Winter solstice blues

Perhaps this is why we look forward to the New Year with spring not far away, better weather and exciting new projects ahead to motivate us.

So what of our poultry – could they be feeling the same way? Well there is no reason why they too couldn't do with a 'pick-me-up'

and there are simple ways of helping them put the bad weather into perspective.

Firstly, give them a thorough inspection and make sure they are not suffering from lice or mites. These parasites can at best make chickens feel uncomfortable and at worst cause eventual death.

Even if they look clean enough, a dusting with louse powder will deal with any possible louse eggs about to hatch.

Worm them as well, for if a chicken has a worm burden it is a bodily challenge that they could well do without during cold, winter weather.

Make sure all the birds' eyes, ears and nostrils are clear and get advice from your veterinary surgeon if they are not.

Chickens do not like wind, so if they free-range during the day make sure it's in an area where they can get away from the prevailing wind, either behind trees, shrubs, walls or buildings. If there is a gale it is better to leave them housed if there is sufficient room. This is where an adapted shed for their housing is more useful than a small poultry house.

The same applies when heavy rain occurs.

Chickens do not mind running around after it has been raining but if the grass is long or the ground is muddy they will get wet themselves.

A little rain can be shaken off but if a bird gets really wet it takes a long time for the feathers to dry naturally and it's not a good idea for them to go to roost soaking wet.

Although chickens do like to have plenty of space outside to run around, in very bad weather they also like to be sheltered and dry.

So make sure their housing is clean, free of mites and has plenty of fresh shavings for litter.

These are better than straw, which can contain fungal spores. You will know that the birds are content to be inside when they begin dust bathing.

Nothing encourages them more to dust bathe than clean shavings and they will have a wonderful time shuffling about in them.

They will scratch and search in shavings, so place a few treats, such as sunflower seeds in amongst the shavings for them to find.

This will keep them occupied for sometime.

With the days so short over the winter season there is not a great deal of time for chickens to eat. They will in fact spend a greater time sleeping than awake, so see that they get good food and some tasty titbits to keep them in condition. Chickens kept for eggs will be feeding on layers, pellets or mash in the mornings, but give them a boost one morning by cooking some hard boiled eggs and chopping them up very finely and mixing with the feed.

The birds will love the mixture and it will really get them animated. I have a Yokohama hen and a Campine pullet that can recognise a plate of chopped egg from a great distance. I almost think I could train them to do tricks in return for some.

It maybe that your chickens are only just coming out of the moult and haven't started to lay themselves again yet but even if you have to buy half a dozen eggs to provide this for them, it will greatly cheer them up.

For any birds that are housed, greenery will provide them with extra vitamins. A cabbage hung up, or Brussels sprout tops or kale will be continuously pecked at.

This year has been a wonderful apple year and should you have lots of ripe or fallen apples, give the bruised one to the birds and save some of the better ones to divide between the family and the chickens later in the winter.

Any reduced fruit or green vegetables at the supermarket will be great perks for the birds.

Overripe plums, peaches, grapes will add zest to their diet. They also enjoy sweetcorn, sultanas and stale, but not mouldy, cake.

When my chickens are housed this winter I'm going to occasionally give them a pheasant mix that I discovered at my agricultural merchants this autumn.

It is added to wheat for pheasants that are in release pens and they love it.

The mix consists of chopped maize (also called kibbled), split peas, sunflower seeds and aniseed.

The mixture is obviously a seasonal product but it is possible to buy bagged chopped maize and bagged sunflower seeds at any time.

There is also a 'super' mixed corn ration that contains wheat, barley, chopped maize and split peas. Although all these products are more expensive than straight wheat, it is worth investing in a bag or two over the really dark months of winter.

Chopped maize is normally only fed to chickens over the winter months as it is a warming feed – similar to us eating porridge on a cold morning.

If you have a greenhouse, you could sow some grass seed in trays or shallow boxes for the chickens to enjoy when the grass is no longer growing. Water the seed sufficiently to get it into growth but not too much or it will rot. With the protection of the greenhouse it should grow well.

Then, when they are kept in or even if they are outside, the birds will greatly enjoy the fresh grass.

Before putting the tray of grass in their house, open up an empty paper feed bag and lay it down to save dirtying the litter, as they will scratch out everything, including the soil as they search for insects and worms once they have devoured the grass.

The chickens will so enjoy this that I can guarantee there will not be a shred of green left by the end of the day. For a real treat at Christmas and possibly some Sundays over the coming weeks give your chickens some cooked roast potatoes. Do a few extra when preparing the roast lunch and they will definitely thank you for it. Left to cool whilst you eat your meal and then chopped up, they will almost fight over them.

In cold and frosty weather it can be difficult to keep drinkers clear of ice. The temperature has to go very low though for drinkers to be completely frozen inside poultry houses as the warmth of the birds helps to keep the temperature up a few degrees.

It is vitally important that the chickens have plenty of fresh clean water to drink so the drinkers may need checking quite often in cold weather to make sure they do contain water and not ice.

There are various poultry tonics currently on the market and a little such liquid in the drinking water or mixed with the feed if you choose a dry one will help to boost a chicken's immune system.

When the winter sunshine comes out let the birds enjoy it if you are at home to see that they are securely put away before dusk. They will weather cold quite well if in good feather and fit.

Cockerels can get frost bite on their combs if temperatures do plummet but in good housing with ventilation but no draughts they should be fine.

Actually chickens are not dissimilar to us. We enjoy shelter from bad weather, some warmth, good food, drink and sleep.

If you also provide these for your birds they should survive the winter blues well and be ready to begin laying eggs in earnest as we near spring.