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sparkysmum

Struggling in the cold.

By sparkysmum, in Chickens, Eggs and Hatching

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chick wiggle Golden Egg

chick wiggle

Posted
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What are the signs of a cold chicken?

sitting shivering.

not coming out of Eglu

sitting in a corner.

maybe even bleating at you(my disabled girl)

 

Thank you for that, i was worrying about my girls in this cold and wasnt sure what to look out for either. Thankfully :pray: touch wood, none of mine are showing any of these symptoms. Tough old birds :lol::pray: thankfully

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hilda-and-evadne All Knowing Superchicken

hilda-and-evadne

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When does it get too cold for hens, I am beginning to wonder.

 

The Daily Telegraph says that it will become even colder in the second half of January.

 

no let up in the freezing snap until at least mid-January, with snow, ice and severe frosts dominating.

 

And the likelihood is that the second half of the month will be even colder.

 

At this rate, I shall be wearing all my outdoor clothes indoors - and not going out. :shock:

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Tutti Frutti Chatty Chicken

Tutti Frutti

Posted
Posted
no let up in the freezing snap until at least mid-January, with snow, ice and severe frosts dominating.

 

And the likelihood is that the second half of the month will be even colder.

 

YIKES!!! :shock::shock:

 

At this rate, I think I'll buy an infra-red lamp and move in with the girls! If I buy an UV lamp as well, I might emerge in February with a tan :D

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sandyhas3chucks Feathery Fanatic

sandyhas3chucks

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I think the instructions say 60 or 90 cms from animal or flammable anything.

Snugglesafe really do warm up an Eglu,

But go cold by 3am(approx) if put in at chooktime, so you MIGHT want to consider buying a couple if you are worried.

A suggestion might be pop one in the Eglu lunchtime.(or in the morning if you work all day)

Then change 8 or 9 pm? If yours roost a hot water bottle slid into the poo tray in between would also be nice.

I cover the rear poo tray window.

I also have used a doubled up piece of sunshade net selotaped to the front of the lowest front vent(the one the door open hides.) and the whole thing covered with black out cover with pelmet type effect over the top holes, preventing blasting draft but not stopping ventilation.

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chelsea SUPER CHICKEN!!!

chelsea

Posted
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Chelsea that lamp looks great :D

 

Peeps - do bear in mind that an Eglu and possbly the cube run is too low for a heat lamp for adult chooks though, Chelsea's works so well as she can make sure its high enough not to harm the chooks

 

Thanks for pointing that out Tasha :D and yes with us having the WIR it's an ideal height for the lamp.

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Tutti Frutti Chatty Chicken

Tutti Frutti

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Poos were frozen this morning - it was minus 6 when I went out at 7:30 :shock:

Water was just starting to freeze at 3pm :shock:

 

Ursula was doing her "shiver me tail, stand still and look sleepy" thing this afternoon which she only seems to do when she's cold so I gave them all some corn and warm porridge. That soon woke her up! They must be feeling it as they all went to bed at 4:15, even though it was still light (in fact, Tallulah was already tucked up at 4pm but got up for the corn :lol:).

 

I hope this latest cold snap doesn't last as long as predicted :pray:

 

It's blooming cold. I have scrunched up newspaper and put quite a lot in the cube around them leaving ventilation open which seems to have worked last night the poos weren't frozen:D

 

That's clever Plum. I put another load of Aubiose in the WIR this morning, thinking the deeper it is, the more they're insulated from the cold ground. I also put loads of Aubiose beneath the Eglu and in the nestbox and poo tray, then covered them up with the underlay. Still worried about them though! I was frozen today and I was indoors with the heating on (wearing a bobble hat :lol:).

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Griffin Effusive Egg Layer

Griffin

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Mimi Maguire, one of my ex-batts has today moved in with the Polands in the garage to see if being near a heat lamp helps her at all. She has done ok with all the weather has thrown at her recently but this past week or so I can see she's beginning to struggle :( Of my three ex-batts she's always been the weakest. All the other chooks outdoors are fine with this cold weather, they don't seem too bothered.

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Redwing Chronic Clucker

Redwing

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Ok I have caved in....

 

I have been saying recently that chooks dont need any extra help in the cold but its soooooo cold that I have filled the houses with straw for some short term help for them and am now shutting the doors where I wasnt before

 

Straw is not that ideal as it can harbour mites but I will change it every two days (as it will be flattened and dirty) and monitor the houses for mites

 

I have placed it on the roosting bars in a doughnut shape so they can nestle in the middle

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Ginfiend Chicken Eggspert

Ginfiend

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I've been worried about my girls at night - they've got a winter shade over the run and I put plastic edging round the base last night, which seems to help with snow and frost.

 

Could I put bubble-wrap over the eglu at night? I haven't got any waterproof blankets or anything like that, but I do have a lot of bubble-wrap! - trying to work out what I could do....

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docsquid Chatty Chicken

docsquid

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This is the first day ever that they don't seem keen to quit the covered run with warm Hemcore for the outside world.

 

DH said we don't need a Snugglesafe because they are "only chickens". However I've ordered one and will deal with his anger after I have warm chickens. This weather is extreme so it needs extreme measures. I was so cross I wondered how he'd like to be put out for the night in the shed without some form of heating!

 

They have tonight to manage without one, but I have some heat pads that are used for injuries and I'll put those in the poo trays instead - they won't last as long but will at least give them a little protection. Poor little chooks!

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sandyhas3chucks Feathery Fanatic

sandyhas3chucks

Posted
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bubble wrap has excellent insulating properties. It will help, especially covering the rear poop gap. I beleve thee are a few of us with girls in rablu's that don't have that and thety are fine. ~I understand the GO does not have it also. So no colds air up their bums should help :D:D I also warm the Eglu up before they go to bed, using either snugglesafe or hot water bottle. the air and straw is then already warm, making it easier to maintain an above 0 temperature all night :D

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Ginfiend Chicken Eggspert

Ginfiend

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So no colds air up their bums should help :D:D I also warm the Eglu up before they go to bed, using either snugglesafe or hot water bottle. the air and straw is then already warm, making it easier to maintain an above 0 temperature all night :D

That's a good idea. I'll get to work with the bubble wrap and have a bottle ready for later.

Cosy beaks tonight!

:D

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Tutti Frutti Chatty Chicken

Tutti Frutti

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So no colds air up their bums should help :D:D I also warm the Eglu up before they go to bed, using either snugglesafe or hot water bottle. the air and straw is then already warm, making it easier to maintain an above 0 temperature all night :D

 

Another clever idea! THANK YOU! I'll put my cherry stone bag (like a wheat bag but impossible to overheat and make popcorn :lol:) in there tomorrow before bedtime to make it warm, wrap the poo tray up, and put Aubiose on top of the roost bars.

 

I've just been out removing all the ice from the roof - where the roof sags slightly between the joists, ice had formed and made it sag even more so it was an inch thick in places :shock: And we've got 25-40cm of snow predicted for tnight so I thought I'd clear the roof before the combined weight of snow and ice make the it collapse :shock::shock:

 

I know I know, I'm panicking already! I've just got in from being with them for half and hour and I'm FROZEN :shock:

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