[hillbilly]

Thanks all of you for that. It seems the biggest worry is fox and rats rather than cold. Is that the way of it?
The run is newly built 1/2" galvanised mesh and with an 18" 'skirt' buried all around it. Even the corners. The door is a really snug fit. I really hope it's fox proof but I guess you can never say 'never'  !
It would be good to know how cold is too cold for chooks, anyway, if anyone has any more comments?

[Jane-M]

Two things to consider - at night when they are not moving about and during the day. My girls have no heating in the coop other than their feathery little selves and the ventilators stay open all year round - they cope with overnight temperatures of -10 and sometimes I notice that tail feathers have frozen to the wall. None of this concerns them at all. During the day they stay out regardless of the weather and despite access to the coop at all times. Again they are unconcerned by temperature and we can go for days and days with the temperature never getting above freezing. If the ground is frozen I put down straw or leaf litter for them as they don't like walking about on ice and snow.

[hillbilly]

Two things to consider - at night when they are not moving about and during the day. My girls have no heating in the coop other than their feathery little selves and the ventilators stay open all year round - they cope with overnight temperatures of -10 and sometimes I notice that tail feathers have frozen to the wall. None of this concerns them at all. During the day they stay out regardless of the weather and despite access to the coop at all times. Again they are unconcerned by temperature and we can go for days and days with the temperature never getting above freezing. If the ground is frozen I put down straw or leaf litter for them as they don't like walking about on ice and snow.

Thank you Jane. That pretty much says it all  . Hardy little souls, aint they!!

[joyfull]

well they do have their own feather duvets wrapped around them 
One of mine is still sleeping in her apple tree even though there are no leaves on it and  unfortunatly she is too high for me to reach so will have to leave her there until she decides otherwise.

[hillbilly]

I read about your apple tree chook, Joyfull, in another thread somewhere - I don't know why but it makes me smile  . Sounds so romantic...at least she's safe up there and I suppose she'll come down if she gets cold  .

[joyfull]

she keeps investigating the shed and the new coop (maybe she is getting ready to lay - fingers crossed) but still insists on sleeping outside. Another also sleeps outside but she tucks herself underneath a lorry cab (luckily the lorry is waiting for a new body to be put on so isn't being used at the moment). It took me weeks to find her hiding place 

[hillbilly]

she keeps investigating the shed and the new coop (maybe she is getting ready to lay - fingers crossed) but still insists on sleeping outside. Another also sleeps outside but she tucks herself underneath a lorry cab (luckily the lorry is waiting for a new body to be put on so isn't being used at the moment). It took me weeks to find her hiding place 

  Perhaps I don't need to worry about the pop hole then! Their def alot warmer than outside and have pretty good feather coverage now.
Good job the lorry's not in use. I have an awful chilhood story of a hamster in a car engine....  . I was only told years later and still got really upset!

[joyfull]

I still worry about foxes and mink etc but as they are in places that I can't reach (would have to tilt the cab on the lorry or chop down the russet apple tree) I will leave mine to decide when they want to come in from the weather. Please don't be complacent about the foxes they really are very cunning creatures and if hungry or have young they will go to great lengths to get a meal.
Sorry about your hamster though - only lost my hamsters to old age although I did once pull the tail off a gerbil trying to catch it  . But thats another story 

[Flowerpower136]

You can check their body temp, just put your hands underneath their wings.  Toasty little handwarmers!    .... if not, I'd be bringing them inside.

My first winter with chucks too, so hoping for a mild one  , well maybe not quite that mild

[Ma Lowe]

We have a permanent enclosed run with roof and once I have locked them in the run I leave them to go to bed themselves so the pop hole is left open.
When it gets really cold and frosty I may close the pop hole then.

[hillbilly]

My biggest worry with foxes etc. is daytime takes when I start letting the chooks out more. Do foxes have young in spring?
Last night in howling gale (nothing new there then  ) I went and held a small flame in front of the pop hole and it barely flickered so I reckon it's pretty sheltered from draughts. I suppose six little hot bodies in a small space keep it warm too. They seem fine this morning so I think I'll only shut it when it gets really cold, like Ma.

You can check their body temp, just put your hands underneath their wings.  Toasty little handwarmers!    .... if not, I'd be bringing them inside.

My first winter with chucks too, so hoping for a mild one  , well maybe not quite that mild

Tricky to check them at night as I don't want to disturb them and it's such a small space to get at them! I'd love some snow this winter - wonder what the chooks'll make of that 

I did once pull the tail off a gerbil trying to catch it  . But thats another story

 
  so did it grow back?

[joyfull]

nope never grew back and it lived for 2 more years after that (would never pick one up again after that). Boy did I scream when I realised that I was still holding it's tail whilst it scurried off under the settee whilst my two sons just stood there laughing their socks off. 

[hillbilly]

nope never grew back and it lived for 2 more years after that (would never pick one up again after that). Boy did I scream when I realised that I was still holding it's tail whilst it scurried off under the settee whilst my two sons just stood there laughing their socks off. 

  What a picture!!

[GrannieAnnie]

We never leave our pop holes open because although we've never seen a fox, you never know and our big runs are not fox proof.  Too big to cover over the entire lot!  And were we are situated, we'll never get rid of the rats entirely, just manage to keep them at bay!

The other thing is, its not the cold, at least not usually in the UK, but the draughts that kill them.  Munty taught me that one!

[hillbilly]

The other thing is, its not the cold, at least not usually in the UK, but the draughts that kill them.  Munty taught me that one!

Thank you, Grannie. I'll keep a very close watch for any draught - especially when the wind changes.