Should i bring them in? Chickens refuse to go out in the cold, im worried they are not eating.

[kbennett322]

Hi all, New to this forum. Hoping folks can either tell me im overthinking or, encourage me to bring my girls inside for likely the rest of the winter.

I'm in Pennsylvania, USA and have had chickens for 5 years. I've never had this worry before. I keep a very small backyard coop with 3 hens that range from 3-4 years old. All 3 of my girls molted hard this fall and lost condition. They all grew their feathers in well, but I feel like all 3 of them never really got their condition back to where I want to see it before the cold temps and snow hit. My 3 y/o EE is especially thin, i can see the angles of her little keel bone under her feathers (chx in the straw in the attached from a few days ago).

Now that it is cold and snowy, my girls are refusing to go outside. This is only a problem because the coop is not really big enough to put food and water in with them without risking it being knocked over. A feeder and heated waterer are outside in a run that is wrapped on 2 sides (pic attached)

2-3X per day i have to go and shoo them outside, where they will then eat and drink. But, i have to travel for work for the next 2 weeks and won't be home all day to baby them. I am so worried that they won't leave the coop on their own and that eventually they will lose too much condition to survive.

What i need opinions on ... Im thinking of bringing them inside (basement) to give them the chance to be in front of food and water 24/7 and not have to use energy to keep warm. I acknowledge that if I bring them in, I may have to wait 'til spring to put them back out. Thoughts on this are appreciated!


TIA!

 

[DobieLover]

Welcome to BYC.

Are their crops full at night? If they are, they are likely eating enough, just not when you see them.
I would change out the dark, light blocking tarp to a clear or opaque one to let the light in. The less light, the more likely they are to think it's roost time. And I would wrap all the walls with clear tarp leaving 6" at the top uncovered for ventilation.
You might also want to add some tuna, wet cat food or sardines to a warm mash made from their food to entice them to eat more.

 

[WingItRanch]

Good suggestion above about switching out the dark tarp with a clear shower curtain or something to bring in light.

Another option would be to hang up feed and water using a plant hangar on one of the walls inside the coop. Like this:

 

[Daisy June]

Good suggestion above about switching out the dark tarp with a clear shower curtain or something to being in light.

Another option would be to hang up feed and water using a plantar hangar on one of the walls inside the coop. Like this:View attachment 4023496

A short shepherd's hook could work too, but the plant hanger would leave more room.

 

[kbennett322]

Welcome to BYC.

Are their crops full at night? If they are, they are likely eating enough, just not when you see them.
I would change out the dark, light blocking tarp to a clear or opaque one to let the light in. The less light, the more likely they are to think it's roost time. And I would wrap all the walls with clear tarp leaving 6" at the top uncovered for ventilation.
You might also want to add some tuna, wet cat food or sardines to a warm mash made from their food to entice them to eat more.

Thank you for the reply! I checked just now and 2 of the 3 I could wrangle without disturbing them too much did not have full crops.

I can def update the tarp to clear plastic and try some of the snack suggestions.

 

[kbennett322]

A short shepherd's hook could work too, but the plant hanger would leave more room.

Thank you for the reply. I may have to bite the bullet on trying to get food into the coop interior.

 

[Penpal]

We had a very harsh winter a few days ago. Hard, like deer dying in the woods. I was not doing a good job of looking out for my RIR chickens. They came out of the coop in the morning, pranced around, ate, drank. Then I counted. Then I looked in the coop. There was one dead hen laying on the ground. I picked her up and found she was a skeleton. I had not realized one was not coming out into the cold.

After that, I always check. What I'm saying is that yes, one or more of your chickens could refuse to go outside even if starving. If you aren't sure any of them will stay inside the coop, go ahead and put them in the basement. Don't add heat in any way, your cold basement is warm to them.

 

[Mrs. K]

Really, if the feed is available, an animal is not going to starve to death because it is cold. I found it so surprising when I first started chickens, but mine really do not eat much when it is cold out. I have had them for decades, and have noticed this for years, when we get a real cold snap, the firs one, feed consumption drops dramatically.

Then, they snap out of it, and feed consumption picks up. Chickens do not need feed 24/7. They don't eat 24/7. They eat in daylight hours. It might be too dark, with those dark tarps.

Your chickens look in great shape. I would not take them to the basement. Chickens need a lot of fresh air and sunshine, that is what is best for them. Cold really does not bother them much at all.

Mrs K

 

[DobieLover]

There was one dead hen laying on the ground. I picked her up and found she was a skeleton. I had not realized one was not coming out into the cold.

There was something else wrong with her. As @Mrs. K wrote, a chicken will not stay in the coop starving just because it's cold out. A chicken will stop eating where there is something very wrong with her. Severe vent gleet infection, advanced cancer, advanced sour crop, and any number of other serious illnesses will stop a chicken from wanting to eat. It was not because of the cold.
That is not saying that it isn't good animal husbandry to physically examine and check your animals particular during times of stress. It is.

 

[Penpal]

Well, Dobielover (I love them, too), It made sense at the time. If nothing else, it taught me to be less complacent about healthy prancing chickens. I really don't know what could have been wrong. All of the other chickens were fine. At least I know more now. Poor hen.