The snow and cold this week has taught me a lot about raising chickens. A LOT! From coop construction to heat lamps, I've worried several days away over the health and well being of my chickens in cold weather.
So after a whole day of fretting that they were roasting in the tiny coop with the heat lamp blasting them all day, I got home and immediately let them out of the coop and checked on their food/water. Because my coop is so small, putting their food and water inside of it along with the three of them is a tight squeeze (not to mention that they have no qualms about pooping in their own water). When I looked the water had been knocked over and absorbed into the cedar shavings on the floor of the coop. I was relieved that they were all in tact, not roasted and seemed perky, so I took the waterer into the house to fill it up.
What happened next only goes to show you how strong animal instincts are.
As I was walking into the outdoor run attached to the coop, before I even had both feet in the door, one of the chickens leaped from the door of the coop and flew across the run to attack me! Well...not me, but the waterer. She was right on target, not a feather touched me. The waterer flew out of my hands, broke apart and splashed all over the frozen ground. I'm guessing they hadn't had water all day.
So I learned my lesson for chickens in winter. I need a bigger coop. One that will accommodate a feeder, waterer and 3 hens with plenty of room.
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