Part 0800.0005

[helen1962]

Hi all

 

When I first got hens last year they had the run of the entire garden which to be honest, was not practical or desirable. However during the summer months we constructed a walk in run with part of it covered to keep the rain off. I then covered part of the wire walls with tarpauline to keep the wind and driving rain out. However the run is shaded by a large building behind us so in winter does not get any sun. I have managed to stop the water freezing by sitting the container on old carpet and then putting a cardboard box on top with an opening for the hens to drink from. (Hens are slowly destroying the box though!). The trouble is the weather is absolutely freezing and whereas last year the hens went into the greenhouse out of the weather, these two only have the covered area. Although there is no way they will get wet, they are still subjected to the freezing weather. They simply won't go into their henhouse except to lay an egg.

 

My question is will they suffer as in will they get a cold? I work shifts so it is often dark when I let them out and dark when I get home again so I haven't actually seen my hens during daylight hours since Friday! I have given them porridge, sweetcorn and savoy cabbage as well as pellets. All of this has been eaten and when I look at them by torch light whilst they are in bed, they do seem fine. However with the prlonged cold spell I am worried. Can someone let me know if I am worrying unnecessarily?

 

Thanks all

[Chucky1]

Hi Helen

 

When it was hot and sticky our girls wanted to come into the barn, pick about the machines, and leave me surprise poos in the workshop. Now it's blowing a gale, freezing cold, snowing or raining they wouldn't dream of stepping inside.

 

I wouldn't say they're mad, just different to us

 

Good Luck

[Space Chick]

I have an appenzeller insisting on perching in the WIR rather than sleeping in the cube, despite trying to move her into the cube every night, she comes back out again and returns to her perch. She's been fine despite temperatures of -12!

[Chortle Chook]

My chooks are out all day too of their own free will, but I reckon they are keeping warm by jumping up and down to destroy my bamboo and chasing one another away from the porridge dish. Perahps if you are worried it might be an idea to suspend their veggies in a dingle dangle so that your chickens have to get a bit of exercise to get to them, or perhaps you are doing this already.

[helen1962]

thanks for the advice all. I probably am a bit paranoid but I do want to do what is best for them

[patsylabrador]

In the summer, I felt the chickens were out of sorts and grumpy. Now, in the cold they are perky, busy & seem more cheerful. Like me, they prefer winter.

[Chucky1]

I do want to do what is best for them

 

I think everyone on here does - which makes this forum such a great place to be.

 

Read your other thread about the polystyrene - yep ours eat it too - and when they do, they make that naughty purring noise they do. No ill effects so far touch wood.

 

I probably am a bit paranoid

 

When we first got chooks, DW and I took all our old towels and tried to dry the girls before putting them to bed - in the middle of a gale. Experience and reading here and other places taught us how warm and toasty the chooks were once they all bundled in together. Now if my hands are cold I find a chook to warm them

 

Good luck

[Ain't Nobody Here]

All six of mine choose to sleep outdoors (in the WIR) rather than the eglu.

 

Even in this ....

 

[Plum]

Looks like an igloo to me ANH

[Ain't Nobody Here]

It's actually surprisingly warm inside (like a real igloo, I suppose ). I really think it's down to all the glass clear tarps - there's only one panel that's not covered (I ran out!) and I think they keep the wind chill down and the temperature up (slightly!)

[BocBoc]

This is a comforting thread - the weather news today says it's going to get down to -10 degrees tonight and I've been worrying all day about my three girls in their Eglu.

 

I wasn't comtemplating bring them in to the house at all

[Plum]

I am With the bitter night coming I'm going to turn the conservatory into a henhouse. I know other parts of the country have had it a lot colder so they should be fine where they are.

[lillybettybabs]

I have been worried about my girls, They walked around like little puffer fish yesterday.

I put the snuggle safe under the bars last night to take to edge off, They seemd much happier today.

[Gelbel]

Mine are still roosting outside - I popped out at about 7pm and they were as snugs a bugs in rugs and were making their contented roosting noises.

 

I did have to put up another shower curtain as the snow was coming in from the east (very unusually) and was coming in the run. But that soon stopped that and (probably) added an additional layer of protection.

[Chortle Chook]

Our boiler broke down on Monday, all shops had run out of electric fires and the dearly loved boiler mender had so many calls he could only get to us like an angel as night began to fall today, so we have had 3 days without any heating at all. From this experience I can testify to the fact that it is the wind chill that matters. Keep the wind out and no matter how cold things get it is bearable especially if you can all bundle up together (me, OH and our dogs in this case, but lots of chooks together in the case of this thread).

[Plum]

Warm thoughts for you poor thing, what an awful time for it to happen

 

My conservatory is now a henhouse for a couple of days, may regret that when I open the door in the morning

[mostin]

4 of my chooks decided to perch in the willow tree for 4 days!! in the snow without coming down for food or water .

 

I finally managed to get them down yesterday with dried meal worms and they have joined their sisters in the WIR, but to be honest, they look a bit narked about it

[suzallie]

Hi all, pretty new to chicken care..this is our first winter with the girls (2) , and I have been fretting about how cold it is...-6 tonight I think. Wehave been giving them warm porrdge and mash morning and evening (they love it!), and they seem OK... but I do worry. I even put a tarpaulin over the eglu to try to keep the worst of the wind and snow out.

[Jerrylikeseggs]

Ours are staying in their run but they gave us an almighty scare yesterday ... poised to see their reaction to their first snow, I opened the coop door ..... usually there's a bustle of feathers as they try to squeeze through at the same time .... yesterday morning, nothing, not a movement, nor a sound ..... no little clucks or peeps, nothing, and no response to calling and coaxing ... I feared the worst .... but opening the back door, found them huddled up together. So relieved!

 

This did prompt them to venture into the run, but they were definitely not impressed!!! Late afternoon, they eventually came outside of the run, and it was quite funny to see them in the deeper snow! A little play, then vaselined and off to bed!

[fantasticjudyann]

I went out half an hour ago to defrost the glug and give the girls their greens and I found Florence all puffed up. Is she trying to get warm? Do chickens go into the Eglu during the day if they are cold? She has laid today so perhaps she's OK. The Eglu has an sleeping bag over it and I am shutting them in at night. They also have oat porridge in the afternoon . Is there anything else I should be doing?

[dottychicken]

I went out half an hour ago to defrost the glug and give the girls their greens and I found Florence all puffed up. Is she trying to get warm? Do chickens go into the Eglu during the day if they are cold? She has laid today so perhaps she's OK. The Eglu has an sleeping bag over it and I am shutting them in at night. They also have oat porridge in the afternoon . Is there anything else I should be doing?

 

Our Miss Pepperpot Lady was also doing this this morning, and so we have brought her and Ella the gingernut into the house and built a sort of home made pen! It's supposed to be -8 here in Leicester but it will apparently have risen to around -1 by 3pm, probably put them back outside then.

 

Jack