Weather Is Changing

   Here in Maine, our summers don't last long. This year is no different.

   Our chickens have never seen winter yet. I already feel sorry for them. The weather has been drastically different, either rainy, cold, or both. They look so miserable that this change is happening to them. How dare it? lol.

   They are trying to find out where those luscious bugs are hiding now. They are hardly anywhere to be seen.

   When I let the chickens out of their pen for their four o'clock p.m. evening run, they literally DO run. It has been so windy and nippy that the girls and the rooster are grateful to run to the thickets and the tall pucker brush to do some protected scratching and pecking. I call it "toe-ing in the pucker-brush".

   It was mainly rainy today. It stopped in time for their evening adventure though. But the pucker-brush was wet. So even though they had finally dried off from the earlier rain (why DO chickens insist on being out in the rain, anyway?), they had to be willing to get wet again in order to get the special rewards of what all is in there.

   Meanwhile I am thinking of this winter and the chickens having to be all cooped up together in the chicken coop for long stretches. This is Maine after all.

   I have been looking for ideas on how to protect our girls, and to keep them happy and healthy as well.

   Let's talk about the chicken yard first. It has been suggested to make wind barriers so they CAN go outside now and then. And then of course one would need a snow barrier so that the pen won't fill up with the white stuff.

  What are our choices here? Tarps and special netting to keep the snow off at least an area of ground. While we are on the ground subject, hay would be good for them to walk on, to protect our chicken's feet. From what I read, they don't like walking in the white stuff too good. And since they are bare-footing it, I can't say I blame them!

   For us, a strong tarp with a wood frame, made to be higher in the middle over the yard so the snow won't cave it in, seems to be more economical for our budget than the special "netting" that is made to deflect snow, not just hawks.


   As for the wind barrier along the pen's fence line, get creative and work within your budget. One thing that has been suggested is straw or hay bales stacked along the fence line. They make a nice solid wall and would deflect predators from easily digging into the pen. 

   I am also concerned though about the chickens getting enough vitamin D. Even humans have to take supplements for this up in our part of the world in the winter months.


  I have read some insulate their chicken pens, while others say they don't, that it's not necessary if you have chicken breeds that are winter hardy, and you take care that their water doesn't freeze, etc.


  Speaking of freezing water, we plan to buy a heated base to keep the water above freezing. Although I have seen that a few like keeping more than one water container for the chickens. As one freezes, they switch it our with a fresh one and bring the frozen waterer in the house to unthaw. Then they switch again. I think this would be a riskier and a more energy consuming method (human energy that is!). I'm all about safe and convenient.


   Also finishing the final layers of our chicken roof, and taking care of drafts are on the important list. But I also am concerned since they say you have to have some ventilation as well to let out excess humidity and ammonia odors which is bad for their lungs.

   I can see I need to study on this some more..... feel free to leave comments on your own thoughts, ideas, and solutions.


   And then there are the greens they don't get in the winter. I am reading about winter wheat, and alfalfa and such. I have also read it is good to get a ball shaped cage, or a suet cage, to hold things like cabbage, lettuce, etc. so the chickens can peck at them instead of each other (hopefully, lol).