# Mad chickens!!



## DanielleBoland (Nov 25, 2012)

Well my chickens free range on my farm and i liv in central MO we got a winter storm last week which included a couple inches off ice then a foot of snow on top of that over night! Its very out of the ordinary for us to get that much snow! Needless to say my chickies hav been stuck in the coop for three days and they r very upset 20 chickens and 3 ducks in a 8\8 coop i feel so sorry for them but in a ft of snow if they even left the coop i know id be carrying them bak to it tht night anyway


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

That is awfully tight for that many birds to be confined for so long. Have you done anything to divert their attention to keep them from turning on each other?


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## minmin1258 (Nov 5, 2013)

You would probably have a bunch of mad hens too. Possibly they would b sick in a matter of days also if "stuck" in that much snow all day. Good thing to keep them inside. If you can afford it pick up a couple heads of cabbage and hang it about chest high (chicken chests high that is) tied to the roof or rafters of the coop. They can peck at it to occupy themselves and hopefully they won't be pecking each other.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

minmin1258 said:


> You would probably have a bunch of mad hens too. Possibly they would b sick in a matter of days also if "stuck" in that much snow all day. Good thing to keep them inside. If you can afford it pick up a couple heads of cabbage and hang it about chest high (chicken chests high that is) tied to the roof or rafters of the coop. They can peck at it to occupy themselves and hopefully they won't be pecking each other.


Actually its less healthy to have them locked up for extended periods. Just like happens with humans that are in an enclosed space during flu season, the same can happen with the birds. This is especially true if there is not enough space.


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## kessy09 (Jun 16, 2013)

Yeah, that's way too small for that many animals to be locked up together. That's why they say to plan your coop to be big enough in case they have to be locked up for extended period of time, regardless of how unlikely that situation may be. Shovel them a path and at least give them the option to decide if they want to go out. It's -40 degrees here and we have over four feet of snow and birds are still out daily. A few choose to stay in but they need the fresh air.


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## minmin1258 (Nov 5, 2013)

I love the advice and don't mind admitting when I'm wrong when more experienced people correct me. I have always bn told that if there is entertainment and ample roosting space it's ok t keep them inside if foul weather happens. I would never have thought to Shovel space for them to hang out in. How r u to entice them outside though if they don't like snow?


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## kessy09 (Jun 16, 2013)

It's more about enough floor space rather than roosting space. They aren't going to all stay on the roosts and when you start having to add feed and water dishes that also takes up valuable floor space. It should be between 3.5 - 4 sq feet per bird on the inside. If having to be confined for lengthly periods without access to outside it should be more space...between 8-10 sq feet per bird (which still sounds tiny to me). I don't force the chickens out, I just leave open the door and they choose to go. After being locked up they usually want to go out. Plus, I never feed them in the coop. If they want food, they have to go out. They nuzzle down in the hay and seem pretty comfy out there. Their run is totally covered with tarp so it's completely snow/wind protected but I've still shoveled a path from the deck to the coops and a few braver ones venture out to attempt free ranging.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

minmin1258 said:


> I love the advice and don't mind admitting when I'm wrong when more experienced people correct me. I have always bn told that if there is entertainment and ample roosting space it's ok t keep them inside if foul weather happens. I would never have thought to Shovel space for them to hang out in. How r u to entice them outside though if they don't like snow?


I like your response. You're open to new ideas for the good of your birds.

We can relate what we know about over crowding with people and other animals to the birds. There have been several posts on this board where birds have turned on each other due to a lack of space.

And Jessey's comment about the roosts is spot on. Roosts are for sleeping and not hanging around on. Their natural behavior is to be looking for stuff which means scratching around in the bedding or the ground.

And what she said about the path and just opening the door. That gives them the choice, some of the more inquisitive birds will come out after a day or two.


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## minmin1258 (Nov 5, 2013)

I keep my girls feed and water out I. Their run also, if they want to eat they have to go outside! Their run is covered on 3 sides by plastic shower curtains stapled to the wood frame then covered the top with a tarp, so they are protected from wind rain and snow. I have to go out to open the coop in the morning and close it up at night and (just in case) do a head count. I have too many girls in my coop right now but plan on taking the older red sexlinks I was given to an animal swap in February. There is an extra coop n run for the roo. Redman was tearing my girl up!!! A couple have no feathers on the backs of the heads and their backs are nearly bald, poor babies!!! Stupid Horny males...lol. Anyway separated him last evening he's soooo not happy, hasn't stopped crowing to the point he's sounding hoarse now. Hahaha! Anyway...there is no electric (lights nor heat) to my coop nor an automatic chicken door so I have yo let them in and put manually. Do you think they are ok t b in lock in until 8 am or am I stressing them too much because I'm too lazy t get up with the sun? Is a 4'x8' coop with two levels of roosts and four nesting "shelves" built onto the outside of the coop. After doing a rescue of a couple hens last week there are 19 birds in there. Their areas are kept clean and warm, they are well fed and have "toys" to keep them busy inside and out. Their run is 8'x 20' and they get to free range/ forage for a few hours a day when not in the middle of a snowstorm or downpour. Now you have me worried...am I mistreating or to torturing my girls??? I plan on thinning things down some in the spring but don't want my babies suffering because of MY addiction in the meantime.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You are very undersized at the moment, by more than half. On that basis alone I would be outside when its just light enough to see to walk to open the door. My birds don't lack for space but I am out there every morning opening them up. With the shorter days they can use every bit of light they can get.

You can not count the roosts or nesting boxes. When they say four feet per large fowl, they are talking about floor space.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I have snow and its -14 today, the coops open and the flock has free range. Some are hanging out in the coop, some are on my porch and some are wandering around. I would open the coop and let them out. Both the chickens and ducks will walk around in the snow , they may be unsure at first but they'll get use to it.

Oh and I have not shoveled or snow plowed yet. So they are all making it around in about 3" of snow.


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## minmin1258 (Nov 5, 2013)

I was afraid you were going to say that I overcrowded them... Now I feel like a heel! Lol so I guess I'm getting up at break of dawn until Spring comes or I can thin out the gang before that. They all seem pretty happy. Most of the crew are birds I have bn either given or rescued because they weren't being given food water nor attention so I think these girls are at least happy to have the minimal basics even if they do have a lot of "Sisters" with them. I will see what I can do to expand...yet again...as soon as possible. Thx for the input...again. (Hiding in the corner embarrassed and ashamed of her addiction)


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yours is one of the hard lessons everybody learns. And as far as I'm concerned no matter how well we plan the coops are never big enough. This is why they call this an addiction, we never seem to have enough of them. 

If you keep them all, you will need at least 80 square feet of floor space. And then argue with yourself about adding more. Trust me, its not an easy argument. Because there is always going to be that one that would be so great to add to the flock.


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## minmin1258 (Nov 5, 2013)

I've already come to terms with taking 10 of the girls to the Animal swap in February. I've chosen them already and told my youngest son that he is in charge of penning them up when the time comes because I'll be standing in the background with a box of tissues!!! I'm still enlarging the coop though because I hope to get a pair of Japanese Bantams and a pair of Silkies in the Spring but time will tell about those. If things can be arranged I may have a pair of Silkies coming from another person also dunno bout those yet though. Priced the wood for the 
"Other half" of coop today... I'm gonna be in trouble when hubby finds out I'm building in...AGAIN. Lol


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