Winter in the Hen House

It's winter here in Canada.

Oh boy is it winter.

Our girls have it pretty good though.

They have an insulated coop, its a recycled 7' x 8' shed.

It's our first winter with chickens, so I wasn't too sure what to expect.

Luckily The Chicken Chick Kathy Shea Morino has been a HUGE help!

This gal has a helpful blog all around...but some GREAT tips on wintering your flock.

Here is Eagle posing oh-so awkwardly in front of the thermometer.

I like to check on it...now and again...just to keep track of how conditions are in there.

For example...today was -10 degrees C with a windchill of -19 degrees C.

Inside the coop...it was -5 degrees C.

Not bad!

We go for thick bedding to keep the cold from coming up through the floor.

I also added an indoor dust bath for the winter.

Oreo checks the weather through the window.

Yup...these girls are doing alright!

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Our only issue is water.

We didn't want to put out too much money on a heated waterer...

but our metal waterer freezes up like you wouldn't believe.

In the meantime...I have been rotating the plastic waterer with the metal waterer out a few times a day.

Not the most efficient method...but I don't mind.

It gives me a chance to check for eggs before they might freeze.

Perhaps I'll save up for a heater for next year...or unless this winter cold gets out of hand.

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When there is a mild day, we do try to let them outside.

They love getting out...but don't like the snow or ice on their feet.

Strong, cold winds also keep them from making it back to the coop on their own.

They love eating snow.

(We discovered that they love to eat the snow off your boots)

These chickens love getting under our deck and making a great big dust bath.

Guess its like going to the spa...

There are three hens in the above photo...go figure.

They love snuggling while bathing.

How are your animals this winter?