Can chickens stand the cold weather?

[rancher hicks]

There are certainly many opinions on how to deal with the cold and we all have to do what helps us sleep at night I guess.

Bogtown - you don't need to duck. You're entitled to your opinion and if someone else follows suit and it works for them what does it matter?

The main thing is we get all kinds of ideas on how to deal with this blasted cold. Then we can choose our own way.

I got 3 for 4 eggs from one coop and their door what wide open today and it's freezing. They were outside and if it bothered them I can't say.

The other coops did well today for eggs and I'm happy for that. They have a light on all day and until 8 - 9. While the runs are covered they are NOT air tight.

The final coop I think needs a light on too. Those crazy birds sleep right in front of the opening. I do have plans to cover it with fleece though.

So folks do what you think is best without apology. Just be safe,

Rancher

 

[piggly]

1) Unless the rest of the coop is ABSOLUTELY air tight, you can get a very strong breeze up through that hole.
2) I would be somewhat concerned about a coop that had NO way for enough air to get in. How is the humidity in the coop?
3) I guess you don't have predator worries. I would say most people lock their birds in at night so having an easy way to close that opening would be helpful both for keep the cold wind AND predators out of the coop.

Here's the inside of the coop, as you can see when the side panel is in place it is 100% airtight, but they just seem so close to the cold air of the opening. I agree that I wouldn't like the idea of no ventilation, butnot sure how to check for humidity. I'll have to research it. Would it be better to put a door an a hinge and create ventilation by making holes up high, or is this perfectl;y satisfactory? The coldest we ever get round here is -10 and thats rare.

As you can see when I shut them in at night the coop is predator proof. They come down for food and water in the morning and I let them out when I'm up so they only ever spend an hour a day in the run, I should get some wood chippings as that cold concrete can't be nice for them.

ChickensAresweet is this what you had in mind? I found some old secondary glazing panels. Is there any point in doing the same on the other side, near the garage, or is the garage wall doing the same thing? Told you I didn't understand draughts!



Thanks for the help everyone.

edit - sorry, not sure why the pics aren't showing, it's late but I'll come back and try and fix the links tomorrow

 

[Boonie Adjacent]

Thanks everyone. Also I noticed some blood and aggravation on all the combs of the chickens. They are whitish color and have black spots, kind of like when a cut is healing, it seals up and leaves a noticeable spot. Is this the first sign of frost bite?

I noticed a few scabs on my RI Red and thought frostbite too. Did a Google search ("chickens frostbite") and found a ton of photos to compare. Now fairly confident it's not frostbite: scabs are on the flat of the comb (not tip), no expansion. Seems the scabs are actually from another bird pecking at the Red's comb; caught a Sussex doing this. Not uncommon for my birds when confined to limited space. Does this sound similar to what you saw?

 

[bruceha2000]

Here are some pics of the closed coop we were talking about yesterday. As you can see I've pushed it right up against the garage, so am I right in thinking the only draughts will come from the front?
Here's the inside of the coop, as you can see when the side panel is in place it is 100% airtight, but they just seem so close to the cold air of the opening. I agree that I wouldn't like the idea of no ventilation, but not sure how to check for humidity. I'll have to research it. Would it be better to put a door an a hinge and create ventilation by making holes up high, or is this perfectl;y satisfactory? The coldest we ever get round here is -10 and that's rare.

edit - sorry, not sure why the pics aren't showing, it's late but I'll come back and try and fix the links tomorrow

Something to do with the editor not working. It seems to be now:




Drafts (or draughts if you prefer

) aren't so much the wind blowing but air moving. You can get a draft on a nearly windless day if rising heat escapes which pulls cooler air in.

What you WANT is to be able to ensure than any air moving through the coop isn't blowing over the birds. At least not in the COLD. In the heat that breeze is a plus. That is why the open front coops aren't drafty, there is no where for the air to go once it hits the open front because no air can pass through any other wall. The could be a gale blowing straight at the windows and other than the very front, you would not even know there was a wind. At the same time, because there is so much open "window" area, natural air exchange will occur. Those coops would be VERY drafty if the back or side walls had gaps.

Thus, if our Ark is TRULY tight, having the door open on the bottom will not create a draft. They might still have cold bums since the air at the opening is cold and that cold will cool the coop eventually. But that is true of EVERY coop unless heat is added - man made or just the sun in the day time.

Now I have a question:
The "roost" looks like it is a board very close to the floor. Is there enough headroom to put one or more perpendicular to that but up a bit higher so the girls aren't down at floor level? They prefer to roost as high as they can. It looks like at least one could be to the left and would not be over the opening in the floor at all.



It was +1 F (-17 C) this morning though it was 12 F (-11 C) in the barn and coop. The girls came roaring out as soon as I opened the door about 9:15 so clearly that temp wasn't making them cold and slow. Good thing I wasn't trying to walk when they blew by or I'd be doing a jig trying not to step on them. They spent part of the day outside (at their discretion) and it never got over +9 F. The sun shone for a while but it was cloudy most of the day.

Bruce

 

[TheReadyBoys]

I noticed a few scabs on my RI Red and thought frostbite too. Did a Google search ("chickens frostbite") and found a ton of photos to compare. Now fairly confident it's not frostbite: scabs are on the flat of the comb (not tip), no expansion. Seems the scabs are actually from another bird pecking at the Red's comb; caught a Sussex doing this. Not uncommon for my birds when confined to limited space. Does this sound similar to what you saw?

Yes, it was on the side, but I didn't see anyone pecking. I haven't noticed and more fresh blood, but I am keeping an eye.

 

[Strikefalcon]

FYI What I've learned about cold weather and chickens. My birds don't mind the cold at all. -16 F inside the coop last night. layed 6 of 7 eggs today. They don't like to walk or stand on snow. poop door to uncovered run is open all the time. water is changed three times a day due to freezing. eggs are picked at water change for the same reason. light is on from 6am to 9pm because egg production is higher. scratch and grit fed daily along with crumbles available all the time.

 

[TheReadyBoys]

FYI What I've learned about cold weather and chickens. My birds don't mind the cold at all. -16 F inside the coop last night. layed 6 of 7 eggs today. They don't like to walk or stand on snow. poop door to uncovered run is open all the time. water is changed three times a day due to freezing. eggs are picked at water change for the same reason. light is on from 6am to 9pm because egg production is higher. scratch and grit fed daily along with crumbles available all the time.

Sounds pretty good. I am going to need a light soon. Just need to finish some wiring and that's it.

 

[Cknldy]

Just wanted to chime in- wind chill making it -10F tonight. My greenhorn self didn't do a conventional "house" when I first got my chickens. This is our first winter together and so far they've done great, much better than my nerves! They have a big 2'×4' roost on one side nest boxes to the other side box with back of it to prevailing wind. I had to nail up sheet tin on sides of coop to block wind during first snow storm and it works great. Vaseline on combs/wattles, sometimes feet. Now when my hands are close to freezing i can go in their coop and it feels so much warmer. Rir's and black giant mixes can take the cold but this summer will be spent making the coming winter more comfortable for them. No electricity for coops- plenty of butt fluff and doting care so they're healthy!

 

[Cknldy]

And I've gotten eggs almost every day this winter too. Gotta love it

 

[TheReadyBoys]

I only get one egg a day. I don't know why.