# "Night time winter mash" Recipe



## Wrigley (Oct 3, 2012)

Good morning,

This will be my first winter with chickens. I live in New England and our winters can be pretty severe. I have heard lots of talk about feeding chickens just before bedtime a "Night time winter mash". Can I ask for some recipes?? 

Also, If you have any other advice for winter. I plan on covering their run so they won't be stuck inside all the time, plus that way I won't have to shovel any snow for them.

Thanks, 

Wrigley


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

Keep them out of wind, have space that is dry and some outside covered space to poke through hay and keep active and you should be good to go. Be sure you have ventilation to keep moisture from building up, that will freeze toes and combs and they should do the rest.

I'm not sure about the mash, but tossing some corn scratch before bedtime is supposed to help warm them up. I toss scratch in hay and they dig around looking for it. More for mental stimulation than anything else. If the weather is really bad they will keep to the coop, but a few of them will still wander through the snow and poke around. Their snow foot prints are funny, like alien hand prints.

However, be sure you are there to see their reactions to the first snow. It is a little different with each batch of chickens, but it's a RIOT to watch them try to figure out snow!!!


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## Wrigley (Oct 3, 2012)

Thanks Roslyn. I will be sure to record "their first snow".

Wrigley


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## Roslyn (Jun 21, 2012)

My old timers now see snow, look at it, then turn around and stay put in the coop. A few still venture out, even with 5 or 6 inches, but most just hang out and gossip all day.


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## Diane (Jun 20, 2012)

this will be my first winter with the chickies as well, I"m in CT Mine get a daily treat of 'something', whether it's some scratch, whatever I have around, I usually in late afternoons take them out a bowl of 'mash' which the just devoure(sp)..All it is , is their crumble with warm water added, made into a mash..they like oatmeal as well


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## Mamachickof14 (Aug 28, 2012)

Never tried it (this is my first winter) but I heard they like warm oatmeal too!  Love my girls...


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

We make warm oatmeals for the girls quite often. Just a nice added treat. Sometimes I add a little cinnamon, sometimes applesauce, or a little jelly. So funny watching that oatmeal fly and them picking it off each other. Quite the entertainment.


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## Wrigley (Oct 3, 2012)

I'm gong to try that. Maybe add some dried fruit bits and some scratch. Sounds pretty good to me.


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## adorson (Jul 19, 2012)

I still remember my oldest girls first snow adventure. I found them stranded on a melted patch of grass. They made it there but were afraid to go back in the snow to make it back to the barn. LOL I had to rescue them. Yes, mine love warm oatmeal for breakfast!


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## gdngrls-flock (Sep 13, 2012)

This will be the first winter with my flock, looking forward to watching them learn about snow. I will try the warm oatmeal in the morning and the scratch in the evening. Do they need a heater? Really don't want to use a light. Any suggestions are welcome. I live in Northern Nevada, can get down to -8 occasionally.


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## catlady6200 (Sep 6, 2012)

I found out that mine sure like Oatmeal. Make sure that they get grit year round too. I brought up 2 small pumpkins (since I have more than enough for pies) and am going to feed one of them to the chicks tomorrow. I saw the suggestion here somewhere. Can't seem to find the thread tonight though. Think mine need it since we have never wormed them and this is supposed to help with that. Anxious to see what they do with it. I'll let you all know how it goes.


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## BootedBantam (Aug 31, 2012)

I like the idea of putting something warm in their bellies before bed. I will try the oatmeal and see if they like it.


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## rodrigch (Jul 30, 2012)

We put layer mash in the feeders for morning so we don't have to wade through snow early, later we switch out frozen water and toss some scratch in pen, and evening throw all kitchen scraps in pen or coop depending on wx. We have a shed type coop, well ventilated, no insulation, no heat, no electricity, but piles of litter to nestle in. We also line outside walls on wx side with bales of straw. The hens with the bigger combs sometimes have trouble with frostbite when the temps drop down below zero, but have never lost any girls in the winter, not even the old ones. We also put some small stumps and roosts in the pen so if the snow is deep, they can jump/fly from spot to spot until they get their toes ready to immerse in the white stuff.  Our hens lay from February to late November depending on how cold it gets. There is a window on the south side which we cover up with burlap during the coldest months.


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## Naomi (Aug 20, 2012)

Good morning, I also always make extra when I do pasta dishes. That way I freeze some batches up for later for the chixs. Spaghetti is one of their favorites. I also add oatmeal to it.


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## catlady6200 (Sep 6, 2012)

Do you give your girls spaghetti or just the noodles. I was going to cook up noodles for them separate from the sauce because I am not sure about the sauce.


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## Naomi (Aug 20, 2012)

I give the girls pretty much anything we eat. They get it all mixed together wait til you watch then slurp the pasta, its funny. This morning they got oatmeal mixed with alittle garlic chili powder and yogurt.


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## BootedBantam (Aug 31, 2012)

My chickens did not eat the oatmeal...but my new girls did eat my cucumbers right out of the garden. Came home to no cucumber leaves or cucumbers. My first batch of chickens never touched the garden. Learning everyday!!


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Pickles gone. So sad. Poor Booted Bantam. :-(. Happy chickens though.


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## Patches753 (Oct 10, 2012)

We mash up leftover veggies and bread and add some milk or another wet substance. My chickens love it! Put in white rice leftovers too! They love it!!


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## mcderry1967 (Oct 14, 2012)

gdngrls-flock said:


> This will be the first winter with my flock, looking forward to watching them learn about snow. I will try the warm oatmeal in the morning and the scratch in the evening. Do they need a heater? Really don't want to use a light. Any suggestions are welcome. I live in Northern Nevada, can get down to -8 occasionally.


Hello, I live in Maine so winter can be cold & snowy too. Warm oatmeal, warm water mixed in their crumbles, along with jam works great. Also I too give scratch or a handful or so of corn before they roost. As far as heat, everyone says no. That with shelter from wind and rain, and plenty of bedding(I use deep litter method) or hay they should be fine. Also I give tepid water in winter. Remember to check their water often.Keep feeders & water off the floor.


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## KalikoFarms (Aug 21, 2012)

Just fyi, pumpkin is a good way to naturally worm poultry and peafowl. I use it in the fall mainly and then use the regular wormer in the spring.


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## Wrigley (Oct 3, 2012)

This is what they got EVERY NIGHT. Oatmeal with a little brown sugar, some raisins and currants. Did I mention that this was an every night thing?? I told my wife that I was thinking about doing this and that's all it took. This was a nightly ritual for her and the girls.


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## HomeSkillet (Mar 1, 2013)

Ok, I thought I was nuts! 

Not letting my chickens watch this YouTube!


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I'm in Wisconsin, we get get cold snowy long winters and I have never heard of giving "winter mash" or feeding anything right before bed. I feed when I let them out of the coop and any kitchen scraps I have that day. Every now and again I'll throw a hand of cat food out there to up there protien for body heat.


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## Wrigley (Oct 3, 2012)

It was just something to help keep them warm (on the inside) for the long winter nights. Plus, they love it and it gives my wife piece of mind. I first heard of it from some of my "Britt" friends on a different forum.


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