Freezing temps - should I keep chickens in coop?

[Cluckies]

-20 yesterday at 8:00 am. When my DH opened the pop door they came tumbling out like clowns out of a clown car, there is no keeping them inside. I do have a covered run with greenhouse panels on west, east, and north sides. They yell if you don't let them out. crazy chickens!

 

[ShelbyCoral]

My chicken was frozen to the ground!!! Her foot was frozen to! I put her foot under a heat lamp and statrt rubbing her foot and it was moving within 10min. But I have straw on the ground! Another cockerel has frostbite on his left foot and it has pus!

 

[AnnieE]

My chicken was frozen to the ground!!! Her foot was frozen to! I put her foot under a heat lamp and statrt rubbing her foot and it was moving within 10min. But I have straw on the ground! Another cockerel has frostbite on his left foot and it has pus!

You need to put straw or something in that run. How did she freeze to the ground? How long was she standing still?

 

[Zoopilla]

ampho


Location: Northern NJ
Joined: 8/2013
Posts: 130
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I try to give my chickens entertainment when the weather is crappy (snow on the ground) freezing rain today. You can see the remnants of a hanging cabbage, a Purina flockblock in the coop itself. Today they were only interested in fighting over dry spots in the dirt to dust bathe! We close the "Pop" door only when its below 10 degrees to keep the heat in. I do keep a caged heat lamp on which basically raises the temp only about 10 degrees. If its below 30 and windy, they don't come out at all!


I love you run! It looks like a lot of fun for the girls.

 

[Cluckies]

You need to put straw or something in that run. How did she freeze to the ground? How long was she standing still?

Maybe put a thick layer of sweet PDZ under the straw, and add more straw or wood shavings, was the straw wet and that is how she froze and how your rooster froze? sounds like you may need to dry things out in there.

 

[dcloen]

Hi, when reading all the information about leaving that pop door open all day, how are there not drafts inside from the cold air? If I left my kitchen door open I would have drafts, so I don't get what you all mean. I read stuff that seems contradictory so I worry about leaving the door open and let drafts in. Please advise. Thank you.one more
Thing. If I put vents in the roof doesn't all the warm air leave the coop?

 

[yellowchicks]

Hi, when reading all the information about leaving that pop door open all day, how are there not drafts inside from the cold air? If I left my kitchen door open I would have drafts, so I don't get what you all mean. I read stuff that seems contradictory so I worry about leaving the door open and let drafts in. Please advise. Thank you.one more
Thing. If I put vents in the roof doesn't all the warm air leave the coop?

You are right, leaving the coop door open will be drafty inside. However, if the run is shielded in the winter, like mine, our coop door is left opened 24/7, there is no draft from outside. It depends on your setup. I am too lazy to open and close the coop door, so my chickens go in and out as they please.

Vents on the upper half of the coop walls near the roof line will let out all the warm and moist air out. Chickens are not afraid of calm/dry/cold air, but they get frost bites in moist cold air.

 

[Blooie]

Hi, when reading all the information about leaving that pop door open all day, how are there not drafts inside from the cold air? If I left my kitchen door open I would have drafts, so I don't get what you all mean. I read stuff that seems contradictory so I worry about leaving the door open and let drafts in. Please advise. Thank you.one more
Thing. If I put vents in the roof doesn't all the warm air leave the coop?

Yellowchicks is right. You want the warm air to vent out at the top of your coop, most preferably well over the chickens' heads when they are roosting. Warmer, moist air needs to get out or it settles on the chickens themselves. The air around them gets moist from their breathing, poop, waterers in the run, tracking in snow or mud, and that's not good! Think of the condensation on a milk carton when you take it out of the cold fridge into the warm room air.

My pop door is also open 24/7. You have to differentiate between "draft" and "ventilation" - took forever for me to get that through my thick skull! In my setup the pop door into their run is contained within a "tunnel". It's like a 3 sided box turned on it's side, with open "top" of the box facing the run and one open side leading into the coop. They have to step inside the covered tunnel, then take a left turn into the coop. And since our run is covered with plastic for winter, it keeps out the wind. Fresh air is flowing in, not blowing in. They can stand dry cold very well....it's moist cold and feather-ruffling drafts that are dangerous to them.

 

[wantedman66]

After reading through these posts I have to agree with the majority,I feel the more you cottle your chickens the lower there resistance will be too everyday weather conditions.I know people get nervous especially the newer chicken keepers on here,but chickens are very hardy despite what some people on byc think.I open the pop door everyday no matter what the weather and 99% of the time they come out,the only conditions mine don't like are very windy days or snow but they do however come out when I make a path threw there run for them.Chickens are naturally wild animals that have been around for thousands of years surviving in all type's of extreme weather and temps and are very instinctual birds and can handle the cold fine.

 

[Heme]

Great Answers: My Girls are free range and seek the coop when necessary. Chickens are not dumb as some may believe. They can smell, taste, and when necessary fly to some degree. Although my Gals do not like walking in snow very often, they will make an attempt to go out and run around.

They will seek the shelter of the coop when they decide to do so and I have not lost one to the cold temperatures as a result.