hi guys

im noticing my hens are huddling together and look really cold in the day, even tho they have there house where they sleep, they seem to just huddle at the back of the big run we have and stay in the wind

in winter,does anyone use / have heat lamps? or does anyone put windbarriers up around the runs at a certain height to block the wind and rain hitting them?

just wondered what other peoples thoughts are on this and what the other duck and hen keepers do at this time of year?

cheers

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jack russell - tilly
collie -bailey
and
5 hens

i have a little house for my ducks to go into, but they never use it during the day, only when i put them to bed of a night! so i would imagine that if they did get cold they would understand and go and huddle up in there!

I dont know if chickens feel the cold more than ducks though, but they they do jump into freezing cold water and dont seem bothered.

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I had a tube heater in the shed when I had my chickens but when I only had the bantam left, I brought her into the house on a night as I am soft!

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Who needs walkies when you can drive!

awww id love to do that, but my jack russel would think all her birthday and xmas had come at once lol

plus i have 5 hens lol i can just imagion them on my recliners lol......the o/h wouldnt be happy

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jack russell - tilly
collie -bailey
and
5 hens

Hiya Hens need to have a shelter so they can get away from the wind and rain, do they have access to a shed or something? They don't have the same insulation as ducks. My hens don't come out of their shed during the day if the weather is horrible! Really harsh weather can kill them, if you don't have a shed for them then build them up a shelter out of straw bales with a waterproof roof (corrugated iron or something) that they can all get into and have enough room to move around
zo
x

hiya
yea they have a large wire run, which has a full roof on, and inside the run they have a house thats is off the ground which they get shut in at night in, it does have a ladder for them to access at any time, but they only use it to go up at night

i think i will get some clear boards to cover the run at the bottom to a certian heigh to keep the draft from banging against them and for it to go over them instead

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jack russell - tilly
collie -bailey
and
5 hens

Yes, they like to be outside but protected, mine don't go into their evening quarters, they have a day shed with their food in etc that they hang out in when it's cold. It's the wind they really hate, try some bales against the side where they can huddle.
zo
x

I have an open fronted ex-duck house, facing away from the prevailing wind, that the hens now have access to during the day. They do shelter there when the weather is bad but only enter the raised coop at dusk.
I will be putting up tarpaulins to shelter the sides and roof of their run. Also my ducks will get tarpaulins erected to provide shelter from the wind, and hopefully to deter Mr Fox!
Despite the freezing conditions, all my poultry appear to be in good health, but then they have a coat of feathers and I don't! - lol.