How cold is too cold?

[saysfaa]

There is a Koppen or Koppen-Geiger system that is probably more helpful for this purpose.

 

[WI chickens]

It's about that latitude people need to insulate and perhaps moderately heat coops.

That has not been my experience. In fact, I found exactly the opposite to be true. Heating and insulating coops in very cold weather is the worst thing to do as far as I'm concerned. For comparison sake, a couple years ago, I had two nights in a row that were -40. When I kept my chickens in an insulated coop and used a heat lamp for very cold weather, I had bad frostbite issues. Since building a new coop, uninsulated and very open to the weather, I have not.

 

[Jenni Hen]

Those have nothing to do with growing in the summer. The hardiness zones are about winter temperatures and freezing. What perennials (trees, shrubs, flowers, etc) can survive your winters. You are not going to find hardiness zones assigned to tomatoes, watermelon, or beans. You will find them with fruit trees.

The UK used the basic system the USDA uses but calculate the numbers differently. The USDA uses an average of winter lows, the UK uses lowest recorded temperature. That may explain why the UK numbers are more consistent with the Deep South numbers in the US. I lived in the UK for a year many decades ago, the climates are not that similar.

Those have nothing to do with growing in the summer. The hardiness zones are about winter temperatures and freezing. What perennials (trees, shrubs, flowers, etc) can survive your winters. You are not going to find hardiness zones assigned to tomatoes, watermelon, or beans. You will find them with fruit trees.

The UK used the basic system the USDA uses but calculate the numbers differently. The USDA uses an average of winter lows, the UK uses lowest recorded temperature. That may explain why the UK numbers are more consistent with the Deep South numbers in the US. I lived in the UK for a year many decades ago, the climates are not that similar.

Where in the UK were you?

The RHA has now got a list of hardiness ratings for plants (attached in case anyone finds it useful).
I'm learning so much about climate and about how plants and animals (and chicken- keepers) adapt to it! Thank you everyone.


Where

 

[Jenni Hen]

There is a Koppen or Koppen-Geiger system that is probably more helpful for this purpose.

Wow, this looks really interesting! but I'm finding it hard to study because I need new reading glasses. (just had cataract surgery and have to wait for the checkup)

 

[Ridgerunner]

My eye doctor said to get the cheap 250 reading glasses. They may not be what you wind up with but at least you can read in the meantime. After the surgery I still needed reading glasses but no longer needed glasses to drive or get around.

I spent the year in London, working at Knightsbridge and living around Sloane Square. I had a good friend in Newcastle upon Tyne as opposed to under Ryne and coordinated a fabrication yard in Edinburgh, as well as in Spain and the Netherlands.

That numbering system is totally different from the US one. Yours does mention veggies, which is interesting. They took an idea and converted it to their own uses.

 

[Jenni Hen]

Thank you, I too opted for distance lenses, so I should be ok for driving and being outside, and for cycling in the rain. I can manage continuous text on a screen and now have less than a week to wait before the final checkup and new prescription - yeeeay!!

Your work sounds interesting but Knightsbridge and Sloan Square sound terribly upmarket compared with my roots in textile towns, lol! My sister lived in Newcastle-on-Tyne for many years and for a while I worked in that Medical Physics department.

Quantification is always an interesting concept especially when it's used for something that's hard to measure objectively. It's also strangely persuasive. I'm really intrigued now about how people describe climate using an overall number.

 

[Jenni Hen]

I am zone 5. Wish it was a higher number! Can’t even imagine growing in zone 3!

I can hardly imagine your winter temperatures (now that I've found out more about the climate in your NYS and in NC) . Manage the winter must take some planning.
I'm in awe of the people on this forum who manage to grow veg and keep livestock healthy in harsh weather.

 

[Iluveggers]

I can hardly imagine your winter temperatures (now that I've found out more about the climate in your NYS and in NC) . Manage the winter must take some planning.
I'm in awe of the people on this forum who manage to grow veg and keep livestock healthy in harsh weather.

I actually have kale & collards growing under the snow right now! It won’t die, but it won’t get any bigger. If we get a few days when the snow melts, I’ll go out and grab a bunch. Sometimes I can get it to stay alive until spring when I plant new seeds! If we get a week of negative, it’s pretty much over, but 10-20F isn’t cold enough to kill it!

 

[TimonHens]

I am really worried about the coming weekend winter mega storm and temperature plunge. From snow on the ground to a Friday high of 50F/10C with wet and wind then a drop to 18F/-8C on Saturday during the day with nighttime lows of 10F/-12C in my zone 5b.
I have a Woods open air coop and this is everyone's first winter. I've decided that since they don't like the snow/rain and just mope back and forth between under the coop and under the deck that they get to stay in when there is wind/active wet.

So besides panicking about sneaky drafts, what can I do?
Do I get to make little leg warmers for my bantam at the bottom of the pecking order? Sneak instant hand warmers in the nesting boxes? Hang curtains between the open front and the back third to dial back the openness of it all?

Definitely NOT taking 3 more hens from a friend who has kept them in her garage but now fears loud egg songs will get her evicted.

 

[Iluveggers]

I am really worried about the coming weekend winter mega storm and temperature plunge. From snow on the ground to a Friday high of 50F/10C with wet and wind then a drop to 18F/-8C on Saturday during the day with nighttime lows of 10F/-12C in my zone 5b.
I have a Woods open air coop and this is everyone's first winter. I've decided that since they don't like the snow/rain and just mope back and forth between under the coop and under the deck that they get to stay in when there is wind/active wet.

So besides panicking about sneaky drafts, what can I do?
Do I get to make little leg warmers for my bantam at the bottom of the pecking order? Sneak instant hand warmers in the nesting boxes? Hang curtains between the open front and the back third to dial back the openness of it all?

Definitely NOT taking 3 more hens from a friend who has kept them in her garage but now fears loud egg songs will get her evicted.

Same here. Upstate NY & Fri evening does NOT look pleasant.