Newchick76 Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 Hey folks. Here again with another question for you experts! This will be the first winter we've had out two ladies and I'm already stressing about them feeling the cold and being in the eglu longer with the days being shorter! Any tips for the cold weather? Will keep an eye on the water and give them extra mealworms to keep them happy! Any advive appreciated xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zakjon-98 Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 Chickens are hardy things - I leave my eglu door open all year round and would always do this unless I had birds that aren't very hardy such as polands. In cold weather you could add hot water to layers pellets to make it into a kind of chicken porridge and feed this if you are worried about them feeling the cold. Corn is also good when fed before they go to bed as it keeps them warm overnight. If you are worried about them being bored you could hang some veg or seed blocks in their run to keep them occupied. They don't need anymore care in the winter really but do need a dry place to go so a cover on their run could help. I have a covered run although I have one who still insists on running around in the rain getting soaked but hasn't come to any harm. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 They do just fine over winter, I dont close the doors to the coops and a few of my coops dont even have doors! simple steps like making sure the wind doesnt blow straight in to the coop and providing a roofed area for them to shelter from rain help A handful for corn before bedtime will make their digestive system work hard over night which in turn keeps them warm so that can be useful if its very cold On the whole though you dont really have to worry, they have a higher body temperature than we do plus they have an inbuilt duvet, they cope very well and attempts to actually keep them warmer can actually be more harmful to them, they dont do very well in the warm so wrapped up coops and blocked ventilation holes are a no-no Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newchick76 Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Thank you for taking the time to reply... It has put my mind at rest... I guess they may not need the wooly leg warmers I've been knitting them afterall! Will try the corn tip, although they aren't as partial to corn as the Omlet feed. (expensive tastes!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janedent Posted October 31, 2012 Share Posted October 31, 2012 I'm getting 4 ex-batts on Sunday. If they're anything like the last lot (now deceased - due to fox, not cold), they'll have only a few more feathers than an oven ready chicken. Can anyone reassure me that they'll be OK in the winter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
