Chicken Power Bkyd Madtown

Chicken Power Bkyd Madtown Chicken power: the state of being wherein a backyard chicken is finally allowed out of the reasonably-fine coop and is (sorta) free.

01/09/2026

Warmer winter days means happier chickens!! Well, until we get more snow starting later today lol

🩵🐔❄️

12/11/2025

Frostbite can be a very serious condition in chickens, but I've only ever had to deal with very mild cases, and only on the hens with very large combs, like Petunia has.

For the most part it is the combination of moisture + cold that causes the most health problems, including both frostbite and respiratory issues. This is why even though we wrap the run in polycarbonate panels to keep the wind out and the run warmer, there are still air gaps to allow moist air to escape. And their space is pretty aired out and fresh - I'm in there daily, checking on them and hanging out with them. I don't see that there's a specific moisture problem going on here.

But it's been very, very cold here (down around 0*F and even below at night) for the past few weeks, and Petunia is a breed with a very large comb - usually not ideal for cold weather for this exact reason.

In the past I have found that Vaseline or bag balm both work well to treat the frostbite and prevent it from going further, and every chicken that I've seen get some frostbite has healed completely in the summer (so, fully healthy comb again).

If it were more than just the very tips of her comb I would be more concerned and taking more serious action (and there would likely be a problem with the air in the coop and a need for more ventilation) but this is an incredibly mild case. She's going to be just fine.

🩵🥶🐔❄️

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12/10/2025

My average winter day with backyard chickens. They still haven't ventured out for more than maybe 90 seconds, and that's basically just Petunia and Ginger. Too much snow!

🩵🐔❄️

12/05/2025

Marmalade likes being a house chicken! I'm hoping it's only another couple of days before we can safely put her back in with the other chickens. I'm a little anxious that they might pick on her more if she's away for too long. But it's been really important to let her b***y heal properly.

She goes into the dog crate at 4pm, and I cover it with a blanket and she goes right to sleep. I uncover it at 7 am, which is basically the same schedule as the outdoor ladies are on.

Yes, she does poo on the floor, but for the most part her poops are solid and easy to clean up, and I have hardwood and tile throughout the house which are easy to clean.

Her well-being is worth the inconvenience 🧡🧡

12/02/2025

Marmalade's 🍑 had become a bit of a mess because the other chickens (primarily Ginger and Lilac and Petunia) have been pecking her pin feathers until they are bloody. When I realized it was starting to bleed I brought her inside and set up the large dog crate for her. It's not a pleasant sight. I've been using Vetericyn on the entire area and will keep her inside for a couple of days, or until those feathers can start to grow in enough that it doesn't seem interesting to them to pick at.

Of course, then I'll have the problem of reintroduction.... I have to be honest and say that I've never in the past had the problems with bullying and a lot of dominance 'pecking order' drama that I've been dealing with since Ginger and Marmalade joined the flock. I'm considering rehoming those two to restore harmony. 😬🫣

12/01/2025

I've been angsting over solutions to the problem of my chooks being so wasteful with their feed for a few months now. I mean, not only is feed expensive, but it's also got a specific nutritional profile that keeps the girls healthy. Yes, they would happily eat nothing but scratch and black oil sunflower seeds and mealy bugs, but they would probably develop significant deficiencies, which could then lead to some serious health problems... And, well, I care too much about them to let that happen.

I'm seriously happy that they loved the pellet mash. I've tried fermenting feeds, but I didn't do that correctly, and again, I'm nervous about messing with their nutritional needs. Being able to find a way to get them to eat the entirety of their feed rather than just picking out certain bits is a relief. And the extra water and warmth provided by a hot mash is an extra bonus on a seriously cold day.

Also, I'm not sponsored by anyone, I just like those two feeds. For the most part I prefer to just use the Henhouse Reserve, but when they're molting they have a much higher protein demand because feathers are expensive to make, so we add the feather fixer to supplement a higher protein.

🐔❄️🩵🦖

11/29/2025

Part 2: it's 3pm and has been snowing since 6am. We've done the first round of snow shoveling; there will be two more rounds with this much snow falling. I haven't yet convinced the girls to go outside, and the two buff ladies (who are still molting) shiver when I open the door. It's otherwise quite warm in their run, but it's cold and windy outside, and temps are dropping. They have no interest in leaving the coop, and I am certainly not going to force the issue. I brought them more treats instead - this time it's some winter wheat that I started sprouting about a week ago.

Time to go back in for some hot cocoa and tree decorating! 🎄🎄🎄 ❄️

11/29/2025

We're supposed to get 12-15" of snow today, and we've already gotten 3-4" in the first 4 hrs. I am very curious how the ladies will handle it. The Bigs historically refuse to go out in any snow, but the Littles really prefer to be out, so maybe they'll adjust to the snow? Particularly Petunia.

Who knows! I'll keep you posted!!

❄️

11/27/2025

Nov 26 was a strange day, weather-wise. It wasn't particularly super cold (only 30*F or so) but there were heavy wind advisories, and the all-day flurries made it look like the intro to the Frosty the Snowman movie!! 🥶🥶🥶 We were busy prepping the house to host for Thanksgiving anyway, so we left everyone in the snuggly run, partially because I have two that are still in heavy molt, and partially because it was just really blowing hard and it just didn't feel 100% safe to have them out.

An hour before sundown I decided to give them a little look outside, and was genuinely not surprised that Petunia was the only one really wanting to brave the frigid wind. She and Ginger are the only ones laying right now, and Petunia in particular lays almost every day, so she's pretty intense about her foraging. She's hungry all the time! 🦖 Still, she didn't protest over-much when I told her to go back in lol.

Snow predictions for the weekend are up to 10" as of last night, so they'll get a good look at a real winter soon... ❄️🩵❄️🩵🐔

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