Frozen Chickens with frozen feet...what can I do? HELP!

[chuckzoo]

I know a lot of people use wood shavings in their coops, so do I in summer, but in winter I switch over to straw, it is very warm. I have about 6" in my coop and then have a part of my run that is off the ground with a wooden floor and covered in about 8" of straw. When the chickens get up in the morning they go into the straw covered run to stay warm. I encourager them by throwing a little scratch in there.

I have part of the run that is exposed to cold winds wrapped in thick clear plastic that I bought at the fabric shop, it keeps out drafts but, because it does not go all the way around so does not trap moisture.

 

[sheila3935]

this is my first winter with chickens and you might know its gonna be a bad one. I have pine bedding and straw in my coop. Last night it got down to 1 degree. With the exception of frozen waterers which I am going out to day to get some heated ones they were all doing fine running around no signs of frostbite. My litter is deep a good 6 to 8 inches and my roosts are 2x4 laid wide way. My coop sets on the ground no flooring but it doesnt get wet. I also have my run covered with tarps and plastic. This fall I treid to make sure we didnt have any cracks in the coop that could let in drafts. My coop is not insulated except for one wall and the roof. Thats a project for next summer. I will make sure that the coop has good insulation, but so far so good with mine. They seem to be thriving. And they are laying great yeasterday we got 10 for 10 in the egg department.

 

[Judy]

HB&B, perhaps we could help you sort this out with more details about your setup. It was around 18 with 15 mph winds here last night, and my coop is quite open air, and my chickens are fine. Not sure what is going on there.

 

[Caseman]

It was down to 3o this am in Ky.. My roost are round about 2 inches..I have bantams in different kinds of coops..I just came in from letting them out and feeding and water them.. all is fine with them chickens can be wrapped up to much.. all you need is a wind break for them.. feed them lots of sun flower seeds before they go to roost and top dress their feed in the morning with flax seed meal..

 

[dinahmoe]

Quote:
sorry,i don't have electric cords and heat lamps on my coops outside but i was thinking she had them in a shed(from the original post).my outside coops have a tarp blocking the windy side and deep shavings and all chickens are fine.now my one pen is inside an old concrete barn and it is colder in there than it is outside so i have heat on them.thats what i was thinking about the OPs situation.

anyway-is there anyway you can post pictures of your coop,outside and inside?

 

[wood&feathers]

You would do best to spend $ on some fresh hay instead of heaters. It sounds like your chickens must have had their feet on damp or frozen surfaces. The frost free dog bowls are great.

I am in KY and it was near zero and windy last night. I have spread lots of fresh hay and leaned some extra tin against the lower half of the run walls. Then I piled snow up against the outside of the tin. The last 3 nights I have still had to physically take one hen (Digger, a partridge Marans) off her outdoor ledge and stuff her in a hutch with others. I petted her and she was plenty warm, even her toes! She fusses and chatters at me "I'm fine! What's yer problem??"

 

[OkieChickenDad]

Quote:
Straw is best, I switched and noticed instant behavior change. During the day my chickens dont seem to mind the wind or the cold, but they do sit more so straw gets them off the ground and they can sit on feet. I watch the temps and log on to our local weather and if it looks like temps in the teens, I will plug in the heat lamp. I have noticed that they dont like the heat lamp unless its super cold. Put straw or some old carpeting on your 2x4 roosts as well and close the coop up at night. You dont need to tarp the whole thing, just a wind break from the prevailing direction.

 

[HB&B]

My coop is very drafty. I went out and put thick painter quality plastic around the coop and I already have deep litter at least 6-8 inches of straw. I think what my problem was the drafyness...some snow did get inside the coop and in the run outside. I have decided not to get heaters, cause it is just the beginning of winter and I don't want to risk fire due to wiring or accidents. I think that they are gonna have to get acclimated to this type of weather because its only the beginning. There is only 1 chicken not quite up to par and thats my bantam mix. She gets to sleep inside for a few nights

lucky girl. She has perked up quite a bit. Sorry I don't have pics, but it is a big coop made out of old barn wood. Quite drafty. It was already built when I got here I haven't done a whole lot of fixing on it. We rent the house and wern't planning on still being here this winter. Anywho keep my chix in your prayers. Most of them are acting fine. It's just the ones that this is their 1st winter who seem to be freaking out. Thx.

 

[wsdareme]

I live in Washington state and we've already been having temperatures in the single digits. My coop is not insulated. I have 2x6's for roosts with the wide side up (yes, they get poopy, but they sure keep feet warm). Plus, I have a heat lamp SECURELY hanging over the roost area that's on a Thermocube that turns it on when the temperatures get low. My girls are toasty and happy and laying lots of eggs.

If you have chickens with frozen feet, they're going to be in trouble. They no doubt have frostbite and will develop gangrene in the portions of their feet and legs that will die. Be ready with antibiotics and other first aid or you're going to have some very sick chickens.

 

[Lofty Dreams]

I bring my birds into the house in cages