Raising Poultry in Cold Weather

What I learned Raising Broilers (and Turkeys) in Cold Weather...

Welcome to another Frosty Morning on Twin Brook Farm!

Previously we’ve always raised chicken-meat birds in warmer weather, but I thought we’d try raising some in colder weather because of Thanksgiving coming in November. Sometime in October, we experienced wicked cold rain and horrendous cold wind. The worse thing for chickens is a draft, especially if it’s freezing cold. The second worst thing is for chickens to get wet.

We had just transferred the broilers into a semi-open range pen so that we could move them daily on fresh grass, but after that cold spell hit, we lost four (4) broilers in one day. So, we crated them back up and re-located them back into their warm Brooder Pen where they had been raised as baby chicks. What a hassle!

What I learned from this is that I shouldn’t be raising broilers, at least in a semi-open pen, in October-November. The Turkeys were fine in the open pen after we added a bale of straw for a little extra warmth.

I guess that’s why we eat fresh Turkey for Thanksgiving and not fresh Broilers.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving! …with or without turkey. As a child, my mom always roasted a super-big 9-pound Broiler for Thanksgiving and I don’t think I tasted turkey until I was a teenager, and that was probably in a school lunch meal.