Chicken bald back

[ChrisEllis]

I woke up this morning and went outside to see the thick layer of first frost of the year - frightening plus their water was icy - how do i stop it? also how do i stop their food or tray getting wet in the night even with no food in it its still wet for morning meaning the food doesnt come out as its being eaten.

 

I heard mixed corn was good for keeping them warm is this true? And should i ad a lot of hay into their coop - i know its good for fungi to grow in which isnt good but as its cold it will be less quick for them growing - any other hints and tips!

FROST

[Macfoy]

The best way to stop your wtaer freezing overnight is to tip it out of the container at night and re-fill in the mornng. You won't stop the water freezing. There are things you can put in the water such as glycerine, but when it gets really cold it won't stop it. Getting into the habit of tipping out will make life much easier for you than breaking ice or dealing with a frozen solid drinker in January.

 

Don't ever use hay as bedding. Use straw.

 

Empty your feeders or take them inside. You could pop them in a nest box overnight if you've no-where else. Or if all else fails use a large plastic feed bag and put them in that rolling down the top to cover.

 

Don't forget chickens have a nice built in duvet.........they don't feel the cold like we do, as long as they are protected by a house they will be okay. Having said that, old fashioned metal roofed houses were notoriously cold, but I presume you have a plastic one, so well protected.

 

Macfoy

[Egluntyne]

I had to crack the ice on the water for the first time this winter at 7am.

 

I took a watering can full of hot water up the garden and topped the glugs up with this. It melted the ice on the top layer.

 

Macfoy is right about emptying the drinkers at night. It makes things a whole lot easier first thing.

 

Don't be tempted to add any of the products which are available for keeping wild birds water ice free. It won't do the hens any good and isn't licensed for use on poultry.

 

I would say use Aubiose for bedding. I never use straw. It gets cold, manky and slimy and can occasionally cause crop impaction if the hen has a mind to eat it.

[veggiemad]

so glad that question came up - i was thinking just the same when at 7am, donned with my wellies and miners headlight i headed off to the cold dark eglu!!! The girls werent even up!!

 

I have shown this listing to DH as he's very worried about the girls getting VERY cold- he said extra straw- i say extra chickens!!!!!

 

x

[docsquid]

I was amazed how they didn't seem to notice the cold. They were complaining loudly from inside the cube at 7am when I wrapped up in a dressing gown and went out to feed them and let them out. I did put down warm porridge and put warm water in their glug so it didn't freeze again immediately and they seemed to appreciate the warmer water.

 

They are now pottering around the garden as if it isn't cold at all, and we had an egg from each of them. It seems we are more worried about the cold than they are!

 

I'm more worried about the wild birds which I feed regularly as they don't have a luxurious home to live in.

[The Dogmother]

I use a snuggle safe under the gravity drinker at night, that keeps it frost free and only takes 5 mins to heat up again. Either that, or I bring the water in.

 

Welcome to the forum Macfoy, whereabouts in the Midlands are you?

[Macfoy]

Welcome to the forum Macfoy, whereabouts in the Midlands are you?

 

 

Hello Claret, thanks for the welcome. I'm in Leicestershire....... I have to confess I only have old fashioned wooden chicken coops, but have years of chicken keeping and other livestock keeping experience so hope you don't mind me on here too much

 

Another handy trick is using something like a large Quality Street tin, a good layer of sand on the bottom and a night light candle, lid on the tin, a couple of holes in the side for oxygen and put the drinker on top.........works best in a large hut and with a metal drinker. I've never done it myself, prefering to tip out instead. I don't think I'd recommend it for an eglu. In very cold weather I will take hot water for everyone. Today sure was cold, but it's not like Jan/Feb cold where it may stay freezing all day and the drinkers never thaw.

 

But a nice sharp frost........white all over, sun shining......can't beat it. Does the ground so much good and keeps the mud down.

 

Macfoy

[The Dogmother]

Ahhh, I was wondering if you were over this way.

 

We had days in February this year, when the drinkers froze solid and stayed that way all day - that's when I got the snuggle-safe.

 

I remember the nest box lids on my grandfolks' chicken sheds freezing shut when it snowed; they stayed that way for days and I had to crawl into the sheds to get the eggs! But that was in the days when your gold-top froze solid on the doorstep and climbed out of the bottle

[Egluntyne]

..........Another handy trick is using something like a large Quality Street tin, a good layer of sand on the bottom and a night light candle, lid on the tin, a couple of holes in the side for oxygen and put the drinker on top.........works best in a large hut and with a metal drinker. I've never done it myself, prefering to tip out instead. I don't think I'd recommend it for an eglu.........

Macfoy

 

How extraordinary! .....I was just mulling the problem over this morning and thinking 'I'm sure it would be possible to rig something up with a tea light'!

[Plum]

Welcome Macfoy, look forward to hearing all your tips.

 

I never checked to see if the water was frozen this morning. Will be from now on.

 

Chris you need to keep the chicken food dry, how's your food shelter going? Having said that I've found that when I have put garlic powder in the feed the moisture in the air makes it sticky so I just give the feeder a shake in the mornings to loosen the food.

[poachedegg]

You know when winters here = warm porridge for the chickens!

[Ophelia]

Is is best togive them warm porridge in the morning or afternoon? I read that they should fill up on their layers mash first before any other food is given. Warm porridge on a forsty morning sounds much nicer though.

[Plum]

The porridge is made with layers mash or pellets so it doesn't matter they are getting their nutrition

 

I just add boiled water and the stupid chooks think they are getting a real treat . I add their supplements to it.

[poachedegg]

The porridge is made with layers mash or pellets so it doesn't matter they are getting their nutrition

 

I just add boiled water and the stupid chooks think they are getting a real treat . I add their supplements to it.

 

Thats what I do too - however I did add some spinach in their porridge this afternoon to give them some greens.

[ChrisEllis]

wow so many comments - within our house we have a humungous boiling central heatin system and the door is accesible from outside - so i keep their food etc in there and its quite warm in there- remains a steady temperature as the actuall house but a bit cooler - and then it sprung to my mind - at night i bring the water in and the feeder give it a tinse and leave it to dry overnight - in the mornig i put the water ut and mix up their food and everything is warm and by the time you would have thught the drinker would freeze its alreayd daytime

 

- and that quality street idea - is that to put in their coop - i have an old fashioned wooden coop -

 

correction when i said hay i ment straw - they now have fresh bedding and lots of straw while they are still youngish and getting use to the cold

[Plum]

Well done Chris, getting there