Help my chooks are freezing their feathers off!
I’m worried that they will be little blocks of ice in their coop! they’ve gotton extra hay n mega extra corn outta me and even got me thinking about heating! ( I know mad huh!)
Those cute little tap tapits at the door are getting kinda hard to ignore, and with talk of another big freeze here in good old blighty spreading what will become of my poor chooks!
As we speak I am thinking about crocheting them some jumpers- Nooooooo!
Reckon they could be spending christmas in our pad, but then my whole family will know for certain I am bonkers, what to do? and anyways how do I get the chooks to leave after!!?!
♥
littlepoppits 
Fleecy blankets? Or wrap the coop in tinfoil as an insulator ? 🙂
good ideas i will try them . xxx
I was kind of joking about the tinfoil… but you never know! We used to line the greenhouse with bubble-wrap, which did actually work.
tell you what I’ll try anything before they have to come in!!! xxxx
🙂
Oh no! Poor little girls! How cold is it? Is their water freezing over? I hear that bantams are more susceptible to cold than bigger birds. I also read that the most important thing is to keep your coop free from drafts, and that you can cover the open wire areas with heavy plastic to keep the drafts out, so the bubble wrap is probably a good idea. And if you are really worried, a heat lamp probably wouldn’t be a bad idea either. I’m worried about my hens this winter as well, even though they are supposed to be pretty hardy, but so far it hasn’t been below freezing, so we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
On second thought, I wonder if they would peck at the bubble wrap? Mine probably would. Maybe heavy plastic sheeting would work better?
yes weve got some canvas I could try that. (most spoilt hens ever or what!)
I’m with you on that, last year we had what was named the big artic freeze! so we went quite down in the minuses! but I’ve seen lots of pictures of chooks coping with snow so I guess I’m over-reacting! I would just be gutted if they turned to ice! xxx
hey, those fleecy blankets she mentioned don’t seem like a bad idea 😉 or what about some scarfs! 🙂 poor chooks! 🙂
I could crochet a full set! it would sure get the neighbours talking! x
This will be my fourth winter with chickens and we haven’t lost any to frostbite yet. As long as they are dry and out of the wind, they will snuggle up together and keep each other remarkably warm. Before we got our coyote-proof coop built (http://literalroadfarm.com/2012/07/23/and-we-have-a-chicken-coop-aka-the-chickens-have-a-nicer-house-than-i-do/), my chickens were in a portable chicken tractor. I would put blankets and tarps over it at night in the winter, and they did just fine. I did one year put the tractor in the garage when we had record cold weather, but never have a used a heat lamp and I think they have been just fine? I would looooooove to see them wearing little jumpers, however, LOL!
Oh thats a relief thanks for that! (you may see them in jumpers yet!) xxxxxx
Where do you live? We seem to go back and forth between very warm and very cold weather here in Iowa. I want to see pictures if you make them little jumpers, or fleecy blankets! 🙂
I have always thought it would be cool to raise chickens!
We are in the south of England (UK)! we do get quite cold winters and just had a bit of a artic freeze last year and I got worried. I am a mad hen owner!
It is well cool raising chooks but I am far too attatched! x
How about hot water bottles? I used one when camping and found if I put really hot water in the bottle at night, it’s actually still got some warmth left in the morning (thanks to me hugging it all night). And they are rubber so you can wash off any poo. I wouldn’t do it every night but if a big cold snap is coming, a couple of bottles in the (well insulated) coop might just take the chill off. Or maybe that’s a totally daft idea.
I must say your chickens look really lovely when they’re cold. They fluff themselves (God’s Down Jacket) to stay warm and they look fluffy and fat.
thanks for the advice, I’m prob being more bonkers than usual! x
No advice, but those are adorable little birds!
aww thanks xxx
What always warms my freezing bones is hot soup, but that might send them a mixed message.
ha ha! guess I could try veggie soup!!!!
They are so cute, all fluffed up. I’m not sure how cold it gets where you live but I like the hot water bottle idea and the insulation. I don’t think it gets cold enough where I live for the cold to be an issue.
yes if it does go well below freezing like last year I will give them a hot water bottle! (cant believe I’m saying that!)
Oh bless, they look cute! Maybe some leg warmers?
i know, how spoilt are me chooks! xx
Oh please crochet some chicken jumpers!! I would do anything to see that and how you would go about getting them into them too!!! LOL!!
good point-may be tricky to put on my girls!!!???? x
It doesn’t get anywhere near freezing here and I have a heat lamp on my girls….I figure if I’m going to be all warm and toasty, I should let them be, too! Definitely spoiled, but I don’t care! 🙂
phew glad not just me! x
We gave our girls some warm oatmeal last winter. They ate nearly as much as they made a mess with it.
I bet they did! minus 5 here this morning! brrrrr
We have had Snow all week up her in the NE of Scotland -10 C today I have 68 free range chucks, Down to -18C last year and no probs just make sure they get a good drink first thing in the morning and corn before they roost,that will keep them warm, and you could put a little vaseline(petroleum jelly) on their Combs and wattles to stop the frostbite.
Thanks such a relief-you know what us southerner r like! Great advice thanks so much. X
Vaseline on their combs and wattles will keep them from frost bite. A red heat lamp is best, but even a standard 60watt bulb will do wonders in the coop. Shredded newspaper in the nest area is also a great insulator from the cold…. this is also a great way to get rid of all that shredded mail. Nothing wrong with free bedding either! Hope this helps! 🙂
thats great advice thanks! x