How can I find my old pictures?

[Guest]

Its already -12 here tonight and apparently set to drop to about -14/15 overnight. I have put the girls in an airline carrier in the shed and covered it with a blanket - it was so cold during the day today that the inside window of their coop was completely frozen.

 

I have coated their wattles etc in vaseline and they are tucked up in plenty of bedding in the shed.

 

What temperature do you start to worry?

[green]

I worry all the time, but have left the girls in the eglu even when it's been -15C at night. I cover the coop with a blanket, feed them extra corn in the afternoon and let the chooks get on with it. I was panicking about the cold weather at first, but relaxed a bit after reading that many people here keep the coop door open most of the winter.

[eggalp]

i dont move mine either. It said on the news it was -17 here the other night and i left them outside in the eglu just covered with a heavy dust sheet and they were fine the next morning, came racing out as usual to get to the hot porridge There are five big beasts sleeping ontop of each other in there so i recon they stay pretty toasty I used to worry too, but not anymore.

[Angie]

I worry about the chooks every night , i have gone out and put some straw in the cube today ,as it just didn't get above minus 4, in the sunshine ...Didn't want to use straw but it was all i could get.....(very short term use, just till we get past this cold ?? till Feb)

The girls had to be put to bed but settled down very quickly making little nests for themselves all cuddled up together, i don't know if they felt any better .....but i do .

[sparkysmum]

Hi Wendy, I'm beginning to wonder about this too. I know the hens can cope with very low temperatures for "short bursts" but we're into our 4th week of significantly below zero temps. Although I can't point to anything in particular I can't help but feel they are beginning to struggle. I think we have a long way to go too. Maybe there is someone around who has experience of low temps over a significant time who can advise

 

Keep warm, Alli xx

[Guest]

I know it probably isn't ideal to have them in a carrier but the cold just now is mental. The wind tonight is making it feel even colder, if that's possible. I have checked the over at night in their coop and despite the cold, they feel warm. I feel sorry for them during the day - they don't want to stand outside - so come out to eat and straight back to bed. Poor girls.

[Patricia W]

One of my stupid bantams decided she'd roost outside in the run the other night. I didn't see her (she's black) so she was out all night at -7. But she was fine.

 

If you're worried about your chooks, think of all the wild birds. As long as they all have food and most importantly, water they will be OK even in silly temperatures.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

All of my girls have a perfectly good eglu to sleep in but choose to sleep perching outside (in the WIR).

 

They all seem fine so I don't worry too much about them. I have glassclear tarps or corrugated plastic round every side so the wind chill isn't too bad. It does feel significantly warmer inside the WIR than out.

[Gelbel]

My girls are still sleeping outside daft things - it is on a covered perch in a covered WIR. At 8am it's been around the -12 mark at times - so goodness knows what it is in the dead of night. They are perfectly fine.

 

I do feel guilty/sorry for them but if I moved them at night they would still be in a cold place as I am not bringing them into the house.

[Lavenders_Blue]

Mine are in a wooden coop too, and seem to be coping okay with these very cold temperatures. As others have done, I have added lots of extra bedding into the coop to keep them warm and they certainly do cuddle up together at night time. I am also feeding generous handfuls of wheat (they hate corn ) to try and keep their tummies warmer as two of them are in the throes of a heavy moult at the moment.

[mostin]

I used to worry about mine all the time, but three of my stupid girls decided to sleep up in the Willow tree , exposed to the snow and the wind for 3 nights last week!!! by choice!!! and they have been totally fine.

 

I even had one fall through the ice on the pond the other day , before I even got to her she had got herself out and shaken the water off. the wet hadn't even got to her skin....they are much better oiled then they look.

 

I am just beginning to realise this winter, just how tough some of my little girlies are

[Guest]

Awww thanks all, I feel better having read your comments. I've left them in their coop tonight, plenty of bedding and a big handful of corn before bed.

 

I bought a parsley and seed hanging bell today in Dobbies - they didn't have any actual hen ones - will this be ok for them - it's all natural ingredients and I thought they might enjoy it.

[chuckmum6]

I close their cube door, there are 10 of them so they keep each other warm. I have greased up wattles and they have corn available as well as layers pellets, they are all fine.

[blackgold]

I did a little experiment with my greenhouse thermometer and it didnt get below 12 inside my eglu during the night but when the pop hole was opened and the girls had got up during the day it was minus 5. I have put a blanket over the eglu at the moment but the WIR has a roof and side panels that stop the worst of the wind so I feel they are ok. My other eglu is in a shed/kennel inside a dog run. It houses my bald exbattery hens but after 11 days they seem to be ok and do come out in their run during the day but wont venture out into the snow. Their run is also covered and is flagged with a good layer of wood shavings on top.

[foreveryoung]

my girls seem happy enough but i have noticed when cleaning them out the trays freeze to the base of the cube

[The Dogmother]

I wouldn't worry Wendy, my wee banties are all fine, tucked up in their cube. I put my hand in last night when I shut the cube door and they were lovely and warm inside - some of the tinier ones are tucked up under the bigger girls, with just their botties poking out.

[Guest]

Aww bless them.

 

The temperatures arent as low tonight, so hopefully they will be fine.

[Wolfie]

When this awful weather first started, Hubby was despatched late at night to feel the hens' feet - surprisingly toasty! They do have a thick bed of straw on top of Aubiose, and the doors are closed at night. The oldest hen - Snowy (!) - likes arranging the individual straws into place - very comical to watch. They would not usually have straw because it could harbour mites. I think as long as the hens get good food, fresh clean water (liquid not frozen!) and - Snowy says - massive helpings of live mealworms with a spoon of tuna for supper, they will cope!

[Egluntyne]

Hubby was despatched

[Janty]

Mine are still roosting out in the WIR...I give up trying to put them to bed. For a start I can't reach the roof struts where they sleep.

[ariel]

Minus 16 here and our gals are still laying. I really didn't think that they would survive but really glad that they are still managing.

[helen1962]

I have been equally worried about my hens. They live in a chicube hen house which is made of plastic coated MDF with insulation inside. I have to say it is warm inside but I do pile loads of straw in it to keep them warm. In the mornings they run out of the henhouse into the WIR which has a partially roofed area with tarpauline around the sides. This part of the run is protected from the worst of the weather but the girls will still perch on the garden seat at the open end of the run. However I can see they are beginning to get sick of this weather too and when allowed to run about in the garden Belinda my black rock sits close to the back door. Wendy the light sussex seems not to be as bothered though and quite happily scratches about in the snow trying to get at the grass below.

[The Dogmother]

Mine are fine although I have taken the drinkers off the hanging hooks and stood them on warm Snugglesafes; that keeps them from icing up.

 

One of the araucanas in the main flock has started to lay again - they are always first to stop and moult and first to come back into lay. One of the summer chicks - Bridget, Phil's wee hen - has come into lay and we've had two perfect little beige eggs from her. They are missing the sun and grass though.

[THF Nick]

Several weeks back we had temperatures as low as -20 and our girls didn't seem to be at all bothered and carried on laying. We are averaging 4 a day from 3 year old hens and 2 older ex-batts.

[Stevie]

Chickens can comfortably live outdoors in all weathers because they are very close to wild birds and no one offers help to Sparrows which are a heck load smaller! If you have an Eglu they'll be doubly fine as its insulated anyway.