I whish I had a jacket like that
Chickens are really strong animals. As long as the birthflu stays away they can handle nearly every virus and bacteria. And they have to.
Because chickens love to eat everything that grows and crawls through the dirt. With stones and sand they crush everything in their little strong stomachs.
Chickens also are able to handle a lot of cold. Especially the ones woth a small coam. And no wonder, knowing that their coat is made of the same stuf that makes your down jacket so nicely warm.
Keeping them happy and out of the chill.
Even though they can handle temperatures far below the -20 degrees celcius, it is important to give them a shelter out of the chilly draft.
I noticed a strong draft comming through the small gate that goes to the outer place. A north-eastern wind makes it even worse.
So I decided to build a hatch that I can close when the chickens go to sleep. I open it again when Pok wakes me up because he wants to go outside. Even though it is still dark at about 6 O’clock in the freezing winter mornings.
Shaking out the shit brought me to an idea
I found out that because of the frost, the chicken poop doesn’t stick to the hay. Yippie, no scratching the floors in winter. Just shake it and broom it.
Because cleaning with frost is so easy a new idea comes to mind. I am going to update the haynest to spoil the litlle chicks with some extra warmth and comfort.
I jamm some sticks that I collected in the forrest between the sealing and the floor of the hatching nest. I leave about 15 cm of space between the poles and walls.
Then i fill up the space with hay that I collected on the field last autum. With great interest the chicks follow each handling I make.
A happy chicken is a happy us
The mums are loving it. The chicks even liked it so much that they went to bed one hour early.
The adults still preferd to sleep on the sticks higher up. Maybe, if they like, I’ll make an insulated wall for them too.
Regularly I check the temperature on the chest below the feather deck of all the chickens. It feels comfortably warm, even at last nights -17 degrees celcius.
So if they are happy without the extras, than that it is good enough for me too. As I said: ” A happy chicken is a happy us.”
