden coops lets see if your results prove it....................

[Lesley]

I shall be interested to see what the readings are Louisa. I probably ought to get one of those and see what happens when all five go to bed in one Eglu

[Trish]

I've fancied one of those for ages checking the chooks are warm enough may just be the excuse I've been looking for thanks

[Mrs Frugal]

My eldest, Tom, wants to be a meteorologist when he leaves school and he's got a fancy tapdancing, wind recording, humidity measuring one and it's brilliant! I hadn't thought to use it to measure the Eglu temperature though - great idea, Louisa. Let us know how cosy your girls are, won't you.

[kiwi94]

Hi, I live in France, near Paris, and have an egglu since septembre. (maybe the first in France !)

 

I have been quite worried for my two chickens, Poly and Esther, since two weeks because of the cold .

 

well, we just had a freezing -7 ° yesterday night, and the girls are just fine !!

 

there was snow and ice all over the garden this morning, but our two chickens seem to have spent an excellent night and ran like cray for the lettuce we left in the run.

 

no blanket or rug (we just had to work some time on the door to open it, but probably France is not as wet as England and the doors don't freeze the same)

 

so, egglu are warm enough to keep happy chickens in at least a severe -7° (plus wind) outside !!

[Lesley]

Thanks for that Sylvie - nice to hear from you.

 

We had temps as low as -7 last night and our girls were fine as well. We haven't put a blanket over and the doors haven't been too difficult to open.

[Sammi J]

Hi.

 

We had the temp down to -7 too in good old suffolk last night.

 

The water had already got a top layer of ice on it when I went to close the girls in for the night and feed and put the rabbit away at 5:45pm. The egg port door was frozen shut because of all the snow we had had, but once I got it open and took a look inside all three girls were as happy as Larry ( and as you know Larry is always very happy!!!).

 

I filled the water container up and put it in the shed to stop it freezing over night, I had to be really careful not to slip as the floor was very slippery!!

 

This morning the girls were very warm but still keen to get out of the eglu for breakfast, late again because I over slept!!! And I had to pour hot water over the water container because it was frozon solid even though it was in the shed?!? Thats a first.

 

More snow tonight everyone, get those hot water bottles ready for bedtime ( for you not the chooks ).

 

Take care and keep warm

Sammi

[Leanne]

we too had a really cold night last night, (i'm on the essex/herts border)and the eglu door was frozen shut this morning.I though for a while I'd have to lift them out through the egg hatch! I have been throwing an old rug over the top throughout the coldest nights, and it too was stiff as a board! the girls water trough was solid, as was the water in the birdbath. But the garden looked great, frosty white grass(that is, the grass i have left after having chickens for 9 months!) and cobwebs all icy-dont they look magical like that? I tucked the girls in for the night a few mins ago, and it is very cold out there already. Despite the cold it was really sunny here today and they had a lovely busy time in the garden and a supper of corn and pasta before retiring so i am sure they will sleep happily!

 

Leanne

 

Betty

Roobs

 

[Leanne]

further to my last post above, its now snowing here again!

Leanne

[Kim Gardner]

According to the weather forecast ,that I just watched, we reached -9 in Oxfordshire last night!This morning both girls came out of the eglu as happy as good old 'Larry'!Their water bowl was frozen and came out in a lump on the boarder behind the run-it was still a frozen lump when I put them to bed!!

 

 

Kim

Mrs.Frisby

Clary

[motherhen]

We tend to avoid the extremes of temperature. Being in the middle of Newcastle city we get the extra few degrees heat in winter and we are only 10 miles from the coast and this affects the weather as well. You only have to drive 10 miles further west of us and it is much snowier and colder.

[Guest]

Nice to see a good debate on this site. I have had my Eglu since July and the chickens love it - as indicated by the regular supply of eggs.

 

Over the past few weeks it has been freezing and snowing regularly. On several mornings I have had to work on the door handle of the Eglu to open it - children have failed. I have given up opening the egg port when the weather is like this as it rips of a small amount of the foam rubber seal each time. I just wait till later in the morning to collect the eggs.

 

I refill the water in the morning when it is frozen. Good job the feeder is plastic and can be bashed on the sink and run under hot water.

 

The girls - Margot and Barbara don't seem to have been bothered by the cold and they must be happy because I have been getting 2 eggs a day all through this spell. They do however like to come in and warm up by the Rayburn - yes in the kitchen!!

 

They hate the rain and often retire back into the Eglu when it is wet - even with a free run of the garden. They also tap on the back door and ask to be let in. Half an hour in the kitchen is enough time to dry off, warm up and have a good preen. Kitchen roll necessary to clear up the odd little dump though.

 

Cats inside are fascinated by the chickens and try and sniff them - but have been pecked on the nose to show who is boss.

 

I'll try and add a picture later.

 

Matt

 

[SarahJo]

Cool Matt ... any room near the Rayburn for me .

 

Sarah

[Mrs Frugal]

Hi Matt,

 

Yes, mine like a drying off session in the kitchen too. Trouble is, they like to flap up onto the kitchen chairs and I even found Clarry sat in Ollie's school lunchbox once too when it was left on the kitchen table. They are funny girls.

 

We get through a lot of kitchen paper too..............

[Sammi J]

Hi ya all.

 

My three girls don't mind the rain and look more like water rats than chooks at the end of the day!

 

They were a bit shocked at the amount of snow outside their door this morning and took a good look round before coming out but as soon as they took those first steps there was no stopping them.

 

Most night they go to bed either wet or dirty but they soon clean themselves up ready to start all over again the next day. I think they have a competition to see who can get the dirtiest, winner gets to sleep in the nesting box. Sage must be in there most nights, me thinks!

 

Sammi

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