Keeping chickens warm

[sarflo]

In this freezing weather (due to be -6 on Thursday!) does anybody take extra precautions to keep their chookies warm? Our coop is in a very sheltered garden with no draughts but I still worry about my girlies getting cold. Sarah x

[shirlthegirl43]

I think they cuddle up and keep themselves sorted. Ours have been coping well even though the pophole has been left open twice on very cold nights.

[percy charlie]

my friend puts special knitted chicken jumpers on hers, especially the rescued ex bats still recovering there feathers she got the pattern from the internet through googling and then knitted them they seem to like them.

[kirsty b]

Mine have their pop hole open all the time,(on the sheltered side of the shed) but when it is very cold, they have extra thick straw on the floor of the shed.
Its about a foot thick at the mo, because they decided to kick over the pile of clean straw and spread it around themselves. Mine all huddle together at night aswell. Thankfully their moult is almost over, so they are all mostly fully feathered.

[di]

I agree with Shirl,that they'll huddle together & keep each other warm....for the featherless ex bats tho...those lil jumpers do look good.There was an item on the local news a couple of weeks ago where a group of ladies were knitting them..not sure if they take orders but were based in Needham Market~Suffolk,if that's any help?
We give ours warm mash with cooked veggie peelings for brekkie to try & give them a warm start to the day & are also in the process of putting a wind barrier along the bottom of their run...think other than that,their feathers & cuddles do the rest!

[Bephlam]

I don't do anything really extra special for them - apart from ensure they have corn or the likes at night to heat them through the night. They always feel snuggly when I cuddle them, so I'm assuming they stay nice and warm all night long!

[Flummery]

Hens already have it installed Lynda!

[Glutton4...]

I've put up a windbreak to stop the arctic North from blowing under the Conifer hedge, when ever I look in they are all huddled up together, and the coop is always far warmer than I was expecting.

I too start them off with a warm mash in the mornings, and give them corn and goodies in the afternoons to keep them warm through the night.

They've all grown loads of feathers since I got them (it's not six weeks yet!) so I've stopped worrying about them quite so much.

[lainey lou]

here we go, chicken jumpers.....

YouTube - Pensioners Knit Jumpers for Chickens

[minskey]

Chicken Jumpers.......... is this new for the Olympics??? Sorry just couldn't resist!!

My chooks don't seem to mind the cold, coop is 10" deep with sawdust, worry about the autopop hole freezing shut in the night & not opening in the morning but I always check; give them goodies & corn last thing before they go in at night, well early afternoon now.

[MaureenHall]

Mine get a dish of porridge before bed with a handfull of mixed corn just to keep them warm at night. I've had to put a kettle of boiling water in the water bucket in the mornings though just to break the ice! It's still warm when they drink it so obviously they don't mind.

[Glutton4...]

You do spoil them Maureen - I break the ice with a hammer, and they all dive their beaks in!

[MaureenHall]

Yes I know I spoil them The ice was too thick to break though

[Jardiniere]

I worry about my three because their pen is a lean to with two sides just made of chicken wire and inside that there is a nest box and a box for them to roost in except they never go into it they always roost on top....so i've started to physically put them inside the box every night - i leave the pop hole open so they can get out in the morning when its light .....but i'm going to engerland for two weeks over xmas and my neighbour will not put them to bed so they will roost on top of the box over Xmas. They huddle together but it is cold..........they just do not go in the box of their own accord...ah well ...

[MaureenHall]

All chickens is fick Give them shelter and they'll stand out in the rain wondering what's going on, give them a warm bed and they shove it all to one side and snuggle up together. Wonder who's the boss in this household?