cold chooks

i know there's been a lot of threads around regarding people being worried about their hens freezing in this current cold snap, i was one of the first to post that hens have their own duvets, however..................Raffles never made it to bed last night (being a white silkie she would be difficult to spot in the snow) she was found in a sorry state outside the banty house at 6am, she was frozen to the bone, we brought her in ( my bedroom ) to warm her up (my electric blanket and some reddy brek) and she soon recovered (phew) and was returned to the garden gang mid afternoon, that was when i noticed Emma (silver laced poland) shivering, she was all fluffed up and shaking from head to foot, Emma hadn't stayed out all night in the blizzards and there was no reason why she should be cold, but she was, we gave her the same treatment as Raffles and thankfully she went to bed with the other polands (and a few ducklings) tonight, it's made me wonder, maybe they do feel the cold.............i'll be keeping a sharp eye on my chooks as we're forecast more snow and it's blithering cold outside.

i did extra checks on my chooks tonight, everyone is in bed snug and warm, all accounted for, wish i could say the same for my finger tips...................... :happy:

I think generally the longer established native breeds handle this sort of weather better than some of the the more showy introductions so you will need to look out for them a little more.
Hope this spell doesn't last too long.  We all like a fresh fall of snow but it gets a bit unwelcome when it hangs about.
HF

Hi rom, i brought my poland in yesterday. We havent had snow, its just freezing cold, but she didnt look like she was doing so well.I put her in the coop a few times, then found her in the corner of the run,hunched over and cold, so i thought maybe she thinks im putting her to bed, so i put straw into a large plantpot, and sat her in that in a wind free corner with some warm mash, but half an hour later shes back, huddled in a corner. Ive checked her over , just in case there is something else, but her crop feels like it should, ive seen her drinking, her chest is clear, eyes and nose is clear, no discharge from anywhere and no crawlies. She is too young to lay, so i hope it is just the cold. anyway, she slept in a cat basket in my room, which,as we have no central heating , is still bummin freezing, just not as cold as outside she is awake now, and ive given her some left over porridge that i made andy and joe before they wnt to work. she has scoffed it down, but she still dosent look 'right' .I agree with HF...i dont they are as hardy as the ex-batts...well as any of my bigger chucks cos my little barnevelder, who is younger than her is thriving, dispite being a late hatch!She is running around all over the place , jumping on the big girls when they are trying to have a nap

i haven't got enough plant pots

dont worry , she seems to want to be in the bedroom anyay

Mine are completely foxed by the falling snow. They can get out and have a cover so they stand in a row looking at it like children gazing out of a window. Gave them warm wet layers with aditives this morning and have put in a plastic bowl with a fish tank heater in it (set to 16C) so they have warm water.