[heatherhsp]

Our hens haven't left their house for 3 weeks now.  The snow here has been very thick all the time and still is.  There's about 18 inches on top of their house, which I hope is insulating it a bit!
I am worried...
I give them a warm brekkie, and they have constant food and water in the house now, but it is now -15 outside.

Question is, should I put a heater  (oil filled radiator) in the house?  They are all looking very puffed up so must be very cold. 

Thanks for any help (in advance!!)

Heather

[webwahm]

I know this is talked about quite a lot elsewhere on here, and we are reassured that the chickens are keeping themselves nice and warm...but mine are ex-batts with plenty of 'naked' areas and few feathers to keep them warm so I do worry.  Especially when their water freezes 'inside' their house.
 

[heatherhsp]

I know, my girls water keeps freezing int here too....   

[LittleRedHen]

I wrapped our hen house in a extra heavy duvet.  Last night the temp inside the hen house was 2.  Good enough!

[Jeanette]

I keep a couple of old blankets and wrap them over the top of the coup and it is much warmer for the girls

[themagicaltoad1]

I've put a thick layer of newspaper over the coop with a plastic sheet on top to keep it dry. Apparently newspaper is supposed to be good for insulation. They have plenty of straw inside and seem to be nice and toasty whenever I put a hand in to stroke them. I did think of buying one of those pottery hot water bottles off e**y and putting it in the coop but it doesn't seem to be necessary.

[compostqueen]

I keep giving mine the chance to go out but they stay put as they don't seem to like the snow.  It's just a matter of keeping their floor cleaned out and fresh straw etc down for them

Mine have a straw bale shelter which they can huddle in to get out the snow or rain and they like to sit on top of it most of the time.

I shelter parts of their run with army store ground sheets attached to the run via the eyelets which keeps off worst of the driving snow and wind.  Keeping the birds dry is the key as if they're cold and wet they'll be miserable and it won't do them any good

[ali2]

I've just been and cleaned out their pen as they had been in there for 3 days   - apart from the one who likes to lay her eggs in our garage  - let her out to lay her egg around 9am then when she's finished she makes her way back to the pen to the others...pampered hen or what ?!! - the chickens went out into the garden while I was cleaning  it out and are quite happy scatching around in the snow and are not in a hurry to go back in so have come indoors and left them to it .

[compostqueen]

mine won't set foot in snow. I don't blame em

I keep giving them the chance to go out and stretch their legs but they're having none of it 

[Caralou]

Mine finally seem to be accepting the snow. I've been keeping them in their coop until 9am then they come out until about 3pmish before heading back in to bed. They are eating huge amounts though, with me making hot mash in the mornings, pellets all day and corn at 3pm (I do wonder if they only stay out knowing they get the 3pm corn!)  They seem happy enough in the coop when I check on them at about 11pm before I go to bed and they all snuggle together so I wouldnt worry too much about yours as they will be doing the same to keep warm.

[grumpydad]

mine have not been out of the run since the snow.
the run is covered and is free from snow, they do however go back into the coop after they have had a feed, and have a dust bath in the coop, so i have added some louse powder to the easibed, which is about 4" deep on the floor of the coop, to act as an insulation bed.

the coop is in the run, and under cover, so it has no snow on it.

so far they feel fine every night, all with full crops, i have however given them some corn at lunchtime instead of waiting till the afternoon, just to make sure they are full.

we have had no wind yet, which has helped, might be a bit different when the high winds that have been forecast come along

[hillbilly]

I wrapped our hen house in a extra heavy duvet.  Last night the temp inside the hen house was 2.  Good enough!

So glad you posted this, LRH. I was embarassed to admit that I'd put an old duvet over the coop  today - I thought maybe it was a coddle too far! Really glad to hear it's worked for you, hope it does for us.

[heatherhsp]

Thanks folks- I was very worried last night.  Presume the snow must insulate in someway itself, as in an igloo, so didn't want it to melt.  Looked in late, and 3 were snuggled together and the other 2 were together, all puffed up. Anyway, after a fitful sleep, I went to see them with their warm brekkie and they all looked perfectly perky.  Though, who knows how miserable they'd been all night?   

I can't tempt them out at all - it was Dec 17th when the snow came, and they've refused to come out since!