Chickens coping with the cold

[MaureenHall]

Had a phone call from my daughter last night, she said she'd had an email from Ian & Mollie at the BHWT near Coventry (where all our ex-batts came from). Ian had said that because the night time temperature was forecast to be -10, then they might consider some simple steps to keep the ex-batts a bit more comfortable as they've not got many feathers to keep them warm.

Suggestions included putting extra cardboard boxes with wood shavings / bedding in the coop to reduce the overall area and encourage the chooks to snuggle up together more. Possibly moving them to a sheltered place indoors (garage or shed) once they're asleep so they don't get too stressed out. Covering the coop with carpet, bubblewrap etc, but don't forget about ventilation.

I put an extra cardboard box with bedding into my coop, and I also put a thermometer in there to see what the temperature did drop to. It was 3.5 degrees when they went to bed, and -3.7 (I think) when they got up this morning. Outside temperature this morning was -10.5 so the chooks did manage to raise the temperature in the coop with their own body heat, so I'm not too worried now.

What I am doing while these freezing conditions are here, is giving them warm water to drink in the mornings, and saving their treat of hot porridge till just before bed.

[Two_Sheds]

Good thinking.
I have stuffed the guinea pigs hutch with extra shredded paper and cardboard boxes too. If it snows I put a piece of old carpet over the hutch for insulation. They're fairly tough, and have fur coats on ~ nekked chooks might need a little extra.

[Hans Mum]

What I am doing while these freezing conditions are here, is giving them warm water to drink in the mornings, and saving their treat of hot porridge till just before bed.

Hi Maureen, how and what with do you make hot porridge for them, do you just put hot water on the layer pellets or do you use porridge oats that we use for porridge?

thanks x

[Noodle]

Hi,
I hink people use different things for their hot mash/porridge. I just put hot water on layers pellets and a bit of poultry spice to kick start themin the mornings! They love it! I also gave them some warm water this morning as it was -10! They really enjoyed it!

Mine haven't stopped perching as yet even though they had extra bedding they're still on the bars, so they must be fairly warm or just really stupid!

[Nicos]

I give mine porridge made with water and mix in spice,garlic powder and raisins just to call them in for the night- 17 hrs a day shut away seems a long time for free ranging birds

I have to be careful cos I think I may have given it too hot one day cos one pecked at the food, rushed away shaking it's head and the others just stood looking at it- and the food- where they'd usually dive in head first!

Hot water on the pellets?
Now that's an idea for the morning...nice bit of instant warmth

[MaureenHall]

Hi Maureen, how and what with do you make hot porridge for them, do you just put hot water on the layer pellets or do you use porridge oats that we use for porridge?

thanks x

I made them "proper" porridge with oats and water, same sort of stuff that humans eat 25p a bag from asda and lasts my lot about a week. I do mix the hot sloppy porridge with some pellets as well just to thicken it up a bit, but you don't have to do that. Mine will eat anything now - I squeezed an orange and juiced a pineapple this morning and they've had the left-overs from that (oooooooops sorry, just to satisfy DEFRA, I had the left-overs of the juice, they had the solid parts that I prepared just for them)

[lynda66]

i definitely recommend having babies at the right time ...... cos even if i get the house finished, theres no way i can put them out there, they'll freeze their little tootsies off ...... though rob did say as soon as he gets his next grant(any time now) he'll buy them a proper heat lamp, so they can go out but still have the warmth of a mummy lamp. and they will be out in the polytunnel when they first go out, cos it's warmer in there..... guess i'll just have to put up with smelly chicks a bit longer ...... it's just looking a bit small in the playpen now

[Suechooks]

My girls are on the allotment so I have to take thermos flasks of hot water 3 times a day to defrost the water! I also make hot mash in the mornings with poultry spice in, they have spaghetti and/or soaked bread and greens at lunch time and porridge mixed with corn and meal worms at bedtime. They're getting thro pellets at a rate of knots too.
Have a piece of carpet in the shed so might put that on their roof tonight. I'm going to try putting a thermal blanket inside too and extra shaving and straw to insulate the floor.

[kevnsue]

Hi,ours seem to like the cold,they are 8 month old warrens plus we have had 40 eggs off 6 birds in the last 7 days,i think thats pretty good for this weather.

[Snadger]

Got to the allotment after work and one of my chooks was sitting with her eyes closed in the corner. Checked to make sure she was still alive then quickly gave the others some mixed corn to gobble up before the sun went down. This should keep em warm tonight I hope.

Picked the chook up who was sitting and couldn't see anything wrong with her. Put her into a nestbox inside to keep warm.

I've got a fancy I'll have a dead chook in the morning though as she wouldn't open her eyes.........tried giving her water but she wasn't interested.........she was very warm so don't think it was cold related.

She's an indeterminable age so maybe her time has come? If she does die I'll give her a good check over before burying her in case I can spot anything that would possibly affect the rest.

I'll just have to wait and see!

[MaureenHall]

Hope she's ok Snadger, maybe she was just having a deep snooze. fingers crossed anyway

[Nicos]

Betty closes her eyes when laying...maybe it's as simple as that???

Hope she's fine tomorrow! xx

[kirsty b]

Mine have a very thick layer of straw on shed floor, but I have noticed more carp in the nest boxes, so I reckon they are snuggling up there instead of perching at the mo.

[Hashette]

Feck! Minus 7 already out there. How much longer is this going to go on? Thankfully I had the day off work, I had to take fresh water out to the girls three times as it kept getting crunchy.

Is there some magic ingredient to stop it freezing? Mine is already laced with cider vinegar and garlic, but it doesn't seem to be making much difference

[Suechooks]

Got to the allotment after work and one of my chooks was sitting with her eyes closed in the corner. Checked to make sure she was still alive then quickly gave the others some mixed corn to gobble up before the sun went down. This should keep em warm tonight I hope.

Picked the chook up who was sitting and couldn't see anything wrong with her. Put her into a nestbox inside to keep warm.

I've got a fancy I'll have a dead chook in the morning though as she wouldn't open her eyes.........tried giving her water but she wasn't interested.........she was very warm so don't think it was cold related.

She's an indeterminable age so maybe her time has come? If she does die I'll give her a good check over before burying her in case I can spot anything that would possibly affect the rest.

I'll just have to wait and see!

Hope she's ok. One of mine was doing just that earlier today so I panicked and started insulating the hut roof and adding extra bedding in case it was the cold. She seemed to be eating porridge and corn ok at bedtime so like you will have to wait till morning when I get to the lottie.
Fingers crossed for them both