wabbitswayer
Junior Member
Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
Posts: 69
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Post by wabbitswayer on Jan 12, 2004 22:24:51 GMT -5
Since no one else had posted here... I figured I would help you out Anyway, I know that I am not the only one that may want to know. Some of the answers I received over on another great board were really excellent but not everyone would visit that board that may visit this one so... How does one house chickens in the winter in zone four and up? Meaning, how do you compensate for the nasty winds and bitter cold that comes through every year? Should a herd be downsized for this particular time of year?
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Post by Kickingbird on Jan 12, 2004 22:57:56 GMT -5
I personaly give my birds a good wind break. They don't have to be closed in tight but they must be able to get out of the wind with no drafts. The reason for this is the feathers trap a small amount of air under them, this air warms and is like having insulated (double pane ) windows. It keeps the cold away from their skin. In windy conditions they can't keep this buffer warm because the wind disturbs their feathers.
KB
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Post by stanscrbirds on Jan 13, 2004 19:16:33 GMT -5
Where I'm located we have about four feet of snow on the ground as this is being typed. We just came out of a week of 27 below 0 tempeture. And all we do for our birds is they have thier pens that are four by twenty four feet. A eight by four in the back is covered and enclosed with open front and a two foot divider in the pens. And have never had any problems with the exception of an occasional frozen comb. Stan
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Post by Predator on Jan 15, 2004 17:29:37 GMT -5
All I do is make sure the wind is blocked--I use a tarp to close one end--where the wind is coming from and cover the top at that end. Then I make sure their nesting area has plenty of straw and that the wind that does get through hits the back of the nesting building.
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Post by Frostette on Mar 17, 2004 12:25:15 GMT -5
I have to say I'm surprised that those of you who live so far north have no heating system for your flock. I live in Kansas and it gets to zero every so often but mostly it's just 20's with terrible winds. I only have a 6X8 hen house for 11 hens/1 rooster and use a 150 watt heat lamp and heated water dish all winter. It's not 'warm' in there, but tolerable. And they continue to lay eggs daily. They free range on all but the most wintry days, since they do NOT like snow and try to stay on shoveled paths when they are wandering around.
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wabbitswayer
Junior Member
Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
Posts: 69
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Post by wabbitswayer on Mar 17, 2004 12:30:39 GMT -5
Actually, all my birds were inside until very recently. They had a heat lamp. Had to replace it a few times because they would bust the bulb. How they did that, I have no idea. But I did supply some heat. It isn't get near as cold at night right now than it was. I have removed all my heat lamps from even my rabbits but the chicks have two. They can get away from the heat but not the cold. Still getting into the upper teens or some on some nights. Just now getting into the 50's in the day though.
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Post by Jigs on Mar 17, 2004 15:02:44 GMT -5
well I have to stress one thing, giving your birds heat during the winter is actually bad for them, it eats away at their immune system, everytime they are exposed to heat then say the heat is turned off during the day, this makes their body temperature drop very fast making them more likely to get sick. So if you are going to give them heat them you better make sure they have it 24/7 until winter is over completely, personally I have never given my birds heat , they do way better if you give them a higher energy feed, so add whole or cracked corn to their diet, this builds up fat and in the end gives you a healthier and stronger bird. Also I agree completely with everybody else if you have a wind proof coop then your set, and also use shavings for bedding and make sure you take the rake to the bedding about once a week just to move the clean shavings from the bottom to the top, then you get full use and you dont have to worry about it getting wet and starting to rot.
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wabbitswayer
Junior Member
Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
Posts: 69
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Post by wabbitswayer on Mar 17, 2004 15:14:44 GMT -5
I really do think that I would have lost my birds had I NOT supplied the extra corn and the lamp. It got down to -20 and stayed that way for awhile. And to think, this wasn't a bad winter
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Post by Jigs on Mar 17, 2004 17:13:48 GMT -5
we almost always had that temperature and some days alot colder and all I did was increase corn in their diets and made sure they were completely windproof and all of them survived and are stronger because of it
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Post by fowlplay on Mar 17, 2004 20:57:09 GMT -5
i turn to whole corn and raw vegies during the winter months. i take a good handful of corn and throw it down in the bedding. the birds know its there somewhere, so the will scratch for it. this turns the bedding , keeping fresh air to it, and kind of builds up the birds, keeping them active. just my thoughts.
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Post by Jigs on Mar 17, 2004 21:04:18 GMT -5
thats what I do except with bits of bread, but I still usually rake the bedding once a week just to keep things in good shape
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