Can It Get Any Colder

It has been absolutely the coldest winter that we have had in several years!  When I went to work yesterday morning it was -8 below!!!  Of course the first thing I did when I got to work was to check the temperature in the coop, it was a balmy 32 degrees, we decided to put a space heater in for the day hoping that our roosters combs don't get frozen off.  We have not let them out unless the temps are close to 32 degrees.  I am going to have to surf the net to see what I can find out about rooster combs freezing off, I know for a fact that one of our old hens had frozen off her toes....the guy that takes care of them in the winter brought her back like that.  I felt so sorry for her.  We didn't get her back the last time they went to the farm for winter.  The guy does take good care of them but he does let them out even in below freezing temps.  All of  his chickens are free range.

I have learned so much about how to winter chickens that I will have a better plan in place for next year.  I do love the new grit and shell dispensers that my hubby put up in the coop.  I got the idea from Grit magazine  I tweaked their idea a bit to work for what I needed I use a two in pipe, and a four in cap for the dish and found a flat top cap instead of using a regular two inch cap. They work great!  I will have to get a picture of them when I go to feed them today.

I'm still having problems with the waterer, for whatever reason they like to kick up the straw and it gets in the waterer, or the other problem is they get on top of the waterer and poop in the water, it's so frustrating!!!!  Why can't they keep the waterer clean?  I know it's like asking why a kid won't keep their room clean!!