Jan 08 2009
Winter Sucks for Chicken Care
One part of raising chickens I hate the most is winter. The water is frozen everyday and if you do not get the eggs fast enough, they are froze. I have one hen who lays her egg on top of the nesting box so it always freezes. We get temps below zero all the time so it is hard to keep going in the cold.
The one thing the winter does not do is seem to harm the chickens. Every morning when I go out to thaw the water and check on them, they are waiting at the door with excitement to see me. I guess that is one of the joys that keeps me raising chickens. they have such unique personalities that they warm a cold heart even when it is 20 below zero.
This winter is hardest though because the temps vary so drastically that the chickens or I can get use to the cold.
How are the chickens in your coop doing?
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I love our chickens. Even in the winter, they’re just so happy to see us twice a day.
Of course the sheep, the cows, and the horses are pretty excited too, since we feed twice a day, no matter the weather. I know what you mean about the sub-zero weather, the gale force winds, and snow coming down sideways.
Then, there’s the mud when everything thaws out. In the morning here, everything’s frozen, so you can go out in your regular boots. By evening, its all thawed out… and time to don the muck boots.
Our chickens live the life of luxury. They have a 24/7 heat lamp in the winter, and their nest boxes are lined with sheep’s wool, left over from shearing. So far, we’ve had two frozen eggs, which cooked up just fine.
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Funny, I never thought about their eggs freezing. I just sorta thought they would sit on them and keep them warm. City folk–what do we know? !
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At least they freeze after they are laid. Twenty below is hard to take.
I live in the warm western part of Montana and we rarely get to 20 below.
I don’t think I would want to sit and try to keep an egg warm at that temp.
Do they get frostbite?
I bet they eat a lot of food when it gets that cold.
Rick
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