The chickens are alive and doing well! That might not come as a shock, but considering how cold it has been lately, it really is an accomplishment! So I thought I would give you a good update on how things are going, what I’ve learned this winter, and new developments with the chickens. Plus I’ve been promising this update for weeks now. HAHA. So. Let’s get to it.
Chickens in the Winter
Being a chicken tender in the winter can be tough, especially in cold weather climates. We live in the Northeast so we know how cold and snowy it can get. And this was the girls’ first winter so they certainly didn’t know what to expect! I tried to prepare them, but they didn’t listen. Most of them went through their first molt last fall, but I suspect some of them-Maran, Gracie, and Sassy-are all molting now. Actually, I think Gracie just finished up and laid her first egg. I don’t recall seeing an egg like hers (assuming it’s hers. It’s got to be hers) and yesterday I found a new-to-me egg. I have 5 brown egg layers-Maran lays chocolate eggs and I haven’t had one from her in weeks. Winnie lays brown eggs as does Gussie and Sassy. Those three have eggs that all look similar except I have one that is very speckled. And I know Winnie lays a non-descript brown egg as I watched her lay the egg. So. The mystery egg has to be Gracie’s. I did some research on Barnevelders and it says they lay a dark brown egg. The egg, as you can see, isn’t as dark brown as Maran’s but it is still darker than the Barred Rocks and the Wyandotte.
So. We have some winter molting happening but our egg production is hanging in there. You can get a weekly update on egg production by visiting any of my “Homestead Updates“. That’s one thing I wanted to do this year is keep better track of how many eggs I’m getting. Production slowed down during the hardest, coldest weeks, but it seems to be on the rise.
We did have a bit of an issue with frostbite early on. I learned that it was from leaving the waterer in the coop at night. This creates humidity and moisture and that, in turn, leads to frostbite on the combs and wattles. After I took the waterer out, the frostbite issue pretty much disappeared. I was going out every night (as I was removing the waterer) and putting my homemade lavender salve on every comb and wattle, but I stopped doing that a couple of weeks ago, and the girls have been fine. There are little bits of black on their combs and wattles, but I really think that’s par for the course. I was seeing those bits of black even when I was putting salve on them. It’s not enough to be concerned about. And the frostbite from before I treated with a little blue kote and some salve. Everyone healed up just fine.
Free Range
We haven’t had as much opportunity to free range lately. The girls hate the snow. I have to coax them out every time and I have to shovel paths for them. They’ll take the paths to the back porch and hang out there for hours. If there’s ground showing through the paths, they’ll venture out to the paths for a while. Eventually they make their way back to the chicken run and I’ll close them back up.
I do give the girls lots of treats when it’s this cold and snowy. They can have as much scratch as they want. I normally throw them some in the AM and then again just before bed. Having a higher protein/energy snack just before bed will help them generate heat throughout the night and thus also help prevent frostbite as well. I also give them cooked oatmeal with goodies in it. They eat all our food scraps and leftovers too. In fact, I’m doing a fridge clean out today and they’ll dine happily for the remainder of the day. You can also give your chickens black oiled sunflower seeds and dried meal worms.
I’m actually going to start up the meal worm farm again soon. It’s relatively easy but I need to find a suitable space for it. There are lots of YouTube videos on how to set one up, but you basically need a system for the adult beetles and the worms. A screen in between the beetles and the worms allows for the eggs to be dropped into the container below so they can begin their lifecycle. I order my worms from Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm. I’ll be sure to post here if and when I get around to it!
Oh, I should also mention that we don’t have a heat source for the water. I go outside several times throughout the day and check on the water. I do have a thermometer in the coop with a register inside the house (is that what it’s called? My mind is blanking. I can see the temp and humidity from the craft room, but the receiver is in the coop). This helps me determine what it’s like in the coop. Last night I went to lock the girls in the coop and it was frigid outside but the coop was reading in the 30’s. And when I opened the door it was rather toasty in there. Anyway, I figure that by going out to the coop to check on the water I can get a glimpse at how the girls are doing. I only lock them in the coop when it is really, really cold–think single digit highs. They kind of self regulate anyway and won’t come out if it’s too cold, even if the door is open for them. I also will give them their treats in the coop. I know this is frowned upon by some in the chicken world, but I do it and it’s worked out okay.
Good Reading
I do have a few print resources that I like to keep on hand. Two of them deal directly with raising chickens and the other is more of an overall informational, keeping your chickens happy book. The first two are by Gail Damerow who happens to be THE chicken guru as far as I’m concerned. They’re both published by Storey Publishing, who happens to be THE leader in homestead publishing, again, as far as I’m concerned. Anyway, the first book is Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens. The second book is The Chicken Health Handbook. I would highly recommend you add these two to your chicken first aid kit and resource shelf. The third book is 101 Chicken Keeping Hacks by Lisa Steele. I want to start making my own chicken feed and she does a really good job of breaking that down in the her book.
That’s a wrap
I think that’s enough for now. I’ll be back soon with an update on incubating eggs. It’s pretty uneventful right now. Today is the first day that I can candle the eggs (day 7) so I’ll try to remember to do that tonight. But the incubator I bought does everything for me so all I do is keep an eye on the water level and the humidity. But I’ll post all about how to incubate and how it’s going.
Is there anything you want to know about chicken keeping? I’m happy to answer questions! I’m sure I’ve missed something here with this update. I always do. Oh. And all the chicken pictures were taken several weeks ago. I’ve been holding on to them so I could use them in this post. That’s how long ago I’ve been planning this post. Sheesh.
PS I’m linking up to the Homestead Blog Hop
’til next time
-k
xoxo
Daenel
Birds freak me out but I do enjoy reading these posts and seeing the pictures. I sure hope I get to see you and them for real some day.
chickenlibrarian
AWW! I know how much they freak you out! And I always appreciate you taking the time to comment on my birds. hehe.
I hope we get to meet one day too! It’s been on my wishlist for many years. If only you still lived in PA! xoxoxo
Tracy
Fabulous post, Kristin! Thank you for putting it up!
Since this was our first winter keeping chickens, you know how concerned I was about water and heat (and still am). But, we did take Bekah’s advice from the get-go: we removed water from the coop at the end of every day. I think that really made a difference and, knock wood, the girls seem to have been spared frostbite. We do put fresh water back into the coop in the morning, popping out to remove the ice from it during the day. The outside water (hangs under the coop is fresh daily and swiped out as ice forms/gets dirty (when the girls kick stuff into it). The additional heated waterer outside has helped, but it’s added a layer of work.
Like you, we don’t heat the coop (for all the reasons you already know). I did listen to an interesting podcast not long ago where the chicken keeper (who has been keeping chickens for years) said that while she does not recommend heating a coop, she did mention there are some circumstances that are worth considering: if the chickens are too young (don’t put them outside!) or if the chicken(s) is too old. She told a story where a beloved chicken (maybe around 10 years old?) died in the unheated coop overnight. She believed it was due to the extremely low temperatures. She remarked that she wished she would have brought the chicken indoors. Anyhow, there’s a gamble to many things, and we have opted to not heat. Between fire risks and possibility of losing power (thus, plunging the chickens into lower temps), we just focused on building a solid, insulated coop and keeping it dry inside. (I still fret and worry and drive Mr. Gordon nuts.)
I read with utter fascination about your plan to grow meal worms! I want to know more! I have switched the girls from Grubblies black soldier fly larvae to GrubTerra (seems to be a better product and it’s $20 per bag less). BUT, this is still an expensive treat. I would be keenly interested in learning about growing meal worms. You’ve done it before?
When we decided to get chickens – actually, before we even brought them home – we picked up Damerow’s “Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens.” You are right. It is a must have!
Well, time for me to go refill the coffee cup! Much to do! 🙂 I LOVE the chicken photos, Kristin. If you lived down the road from me, I’d be begging you to come and do a photo shoot with my girls! You are so talented – thank you for sharing such wonderful pics! Have a good rest of the weekend! XO!
chickenlibrarian
You are welcome Tracy! I find myself often wondering about something and then thinking “where did I put that information” only to discover that I put it on my blog. So I’m finding that I keep returning here to find the information I’m looking for. So, I said that, to say I like having a record of things. And this seems the appropriate place (instead of having paper after paper to keep track of!).
Winters are tough to get through and even more so if you have livestock of any sort. I’m not opposed to having a heat lamp for the girls, but only in dire circumstances. They seem to be able to adjust fairly well and I don’t have any issues locking them in the coop for a few days if needed. I’ve heated the girls in the past and it did not work well for them. It sends them into a spring molt and I think it just messes with their little systems too much. I was determined to make it through this winter without using heat. And I think we’re on the other side of it now. I know the night temps will be low, but the day temps won’t be so unbearable.
Yes! Meal worms! I grew them for my last flock and it is a cost savings. I order my dried meal worms through Chewy in a big box (I don’t remember the brand) but it’s still almost $40 for the box. All you need for your own meal worm farm are some live worms and maybe some beetles (so you don’t have to wait for the worm to go through the cycle) and some other items (a place to house them and some ground oats). Pretty easy and inexpensive overall. You’ll spend $40 one time to get started rather than $40 every time you need more meal worms. Anyway, I’ll keep you posted!
I could go on and on about this all day! I’ll stop here and think about my next post(s) on the chickens: incubating, meal worms, what else??!?! Oh! Moving the coop and adding a rooster! heeh.