Extreme Temp - Cold Winter - Below Freezing in Chicago Windo Chill -25 - -35. Winds up to 55mph

I just came in after a morning check in at the coop. The poop boards were WET under the bedding. Threw out all the bedding, and added a new thick layer.

When we designed these poop boards, the initial idea was not to bed these at all, but rather to use the scraping method as we made a smooth surface to collect their poop in a bucket. However, I was worried heading into winter, I wouldn't get out there as much. So, I added shavings. I did check the floor with deep shavings and its perfectly dry. This tells me the deep litter works great over a large surface without a concentrated section. But not on a poop board. I added save a chick to their waterer.

Keeping chickens is an experiment. : ) I find what works for others may or may not work for me. And, I like to try these ideas for myself. Especially, when considering how much time I want want to devote to being in the coop. Even this may change as I go through periods of sickness or injury myself.

Frostbite update:

Brahma is same yesterday comb is purple/black. Other chickens are showing beginning signs with chalky dry looking areas forming on their combs. Its very subtle. Mild frostbite has happened to a few of our chickens earlier this season, as they spent a night or two outside, accidentally. They also had tiny black dots. I can recognize this is what is happening now. In the past, they healed over a few weeks. I've never had it progress to the purple or black stage that covered the whole surface of the comb before. At this point, I'm concerned for the brahma. And I need to check throughout the next two days to see if others are getting it to the same degree.

Chickens are enjoying the run while its around 20F outside. I plan to close them up as we approach noon. They'll be locked in for the next 24 hours, at least.
 
Interesting poop board report. We've done the same thing - put in poop boards so they'd be easier to clean, shavings beneath for insulation, shaving on top to absorb some moisture. Your comments are making me think perhaps I should pull out the boards now (we're still on the warm side of the front, our nasty cold starts overnight), add more shavings (we already have ~4" worth) to help those toes stay relatively toasty.
 
5AM Update:

For those of you are are curious about coop inside and outside temp/humidity
comparisons:

OUTSIDE is -11 F 70% humidity outdoors (feels like -37 with 23mph).

INSIDE the coop 3 F 55% humidity. Aided by 3 sweeter heaters and an infrared bulb. (2) 10x16 windows open.

Note the coop temp sensor is NOT directly below these heat sources. This measurement is the ambient temperature in the space. I would assume10 degrees warmer directly under a heat source.

How are the girls?

Via Camera:

They are gathered by the little chicken door awaiting their exit to the run. That's not happening today, unfortunately they didn't get the memo. They are not under the heaters. Only 2 have chosen to stay in their positions of little balls all tucked in on the edge of the poop board. The others are cooing, milling about, drinking water and preening. I have seen2 combs up close in the camera , with no frostbite. I'm feeling hopeful after a very concerning evening. I would love to get ut there to see them in person. However, I don't want to open any doors to their space.
 
5AM Update:

For those of you are are curious about coop inside and outside temp/humidity
comparisons:

OUTSIDE is -11 F 70% humidity outdoors (feels like -37 with 23mph).

INSIDE the coop 3 F 55% humidity. Aided by 3 sweeter heaters and an infrared bulb. (2) 10x16 windows open.

Note the coop temp sensor is NOT directly below these heat sources. This measurement is the ambient temperature in the space. I would assume10 degrees warmer directly under a heat source.

How are the girls?

Via Camera:

They are gathered by the little chicken door awaiting their exit to the run. That's not happening today, unfortunately they didn't get the memo. They are not under the heaters. Only 2 have chosen to stay in their positions of little balls all tucked in on the edge of the poop board. The others are cooing, milling about, drinking water and preening. I have seen2 combs up close in the camera , with no frostbite. I'm feeling hopeful after a very concerning evening. I would love to get ut there to see them in person. However, I don't want to open any doors to their space.
Thank you for the comparison. That’s interesting.
 
I’m in Northwest Pennsylvania and the real feel temp is -22F with wind gusts of 50 mph. We live at the top of a hill and I’ve struggled all day to keep my chickens comfortable. Even went against my better judgement and put in a heat lamp so now I’m paranoid about a fire🙁 My coop was not ready for this kind of weather and it’s not as well insulated as I thought. Now just praying they make it through the night, they’re tough birds and have surprised me so many times before. Sometimes all you can do is your best and hope for the same. Best of luck to you and your flock!
 
I’m in Northwest Pennsylvania and the real feel temp is -22F with wind gusts of 50 mph. We live at the top of a hill and I’ve struggled all day to keep my chickens comfortable. Even went against my better judgement and put in a heat lamp so now I’m paranoid about a fire🙁 My coop was not ready for this kind of weather and it’s not as well insulated as I thought. Now just praying they make it through the night, they’re tough birds and have surprised me so many times before. Sometimes all you can do is your best and hope for the same. Best of luck to you and your flock!
I understand. We have had zero temperatures all day and a wind chill of -22. I was out there putting up tarp because my coop was not as good as I thought. Even tiny cracks got snow inside the coop. I had the run covered and plywood all around. I was so proud of myself having it all ready yesterday to only find my preps failed.

In the past I have often added a heat light and then worry all night. I put an oil heater in a metal bin this time but really wanted to put a heat light. The oil heater didn’t seem to help much. I know even when you make sure it’s secure and nothing can catch fire you worry. Like you said, you can only do your best. If the lamp is secured and in no way can drop and nothing under it can catch fire it should be okay. I hope your chickens and all goes well.
 
I'm in northwest Missouri. My coop is an old camper trailer (good insulation!), 7.5 x 22 inside, with currently 46 birds. I've had them locked inside since Wednesday night with food, water, oyster shell and grit, and two heat lamps. At last check 5:30pm tonight (Friday), it was +18-deg inside with 59% humidity. That's the highest temp they've had since this arctic blast started. It's +4-deg outside currently.

Lowest measured inside was Thursday afternoon +1-deg, while it was -8 outside, and wind chills about -45. Wind and snow was blasting through the window (although diverted with a piece of plywood and a bag of wood chips to direct air flow upwards, not very well). Birds were huddled on roosts or on the floor in the back part of the coop where there are no windows open. I gave up. Like the OP here, I don't believe the standard recommendations for ventilation can reasonably apply during extremes like this, and my birds suffered for the first 14 hours or so.

That's when I closed windows tight - all west facing. I left one east-facing vent open, high up on a wall far away from roosts. By this morning, the temp inside was up to +11-deg, humidity holding steady. Outside temp was still about +4. Much improved and birds were more active. I do see a tiny bit of frostbite on a couple of the roosters, but that started on Thursday, not today.

High tomorrow will be barely +15-deg out here, with low of -5 Saturday night. I don't plan to let them out of the coop until Sunday afternoon.
 
I'm in northwest Missouri. My coop is an old camper trailer (good insulation!), 7.5 x 22 inside, with currently 46 birds. I've had them locked inside since Wednesday night with food, water, oyster shell and grit, and two heat lamps. At last check 5:30pm tonight (Friday), it was +18-deg inside with 59% humidity. That's the highest temp they've had since this arctic blast started. It's +4-deg outside currently.

Lowest measured inside was Thursday afternoon +1-deg, while it was -8 outside, and wind chills about -45. Wind and snow was blasting through the window (although diverted with a piece of plywood and a bag of wood chips to direct air flow upwards, not very well). Birds were huddled on roosts or on the floor in the back part of the coop where there are no windows open. I gave up. Like the OP here, I don't believe the standard recommendations for ventilation can reasonably apply during extremes like this, and my birds suffered for the first 14 hours or so.

That's when I closed windows tight - all west facing. I left one east-facing vent open, high up on a wall far away from roosts. By this morning, the temp inside was up to +11-deg, humidity holding steady. Outside temp was still about +4. Much improved and birds were more active. I do see a tiny bit of frostbite on a couple of the roosters, but that started on Thursday, not today.

High tomorrow will be barely +15-deg out here, with low of -5 Saturday night. I don't plan to let them out of the coop until Sunday afternoon.
You sound like you have a good plan. I was wondering about ventilation in this extreme wind. It was hurting and not helping today. I had to move my pullets and two molting to another building with no ventilation. They are currently crammed into a dog kennel. They were clearly not doing well in the coop. They did much better after moving them. My big girls are toughing it out. They actually ate and moved around like normal today but didn’t get out. I keep checking for frostbite, so far okay. Everyone got lots of good food today.
 
You sound like you have a good plan. I was wondering about ventilation in this extreme wind. It was hurting and not helping today. I had to move my pullets and two molting to another building with no ventilation. They are currently crammed into a dog kennel. They were clearly not doing well in the coop. They did much better after moving them. My big girls are toughing it out. They actually ate and moved around like normal today but didn’t get out. I keep checking for frostbite, so far okay. Everyone got lots of good food today.
I've got a couple of hens still coming out of molt, too. They're not naked, but not very well feathered, yet either. Still, they're doing okay. Staying next to their buddies or huddled in a nest box. Two of my roosters are very attentive to them. I noticed one of the hens huddled UNDER one of the roos on Thursday. What a nice guy.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom