Chickens in a Florida winter...what to do?

[elmo]

I live in North Texas, and I have tiny Serama cross breed bantams (Seramas are known for being sensitive to cold). Last winter, we had snow and below freezing weather and even my tiny bantams managed beautifully...we had several days when the daytime high temperature was in the upper teens and low twenties, and they acted exactly as they usually do, didn't even sit fluffed up. Chickens are actually quite cold hardy with their down coats. If you have standard size chickens, I wouldn't even think twice about whether they can manage the Florida winter you describe as long as they have shelter from rain and a place to get out of the wind. A friend of ours here in North Texas winters his chickens (even bantams) in open sided, roofed chainlink dog kennels. He puts up tarps on the sides as a windbreak. His birds thrive.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Even with a winter like we had last year it doesn't get cold enough in Florida to take special measures. So long as the birds have a dry place to sleep that is out of the direct wind and can get a belly full of feed before they go to roost they'll be OK.

If you're feeding regular 16% protein layer feed then no more than about a half a handful of feed per bird. If you're feeding a higher protein ration you can give them grain free choice.

I use whole corn andwheat or whole oats with my birds.

 

[SunshineSilkies]

In the summer, I have open pens so they can get fresh air. In the winter, we have aluminum panels that we put up around the pen on the back and have used visqueen on the days last year when it got colder. Like Freckle said, make sure there are not drafts. I keep some heat lamps in my kindergarten pen also for the chilly nights.

 

[Judy]

I am practically in Fl and have lived in Fl; our weather is much the same, just a bit colder some days.

They do best with some sort of 3-sided roofed shelter to cut off rain and most of the wind. They don't need heat and they do need plenty of ventilation. Nothing wrong with sheets of plastic, or tarps, or an open sided shed or garage. Where do they sleep now? Wild birds sleep in the trees all over the world, and they would probably survive even that. They do have down coats....

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Our coop is open sided for ventilation - it has wire at the top, and when we get our first frost (next month) we staple visqueen to the outside of it to block the wind. Last year when we actually got snow, I broke open a bale of hay & scattered that around inside the coop for a little extra insulation and warmth for them, - but they ran around outside in the snow like kids - so it really wasn't necessary. Blocking the wind & cold rain is the main thing in our area. Their water and food are inside the coop but even so I had to break ice off the top of their water a few times, so it's also important to be sure they have access to water that isn't frozen solid. I do also feed scratch in the winter, just to give them a few extra calories & something to do - I ask at the grocery stores for the greens they take off the shelf to throw away & bring those home to them - this past weekend they got a whole box of mustard greens, cabbage & parsley & pumpkins.

 

[chics in the sun]

I couldn't BELIEVE how cold it got here last year. We went camping that one weekend, and it was SO COLD. I have an open sided coop with just the back being a solid wall, and I drilled srews accross the top and bought heavy pieces of vinyl at the fabric store. I put those rings in the top of the vinyl (the ones you hammer together), and when it is really raining hard or when it is cold (this will be my first winter with them) I can just hang the vinyl up on the screws. The front is still exposed, but I think they will be okay.

 

[halo]

Quote:
By the time you buy all that stuff, you couldve bought a 50# sack of scratch for the same price or cheaper.

All scratch around here has in it is cracked corn and oats. I like a scratch with much less percentage of corn...sometimes I dont even add any. I love to feed the whole grains in the wild bird seed.

 

[7L Farm]

I live in central Texas and my chicks will be fine. The only thing their gonna miss is the grasshoppers. I did plant alot of kale greens etc. that I'll share with them for some eggs . LOL

 

[halo]

My birds have a much tougher time dealing with the summers than the winters here. It never got so cold that I needed to do anything special for them. In fact, they really seemed to enjoy it.

 

[dawg53]

Quote:
Yeah, I agree...this past summer was a scorcher. I was outside changing their water 3 times a day, fan blowing in their house etc...it was good exercise for me lol.