Well, January’s fury is upon us. Martin Luther King Jr day brought us about 3 inches of snow here in the valley. Some places farther east of here got quite a bit more than that. The lows for the next few days are forecasted to be in the single digits, and the highs in the upper teens. Any of you who are familiar with this part of Ohio, know that this area is one of the coldest zip codes in the state. I usually take the forecasted lows and subtract a few more degrees!
When the temperatures get this cold for this long a little special care can help protect the birds in the chicken house. I don’t, however, pamper or baby the chickens, they are not pets, they are livestock.
There, I said it. Have a problem? Avoid this journal and this website. Throughout this journal and website you will encounter animals and anecdotes that are beautiful, sustainable, practical, and of course, delicious.
They don’t get a heated building and they certainly don’t get infrared bulbs; that’s just asking for a fire. But I’ll tell you what they do get- A dry, draft free building, with plenty of bedding, fresh water and free choice feed. I staple up old feed sacks over the western windows (someday, I’d like to get plexiglass panels for them), which allows a little bit of light to show through, but blocks the wind. I add extra bedding on top of the deep litter already present.
The key for poultry’s winter time comfort is KEEP IT DRY. Dampness will contribute greatly to the frost bitten combs to which the Dorkings and Minorcas are so prone. On occasion, I will load the big males with large single combs into a dog crate and shelter them in the garage through the most brutal of nights, but that’s rare. Another option to help those combs is to slather them with a thick coat of petroleum jelly. Even menthol rubs with a petrol base can work, just make it thick. I don’t think this works that well and mostly creates a mess. Try it, you may like it. The Rose Comb Black Minorcas handle the cold really well, unlike their Single Comb White brethren. The ducks and geese, with their dense layers of fat and plush, downy coat are damn near immune to the cold.
In addition to their free choice feed, the birds get a scoop of whole corn and wheat in the late afternoon or early evening but before it gets too dark. This added grain helps to fuel their internal furnace and encourages them to scratch for lost bits the next day. Another great treat for them is greens.
Poultry need green feed. When they can’t get outside to forage, turn to the winter garden. As a matter of fact, I grow multiple winter garden crops with the poultry in mind. Swiss chard, turnips, beets, mustard, kale, and of course, the humble winter radish. These old beauties are designed to handle cold, many times the greens are still fresh after a 10 degree night. I simply pull the whole plant in the morning, root and all, and throw a few in each pen. The birds devour the greens and continue pecking at the fist sized roots all day. Any roots that get missed will eventually make it back to Mother Earth through that most sacred thing, compost.
But don’t be led to believe that we can’t enjoy these winter vegetables as well… The roots, when stored in a root cellar will keep solid as a stone until May and make a great meal for us humans either braised with wine and butter, roasted with olive oil, or my favorite, with butter, great bread, and salt.
I’m glad you have stumbled upon this journal and my new website. I look forward to sharing with you practical ideas, luscious recipes, garden inspirations, and many historical tidbits. Check back soon, and until then, happy Winter my friends- Dylan
