[bucketman]

Well its starting to cool down. This will be chucks first winter. If it was any thing like last year how would you keep them alive. Dont want to wake up to frozen chucks so more food more straw its getting cold.
rob

[deepinthewoods]

loads of corn!!!!! theyre suprisingly hardy tho. ive just loaded up the coop with straw and shut down some of the summer ventilation.

[Castle Farm]

Just be aware that the birds need even more ventilation in winter than they do in summer.
I have covered this on my web site.

[deepinthewoods]

could you explain on this one???

[SallyintNorth]

I was about to say make sure they can huddle up to keep each other warm, so I'll be interested in Castle Farm's views, too!

The other thing was to give them maize as well as corn - it's very heating, so to be avoided in summer but really helps them maintain their body temperature in cold weather.

(Of course if you are American, maize is corn, but we tend to mean 'grain' generally when we say [hen]corn.)

[Castle Farm]

OK here goes.

Chickens don't sweat, they lose heat through breathing and regulate their body temperature thus. If the house is badly ventilated they will sit in damp air in which all the viruses they suffer from will muliply in a warm damp atmosphere. So near the top of the house there should be exits for this warm rising air to escape through. As this air escapes cold fresh air should be able to get into the house from near the floor to replace the air thats gone out from the top in that way the birds get fresh air.

In the winter the birds trap air in the feathers and that air is warmed up by the heat of the body. Any draught of air needs to come from below the birds and rise between and vent out above them.

The birds will stand cold as long as the roost is dry and well aired. Make sure you clean out on a regular basis as accumulated muck will create amonia which will affect the breathing of the birds.

I house mine in 'grass runs' with the doors open, (But in a large secure run) and throughout last winter minus 15 one night and snow down for weeks.and up to 2ft deep and they were fine.

Feed grain in the winter, as it lasts longer in the digestive system. With more darkness than light the birds will hold thier bodyweight better than on pellets and mash.

[Heather]

it surely can't be that bad agian, can it?

[deepinthewoods]

worse!!!

[northfifeduckling]

  my chooks were fine last year, a bit more straw, it just has to be checked that it is dry. They do have feathers that keep them warm  I did not let them free range for a few weeks as some got lost in the first snow and ended up confused on a window sill! 

[JEP]

are chickens were alowed to free range in winter
never lost 1 bird
just moved water in side

[Cinderhills]

I'm concerned about 5 of mine we got in August.  They are still roosting in the hawthorn tree (although lay eggs in the hen house).  I always give them corn late afternoon about an hour before bedtime.  I do worry though when the snow and minus temperatures arrive that they will be OK.

[SallyintNorth]

Cinderhills - could you give them the corn in the henhouse and shut them up with it until they get the message?

[Cinderhills]

In theory a good idea, however they go in the hen house one at a time and I would have to hang around all day to get them in and keep them.  We've sort of tried that tactic at the beginning but to no avail!

[Barrett]

Cinderhills, I am sure that once the cold weather really sets in they will know they have a nice warm hen house if they get cold they will go inside, you have to try and make the hen house more inviting than the tree.  Perhaps start giving there corn at bedtime so they get used to the routine before the temperature really start to drop .

[Cinderhills]

Thanks Barrett and Sally.  Thinking about it, maybe I should put the corn up the ladder, like you said, very close to bedtime, and then a little in the doorway inside and they might decide to stay in there!