XXXX,
I feel compelled to chime in on the Wintering Chickens letter.
Light bulbs are prone to fire so I would recommend using a heating source that
is not a fire risk. Small, oil-filled heaters seem to work well for us. Also,
the deep litter method does help with warmth in the winter and reduces the need
for supplemental heat. Cold hardy chickens are fine down into the single
digits, provided there is ventilation in the coop. Excess moisture combined
with severe cold will cause frostbite to the comb. Chickens require down time
in the winter, so I do not advocate artificial lighting. My Java chickens lay
all winter (at an elevation of close to 8000 feet) without supplemental
lighting. I provide heat only when the mercury plummets below zero. Borrowing
from Joel Salatin and Harvey Ussery, I like to throw a few handfuls of whole
corn into the coop just before dark. Scratching for corn in the deep litter
gets their tummies full and their blood pumping, which warms them up for the
night. Keep up the good work! – Alpine Sky-pilot
o o o
XXXX,
I don’t use lights and let my hens
molt in late fall thinking they may last longer this way, but I found my
pullets that hatched in the spring came into lay just as the year old birds are
molting. I don’t know which breeds or strains may do this without lights, but
my pullets are a cross between a Rhode Island Red rooster and White Leghorn
hens. They do have good shelter and layer pellets. – M.W.
From the Survival Blog
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