Overwintering our two hens

[Louisa]

Ooo help before I buy them knitted jumpers and put hot water bottles in their coop

The gritters have been out this evening, I already stocked them up with extra bedding this morning.

But I am worried they will get cold, course I am a complete novice and way too fluffy when it comes too my 'babies' either human, fur or feathered

Please can hen keepers help me?

[Jabba The Hut]

I'm Here!!!! Mother of Queenie, Marlena and Daphne (and several now in Chicken Heaven). All ex-battery girls. I've had them 5 years, and have never had to make special provision for winter (other than when I first collected them on 14th December 2006, when there was about 10 feathers between 6 of them!! I knitted them jumpers!!!)

So, make sure you give them a good layer of wood shavings, so it's about 2 or 3 inches deep. Give them breakfast first thing and supper at about 3.30 (or before it gets dark). They get remarkably warm in their roost, so don't be tempted to add hot water bottles or anything like that - they will over-heat and get ill. I learnt this the hard way!

I give mine additional cooked brown rice evey other day, on top of their layers pellets, and sometimes some cous cous - they also love grapes (cut into little pieces) and a real treat is handful of meal worms from the fishing shop once a week!!!

[Louisa]

Thanks Jabba, you have made me feel a whole lot better.
They still have beautiful feathers, only lost a couple so far.

I am spot on with meal times.

They love 'marriage mash' for breakfast and mixed treat flakes that contain lots of goodies.

Then they come out for a forage around the garden.

I buy grit and oyster shell and they love fruit, cooked potato peelings and sprouts.
Tried them on cous cous last week and they loved it.


Really spoilt but that is why we get them isn't it?

[fleur]

and.......if it's been freezing, check that their water hasn't frozen.

when the big freeze and snows been on over the past two years....we were out at regular intervals throughout the day thawing out their perpetually freezing water supply!

[Jabba The Hut]

Good point, fleur - and I did use a plate warmer under the water bowl for this during a couple of weeks of consistent -10degs (I'm in Fife) - the sort that you get in a chinese restaurant - I made sure they couldn't tip it over, or burn their feet.

Something else I remembered - my girls absolutely love omelette a couple of days a week.......... wicked I know, but it was recommended to me by a farmer who has about 10,000 free range hens, and 6 pet hens!!! Also, if you have any little bits of cheese left in the fridge, chop it in to teeny pieces, give it to them and listen to the funny noise they make when they find it - very entertaining!!!

[Louisa]

Originally Posted by fleur

and.......if it's been freezing, check that their water hasn't frozen.

when the big freeze and snows been on over the past two years....we were out at regular intervals throughout the day thawing out their perpetually freezing water supply!

Fleur, how stupid am I, thought about their water freezing over last week, so grabbed another water drinker...only to get home and realise I had picked up a feeder instead. Doh.

[fleur]

Originally Posted by Louisa

Fleur, how stupid am I, thought about their water freezing over last week, so grabbed another water drinker...only to get home and realise I had picked up a feeder instead. Doh.

Not stupid Louisa....just on a learning curve