Chicken keeping in the winter

[Checkman]

Hi all,

We unexpectedly lost our first chicken last week. We have no idea what happened, I found her in a nesting box. At first I thought she was asleep. We then wondered if we lost her to cold, but the other 2 chicken in the coop were toasty and warm when I grabbed them. I probably overreacted because I brought them inside. The more I think about it, it doesn’t make sense that only 1 of them would get too cold like that. The chicken we lost was a Rhode Island Red, and was supposed to be cold hardy.

Now I have my other two inside and we are trying to get them back outside. I bought a cozy coop radiant heat panel which we installed. We also wrapped the entire run in plastic ( other than the front panel to ensure ventilation.

I am mostly concerned about “shocking” the other 2 when we put them back out. Any suggestions? Losing our sweet girl was awful. She was the top of pecking order, and had a great personality and was a great layer. We are so sad that she passed, and truly don’t know what could have caused it!

 

[Checkman]

Mine would see that as a heat wave. We hit -20 here during this arctic blast. It was brutal.

Just a few days inside isn't to bad. I would put them back out in the morning while the sun is up.

I am so sorry you lost her. Sometimes they just pass away unexpectedly. There may have been anything from egg binding to a genetic defect to fatty liver disease. All those can cause a sudden death.

Ok that is great to hear. It is warming up by Tuesday morning ( to low 30’s) so we were thinking that afternoon would be a good time? I truly am thinking something else went wrong with her, because it just doesn’t make sense that the other 2 seemed perfectly fine and toasty warm.

 

[nuthatched]

Sorry to hear that. How old are they? Diet? Temperatures?

 

[Checkman]

How long have you had the others inside?

Since Thursday. It was very cold here ( in MD and much colder than usual). Going to be 16 tonight.

 

[TooCheep]

Sorry for your loss. Yes, you almost certainly overreacted, but now is a good time to review your setup. Yes, RIRs are cold tolerant. I've had a couple and they've gotten through Indiana winters just fine without heating.

First, this is a situation where knowing your general location/climate would be very helpful. Please add your general location into your profile to make it easier for people to answer your questions in the future.

The general rule is that cold-tolerant chickens can handle winter okay as long as they can keep dry and out of direct drafts. Good ventilation is particularly important in the coop as their breath and poo create enough moisture to potentially freeze and cause frostbite. Just make sure that the ventilation doesn't allow wind to hit them directly at night.

For the run, my general rule is that you should provide a wind block (often plastic sheeting) covering at least 2-3 sides where the prevailing winds can blow on them.

If you handle the ventilation and water/wind blocks properly, the chickens should be able to get through okay without artificial heating.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Since Thursday. It was very cold here ( in MD and much colder than usual). Going to be 16 tonight.

Mine would see that as a heat wave. We hit -20 here during this arctic blast. It was brutal.

Just a few days inside isn't to bad. I would put them back out in the morning while the sun is up.

I am so sorry you lost her. Sometimes they just pass away unexpectedly. There may have been anything from egg binding to a genetic defect to fatty liver disease. All those can cause a sudden death.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Ok that is great to hear. It is warming up by Tuesday morning ( to low 30’s) so we were thinking that afternoon would be a good time? I truly am thinking something else went wrong with her, because it just doesn’t make sense that the other 2 seemed perfectly fine and toasty warm.

I myself have lost a few young birds over the years. One was an 8 month old. She was egg bound. The second was also 8 months and was literally running across the yard one second then face planted dead the next. Hers was a bad heart.

It's very confusing when you do everything right and they just pass with no warning.

 

[Checkman]

I myself have lost a few young birds over the years. One was an 8 month old. She was egg bound. The second was also 8 months and was literally running across the yard one second then face planted dead the next. Hers was a bad heart.

It's very confusing when you do everything right and they just pass with no warning.

Thank you for that! I have been feeling so guilty. She was my favorite and was very loved by my family. She seemed completely fine and seemed to actually enjoy the cold weather. None of them have any frostbite or any other signs of being too cold. I inspect them daily to make sure of that. I really was guessing heart as she actually laid an egg late in the day when we lost her. It is a relief to hear that I may be correct in thinking it wasn’t cold related. We did get a radiant heat panel to be safe.

 

[Checkman]

There's just no way of knowing a genetic issue is there until after they pass. Even then it would mean doing a necropsy which isn't an easy task when it's your pet.

Yes, we didn’t consider trying to find a place to do that. We buried her. I just am glad no matter what it seemed peaceful as she was just sitting in a nesting box, looking like she was asleep. I am also glad I found her and not my 2 kids who would have been so upset.

 

[Checkman]

Yup kiddos don't need to be the one to find the deceased pet.

I hope they aren't taking it to hard.

Thank you. My 8year old has been sad because she was “his chicken” he picked as a baby chick. Luckily he has taken it mostly pretty well.