Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: Craigx on October 27, 2012, 09:48
-
Hey,
A few people iv spoken to say they keep there chickens locked up during the cold spells, (e.g. today, its freezing!) so..
In the cold weather(Winter?) Do you allow your chickens out of there coop? if so, how long for? if you don't, how come? It would be interesting to see other peoples opinions,
Craig
-
I would say that everyone here would agree that your hens need letting out in all weathers. They need to do what chickens do :) They might not like walking on deep snow though :) I know mine would stop dead once they realised they were on unfamiliar ground and I had to pick them up and put them back in their run
They need fresh air and exercise. They don't mind being wet but they're not keen on being cold and wet. They need somewhere to shelter if they want to. I used to like mine to be as dry as possible before bed time to keep their beds dry and comfortable
-
i agree but i was curious, some people local to me, if it rains or is cold, they're hens stay in the coop, i let mine out all day and locked in at night, during rain snow, cold, warm, everything lol
Obviously if people do keep there's closed up, then i guess that's up to them, but i am curious about what other people do.. hence the thread :)
Craig
-
Like CQ ours are allowed to go out in all weathers - if it is really wet or snowy they choose to stay in the coop. But if it is dry but cold they are quite content to wander around their run.
-
My girls are out in all weathers. I built a sandpit with a canopy over and they like to all huddle up together and watch the rain from underneath. My philosophy is, its not good to all be cooped up!
-
In the past I had 15 hens and cockerels who roosted in the trees and laurels outside in all weathers sun. sleet, frost and snow. I would often find them in the morning with frost on their backs but they were fine. Mine now have a large fully enclosed run (as my pup attacked some) but are now free ranging every afternoon and 2 of them have gone back to sleeping in the laurels.
-
Let them be chickens Craig. There are people on here who have kept chooks for 40+ yeas, they know what they are talking about!
Keeping them too cooped up and too warm will do them more harm than good, honest! I sometimes wish I had a nice permanent duvet like our chickens!! :lol: :lol:
-
Ours used to love being out in the cold and even rain providingthere was shelter available as mentioned already, but the first time they saw snow was a different matter. After they got over the initial shock, they were rather sulky until it went away. ::)
-
Ours used to love being out in the cold and even rain providingthere was shelter available as mentioned already, but the first time they saw snow was a different matter. After they got over the initial shock, they were rather sulky until it went away. ::)
When we had the bad snow a couple of years ago our hens refused to come out for over a week - we had to feed and water them in the coop. :lol: :lol: Maybe they were more sensible than us.
-
Let them be chickens Craig. There are people on here who have kept chooks for 40+ yeas, they know what they are talking about!
Keeping them too cooped up and too warm will do them more harm than good, honest! I sometimes wish I had a nice permanent duvet like our chickens!! :lol: :lol:
PLEASE read my post, i have said mine are out, no matter the weather, My post is only curiosity of what others do, and if im honest i was also curious if i was doing the wrong thing by letting them out all day!
Craig
-
No need to shout I did read your post.
I never said that YOU kept yours in, just saying let them be chickens. There are a lot of people out there who don't know how to look after their animals properly, not only chickens, but their dogs and cats etc.
So don't jump down people's throats. You asked for opinions and I gave you mine.
-
The way it read to me was like you thought i kept mine in, while theres bad weather, if that isnt the case, i apologise
Craig
-
Birds in general can handle the cold if they have enough fuel (food) to burn to keep them warm . Even the British tinies like Blue tits and Wrens get through our winters if they can find enough food.
The hens will go back to the coop of their own accord if they want too.
-
:) Mine went out onto the snow for the first time but were shocked and stood there like statues waiting to be rescued. They wouldn't move. Their feet were probably frozen to the spot, so I picked them up and put them back in the run :lol:
They know what they like don't they :)
-
The door is opened every monrning as usual at ours so they can decide themselves. With it being so cold during the winter it would be cruel to leave them locked up for months. If cold was an issue we'd have to give them a barn or something sheltered but spacious to roam around in.
-
On really cold days i give them a warm porridge mix made with hot water, sometimes in the morning or at tea time to help keep them warm. They wolf it down and they do sometimes look like they are fit to burst.
I think this is more for my benefit than theirs, they really dont seem to mind the cold or even the wet. The have shelter but rarely use it unless it is a really heavy, sudden down pour.
They are not too keen on the snow underfoot and though they come out they dont venture far. I normaly shovel an area clear (we dont get much so it not usually a major problem)
-
I let mine out no matter what, but leave the henhouse open so they can shelter in there :)
-
I let mine out no matter what, but leave the henhouse open so they can shelter in there :)
Same as me, but only different is i have a old sign that they can shelter under, where theyre feeders are kept (stops it getting soggy!)
Craig
-
We simply open the shutter in the morning and close it late in the afternoon, so they make their choice; the only time they run for cover is when there is a deluge of heavy rain.
However, since spotting a nasty mink the other afternoon we only let them out when Ben, their minder, is on duty. The mink is obviously lurking ready to attack, so the poor girls are having to remain inside rather a lot. It's a very large pen but we still hate restricting their freedom. :(
-
That's the great thing with my coop being in the walk in run now - mine can get up and go to bed when they want and they shelter under the coop (which has two solid sides at ground level) if it's driving rain.
I can't see the logic of shutting them in in cold weather - hens are generally intelligent enough to know whether to get under cover or huddle together. They seem to be really good at knowing which plants are good or poisonous too - they are not as daft as they look (well, not about everything :tongue2: )
-
Mine have decided that today is much too cold - so after a quick feed they have all gone back in the coop - they have been moulting something shocking so they are maybe feeling the cold more than normal.