Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[chocolatedog]

I noticed in the book and omlet guide it says that chickens need vaseline rubbed in their combs when it gets cold.....how cold does "cold" mean? A prolonged period of cold weather? Overnight frosts? A specific temperature, e.g. freezing - zero degrees and below? Anyone up in Scotland who can help? (As I'm in Central Scotland and it looks like it might be frosty overnight.....)

[Happymama]

I didn't do it at all last year, it didn't freeze during the day. The year before I did, it was certainly below 1.5 sometimes. My hens don't like it.

 

I don't even shut the Eglu door unless it's going to drop below 0. Those feathers (unless suffering a disastrous moult) are good to about 10 below. And mine are snug in a Mk 1, they're quite big hens. (and it's a loooong way to the bottom of my garden at half ten at night through dog and chicken poo in the dark and cold)

 

So, for instance, having seen the weather report, not tomorrow, But keep an eye on it in Jan and Feb, if it's not above about 4 Deg by half nine in the morning, down you go with your pot of environmentally unfriendly petroleum jelly and try to catch your hen. Sweetcorn helps enormously.

[Cinnamon]

If the water is freezing in the Glug, the vaseline comes out

[feemcg]

I didn't do it last winter as we only got a handful of really cold nights. I'm sure all those chickens that roost up trees all year round don't have a wee handy, dandy tub of Vaseline tucked under their wing

[Chicken Licken]

My girls quite like it though... rubbed into combs and wattles and for eating!!

[Jules.]

I didn't do it at all last year, it didn't freeze during the day. The year before I did, it was certainly below 1.5 sometimes. My hens don't like it.

 

I don't even shut the Eglu door unless it's going to drop below 0. Those feathers (unless suffering a disastrous moult) are good to about 10 below. And mine are snug in a Mk 1, they're quite big hens. (and it's a loooong way to the bottom of my garden at half ten at night through dog and chicken poo in the dark and cold)

 

So, for instance, having seen the weather report, not tomorrow, But keep an eye on it in Jan and Feb, if it's not above about 4 Deg by half nine in the morning, down you go with your pot of environmentally unfriendly petroleum jelly and try to catch your hen. Sweetcorn helps enormously.

Your note about sweetcorn made me

[ali-s]

I've never put vaseline on my girls combs.

 

The temperature here has occasionaly (sp?) gone down to -15oc overnight and -10oc during the day The hens were fine

[Egluntyne]

I've never bothered.

[The Bantam of the Opera]

My bantams don't even have combs yet, it would be a challenge trying to vasaline up their heads though.

[The Dogmother]

I've never bothered.

 

Nor me

[Christian]

I tried it once, never again! Vaseline all over me, my clothes, the fence, the chickens (on their feathers), the eglu, run, OH, swiss chard, curly kale, wellies and shed.

 

They are fine without it!

[chocolatedog]

Thanks folks! Just wanted to be on the safe side - being a newbie chicken keeper.....

[Jules.]

Thanks folks! Just wanted to be on the safe side - being a newbie chicken keeper.....

me too