Chicken bald back

[Sazzle]

hi

I've had my girls a month now in an Eglu go

Do you have any advice/tips for getting them through the winter as cosily as possible?

I've got the full run covered with the combi cover and have bought the insulation liners for the coop but what, if anything else should I do?

I have a bluebell and 2 brown standard ones

Thanks

Sarah

[AndyRoo]

I'll be following this topic closely myself, as this is the first winter we will have had ours.

 

My main question on this subject is at roughly what temperature do people start shutting the doors? I've read that some people leave the Eglu doors open all winter, while others close them. Some say they close them but only if it's sub-zero!

 

I was thinking of compromising and buying one of the insulated cube covers, but leaving the door open - but then I didn't know if that was just cancelling itself out.

 

It's about 2 degrees here tonight and I have left the door open, but I am feeling a little guilty about it!

[Cat tails]

Mine always get shut in, but that is mainly to make sure they don't wake up to early (and thus wake the neighbours as well...)

Big hens seem to cope quite well. Just make sure you think about water on frosty days. Tip out the water containers in the evening and fill them up in the morning.

Big floppy combs can be sensitive to frost. I have a jar of vasiline in case it freezes for several days, to butter up the sentive bits.

 

Oh and mine where deathly scared of the white stuff aka snow. Took them an hour to exit the coop. And there was no white stuff in the run even...

[Sazzle]

Oh yes the water. Must remember that.

I shut mine in every night also. Feels more secure although I must admit some mornings I could/should have let them out earlier than I have.

I'm glad some of you keep the doors open. It makes me feel better about not getting in from work until it's dark.

Wonder if they would appreciate a hot water bottle

[Blackrocksrock]

Oh yes the water. Must remember that.

I shut mine in every night also. Feels more secure although I must admit some mornings I could/should have let them out earlier than I have.

I'm glad some of you keep the doors open. It makes me feel better about not getting in from work until it's dark.

Wonder if they would appreciate a hot water bottle

You can get a snugglesafe microwave heated pad for small animals! I live north scotland and we have had minus15 and mine have been fine only shut door when its that bad

[Sazzle]

Will have a look at that. I'm in the Pennines up on the tops so do get inclement weather. Have been reading other articles that suggest the summer is a trickier time the for chooks than winter so maybe I should stop worrying.

[Lydia]

We've not shut the cube door at night for years and have never yet had frozen chicken! In fact, 2 of ours choose to sleep outside in the run on a perch, in all weathers all year round.

 

They're in a secure walk in run which has a proper roof and the cube is attached externally. It is noticeably warmer in the run than the outside temperature in the colder months.

 

It's not so much cold you need to worry about but damp. Covering the coop with extra jackets or covering the sides of your run with tarpaulin may make it too hot and could cause condensation to build up, which can lead to respiratory problems. Similarly keeping your run dry and clean is also key, especially if you have hens with feathered feet. A wet hen who can't get dry is far more susceptible to health problems.

 

We think they get cold because we get cold - I worried about mine for years! But hens are a lot more hardy than they look and most urban settings just don't get cold enough to warrant extra measures in my opinion.

 

Frozen water can be an issue and also be aware that you can fill it fresh in the morning and it can annoyingly freeze up again during the day, which can be an issue if you're out at work.

[Lydia]

summer is a trickier time the for chooks than winter so maybe I should stop worrying.

 

Well, you're human and trying to do your best for them, it's natural

 

I worried far more when the temps went over 30 a few months ago and mine were all very lethargic.

[Blackrocksrock]

I dont use the heated pad!!! I have corrigated plastic sheets covering the run and sides of classic run keepe it dry and warm. They free range all day.

[gavclojak]

They actually find summer harder to deal with, don't forget they are wrapped up in a duvet.

If you read the posts from the lovely redsunset, she lives in the hebredian islands and her hens sleep up in the trees in stormy,cold wet weather so fear not!

[The Dogmother]

They will be fine - seriously, unless we have temps well below zero, there's no need even to shut the eglu door - just bring in the drinkers overnight to prevent them from freezing. Their body temp is 105deg, and they wear duvets!

[chooksRCute]

I never shut the door on either the cube or eglu go-up. I have the thermal coats which I'll add once we start having below zero nights.

 

Regarding frozen water - if you have power nearby you can get little low V water heaters for outdoor use. One is a wire cable that sits in the water & another is a plastic plate like thing that attaches to the bottom of the gravity water feeders. I've got both & they both do the job of keeping the water ice free.

[Olly]

As Dogmother says - I bring the drinker in to stop it freezing, but that's it. I've closed the Eglu door a couple of times to stop snow blowing in, but three of mine choose to roost outside anyway. A couple of times we've had temperatures cold enough for the eggs to freeze but the hens have been fine.

[Cat tails]

Since you have a Eglu Go, make sure you keep the top free from snow. I have found that the extra weight of the snow will make it hard to open the back door at one point. Just remove the snow before it gets caked on.

[The Dogmother]

Since you have a Eglu Go, make sure you keep the top free from snow. I have found that the extra weight of the snow will make it hard to open the back door at one point. Just remove the snow before it gets caked on.

 

Another tip if you have a Go, is to make sure not to put any pressure on the panels when they are very cold. The plastic it is made from isn't as robust as the Classic and cube. There have been a couple with split panels from this in the past

[chooksRCute]

Since you have a Eglu Go, make sure you keep the top free from snow. I have found that the extra weight of the snow will make it hard to open the back door at one point. Just remove the snow before it gets caked on.

 

Another tip if you have a Go, is to make sure not to put any pressure on the panels when they are very cold. The plastic it is made from isn't as robust as the Classic and cube. There have been a couple with split panels from this in the past

 

 

Always something new to learn - Both useful tips, cheers

[Luvachicken]

I haven't shut my cube door for a very long time.

I've been shutting the door this last week though because of the cold but this is mainly because my chickens have lost weight and have been moulting badly

[Sazzle]

Thanks for the tip with the roof of the go. Have put the liners in today because it's forecast minus temps and to try and sound proof some of the firework noise. Over protective mother or what!!

 

Put the Omlet fencing up for them today. Not sure what I think about it. Thought it would come with a separate gate piece

[AndyRoo]

Thanks for the tip with the roof of the go. Have put the liners in today because it's forecast minus temps and to try and sound proof some of the firework noise. Over protective mother or what!!

 

Put the Omlet fencing up for them today. Not sure what I think about it. Thought it would come with a separate gate piece

 

Which fencing did you buy? I thought the netting all came with a gate piece? You can buy them separately for about £15 I believe.

[Sazzle]

Bought the 12m one. It come with a gate post but it only works if you have it in a full shape I need a L shape. Not to worry. Am trying to improvise will see what happens.

[Mars]

Give them mixed corn or whole wheat before they go to bed. If they have food, water and dry ventilated safe place to roost. they will be fine