its blinkin' cold

[Bramble-Poultry]

OK - officially winter. I have had to scrape ice from the windscreen this morning and if that wasnt proof enough for you, Mike has put a jumper on!

So, its time to buy in stores of glycerine for the chickens waters and up the corn intake!

Turkeys are not too chuffed at the cold either, they are so prone to "snuggling" up to each other like the hens so they probably felt the cold a bit more.

Extra straw in the houses, and a few tarpaulins up to break the wind!

How are you all planning to cope!

[Dashy]

Could you put them in little jumpers? Would look very cute.

[OverWyreGrower]

Our turkeys are in the polytunnel, and are usually eager for me to open the doors for some ventilation during the day.... except this morning, when I was greeted with a lot of huffing and screeching, as I had dared to let the cold air in!!

The chickens are ok at the moment. I put extra straw in the shed for them and the ducks (who don't seem to mind the cold at all!), but they are all taking themselves off to bed earlier I have noticed!

[MaureenHall]

The chooks don't seem too bad at the moment, they all snuggle up together in the coops at night, and I've just chucked a bale of straw into the runs so they're too busy foraging in that to notice the chill (I think!) One of the older chicks is sitting on top of the little coop all fluffed out and watching the others, maybe he (or hopefully she) has got cold toes

How much glycerine do you put in the water to stop it freezing?

[RichmondHens]

We are getting frosts at night here but it's still ok during the day. Generally fairly sunny, so most of the birds are just getting on with scratching about in the leaves. I don't generally do anything "extra" for them over the winter, except a bit of extra corn at treat time on very cold days. The houses are pretty much all full to capacity so they have to snuggle together, whether they like it or not!

Jenni - did you get my PM?

[Eco-Chic]

It's milder here so I don't think my girls have been bothered by the drop in temperature. They've always squished up so tightly together I imagine they are doing it for comfort or else they think they are sardines

Does anyone know if they actually sleep all the time they spend in the coop, or are they just removing themselves to safety once it is getting dark outside?

[Suechooks]

My new ex-batts have yet to learn about going out of the wet and cold! Have got them in a fairly small run so have had to put a tarpaulin over the top of the open half. They look quite well feathered at first glance but actually they're really thin and have just about enough feathers to cover the skin. Have given them lots of straw in the run too and plenty of corn.
Jenni you're right - my OH has also started wearing a jumper so winter's here.

[its hilly]

First frozen windscreen of the year for me too.
Babies are all in the coop Al built, which is in the most sheltered part of the yard with that wind stop fencing round their run. Its thick wood lined with glued on cushionfloor so they're pretty snug, but they all snuggle in a heap anyway.
The big guys are all in together now and heap up, apart from two legbars who roost on the roof trusses (they're still in the barn). They were seperate but as the nights have got short and the roos have got older they obviously feel they are big enough to deal with Snadger if they have to, and prefer the company, so they simply put themselves in there. Does make feeding and watering easier.
definition of perpetual motion..me trying to do a head count on a pile of vari-coloured feathers by torchlight. 10,11,12..no, bugger I've done you twice, will you all sit STILL for thirty seconds...pleeassse

[RichmondHens]

Does anyone know if they actually sleep all the time they spend in the coop, or are they just removing themselves to safety once it is getting dark outside?

As light levels drop it triggers a response that tells them it is time to roost. Chickens cannot see in the dark so it is a combination of finding somewhere safe as they cannot see predators, and having a rest/sleep as they cannot see to find food.

I have to say, mine always seem incredibly sleepy if I disturb them at night (for checks etc) and always very easy to handle, as long as the head is kept out of the bright torch light.

[CoraxAurata]

We've had frost for a few nights now and it still hasn't convinced my young pol aged hens to roost indoors they insist on sleeping up in a tree where I can't reach them - bad enough but they are leading some of the younger ones astray (I could reach those tonight) the two girls are like the cool girls smoking behind the bike shed at school corrupting the first years......

[Eco-Chic]

...Chickens cannot see in the dark so it is a combination of finding somewhere safe as they cannot see predators, and having a rest/sleep as they cannot see to find food.

I was a little late with their corn tonight and I realised they don't see very well in the dark as I had to keep adjusting my hands so the light from the patio would illuminate the corn for them. I'm assuming they don't have a strong sense of smell either.

[Snadger]

My thee cockerels have always slept outside (they breed em tough up North!)

It's freezing here tonight and even though they have the option of going inside they prefer to roost with there heads between there legs four foot from the ground!
One lot of my newbies are huddled together on the coop floor with the oldies perched overhead. The second lot are all snuggled together around the outside of the pophole of another elevated coup (5 foot off ground) the area they are at is covered with clear perspex though.

The oldies are inside roosting (cos they've got sense!)

[Bramble-Poultry]

maureen - glycerine - mix the glycerine with the water at the following does to get the relevant frost protection. Glycerine is good for energy too for the birds, but dont over do it as glycerine is hygroscopic and draws out moisture so if consumed heavily can actually dehydrate the birds. Therefore you will notice if you do go down the route of glycerine in the water, you may actually see them drinking more water to compensate.

25% solution - good to -7 degrees celcius
20% solution - good to -5 degrees celcius
10% solution - good for -1.5 degrees

A good layer of fat is an excellant insulator in this weather, therefore up the intake of corn and wheat and possily increase the amount of pasta they have access to (our growers for the table get pasta twice a week as it helps lay down fat stores as it is high in carbohydrates.

Keep an eye on all your birds in the cold, and not just a visual check, make sure you actually lift them and feel their breast bone etc as chickens are notorious for hiding ailments until it is too late. Keep a close eye on coughs and splutters and treat them ASAP as you dont want an infectious cold flying round your pens

[Snadger]

......................
A good layer of fat is an excellant insulator in this weather, therefore up the intake of corn and wheat and possily increase the amount of pasta they have access to (our growers for the table get pasta twice a week as it helps lay down fat stores as it is high in carbohydrates....................

Mine get bread and corn in the evening.................

[Sue]

Hi
Next weekend it's time to plasticate the henrun!

Last year we staple-gunned heavy duty clear plastic to three sides of the henrun leaving the pent bits at the top free for good air circulation. This really cut down on the wind howling through and kept off rain driving in and soaking all the straw on the run floor.

I did read somewhere that windchill and wet is worse than cold for them so hence my plastic remedy. It worked well and nice for me too as on the coldest days it was that bit warmer in the run when I had to brave the elements to clean them out.

Sue