How cold is too cold?

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

How do feet freeze to roosts? I had snow blow into the coop and it's -1F now.

I have seen many hens with missing toes. (Just not mine)

 

[TimonHens]

Pesky unwired coop.

 

[Uwish]

How do feet freeze to roosts? I had snow blow into the coop and it's -1F now.

I honestly don’t know but I have seen it more then once. I helped 2 different times getting them free. (Talk about stressed birds ) I have wondered myself how it happened. All I could think was maybe their feet were wet! The worst I have seen is one of them frozen to a roof OMG that was a tough one.

 

[aart]

Yes I have sadly seen to much frost bite on combs and waddles and feet frozen onto perches roofs etc. i live where a lot of farmers all around

Where in this world are you located?
Climate, and time of year, is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I'm a big proponent of the idea that chickens adapt to cold very well.

But not every chicken in every situation.

In your case, I would take them inside when it is that cold. I would make a place in the coldest part area of inside to make the transition in and back out easier on them.

Among the reasons: the molting, the underweight (in and of itself and because it likely means they aren't in normal good health), ex battery chickens tend to not have good feathering even if they aren't molting, you are in the UK where these temperatures are unusually cold (I think, and as opposed to staying that cold for weeks on end), you are in the UK where inside is cooler and/or less evenly heated than in much of the US (at least it was when I visited and my friends said their place was normal in that way).

I believe your vet that couldn't find anything in particular wrong but they could have something like a not very well developed digestive system. Or respiratory system. Those can happen if she had been sick as a chick (for example).

Edit to add: Maybe the feathering recovers with time and good care? But it sounds like you haven't had them long enough for that.

My molting chickens looked so sickly to me. They bounced back and are as beautiful as ever. I spend way too much time with them and have noticed many things. We are very cold here in CT USA (low 20'sF) and I have 3 of my 5 hens molting right now. They are 19months old. They are certainly 'off' while molting, BUT, still normal healthy in that, they will stick with the flock and are alert and pecking around. In the extreme cold they stop a lot, and stand around, looking unimpressed, leaving me to feel they will any second fall over and die, but they dont. I would only know this because of experience. For example, in the cold morning, they are all huddled in the corner of the run. They slowly make their way out of the run into the yard. Nothing like nice weather days where they come bounding out! My molting chickens eat less so I do go out of my way to supplement protein in the form of hard boiled egg or some chicken scraps, tuna, and meal worms (very little, but just a little something in the AM and PM. The AM protein and warm water added to regualr feed gets them moving so much more. Protein helps with all the molting stuff and cold weather, so its a win win. Some chicken breeds are more cold hardy. Be sure they are out of direct wind. I wrap my run in a material used for green houses so some of the natural UV components come through. Wetting their feed in the AM with warm water has proven a good choice because its what their body needs and they eat it. I'll hand feed it to them just because they think it tastes better from my hand. If they are not shivering, then, I'm not too concerned. One of my molters was shivering one morning. I took her right in the house for a little warm dish of feed mash and some other protein. After 20 minutes she no longer shivered. If all my chickens were shivering and freezing to death, I guess i would make a home in my garage for them!? Or supervised heater in the run. I emphasize supervised......which is not reasonable. I wish you the best. Your proactive attention to your chickens will prove worthwhile because you will figure out a way to address issues BEFORE they become a big problem, and your flock will thank you!

 

[TJAnonymous]

Do you have space in a barn (the goat house) or even a shed for a few "days" as to the coop being small, my hens spend a lot of time in the coop even though they have a covered run. Since I no longer have turkeys they have the run of the space and I made them a dust bath from a bale of peat moss, they don't see any need to wander around where it is cold. They just sit quietly and keep to themselves. In summer if I locked them in there would be fighting, but in winter they don't fight in the coop, they just perch.

My run is rather large... Approximately 135 ft x 32 ft. It's actually split into 2 sections. About a third of it is for the ducks and the other 2/3rds is for the goats but the chickens have access to the ENTIRE run. This means they have full access to their own coop (my main chicken coop), the duck coop, and the goat house. I also have several little small sheds or dog houses that they can go into as well. Once the sleet & snow started, they all pretty much went into their coop so maybe they aren't as dumb as I thought.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I understand your concern, but honestly, the lamps just aren't that hot. Maybe in the past it was more of an issue, but at least the ones I have barely warm the surface they shine on. I point them to something that will "trap" the heat for slow release like bricks or something like that so it stays a little more stable. The only concern for these lamps is the plugs and or extension cords if necessary. I keep an eye on those.

I tried not having them, and it is just too miserable and cold here, these hens were bred to be kept in a controlled environment for maximum egg production, the Leghorns never even fully feather out. If I had planned on eating them, they would have been easy to pluck clean. They are 3yrs old, I got them at 6 months, and they have never feathered properly. (And the darn things MOLT in winter which leaves them even more naked!! I have my skinniest one at the moment who barely has any feathers on her little pink flesh. Her butt and chest and head look ridiculous!)

Its negative 35 degrees Fahrenheit. I got all mine for cold temps, but those darn single combs look like they have frostbite today. I may look into the ceramic heat lamp i forgot those didnt put off light. As long as there isnt light it shouldnt cause a fire. My old ones would catch on fire if i let them stay on to long. Im not sure about the newer ones.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

My run is rather large... Approximately 135 ft x 32 ft. It's actually split into 2 sections. About a third of it is for the ducks and the other 2/3rds is for the goats but the chickens have access to the ENTIRE run. This means they have full access to their own coop (my main chicken coop), the duck coop, and the goat house. I also have several little small sheds or dog houses that they can go into as well. Once the sleet & snow started, they all pretty much went into their coop so maybe they aren't as dumb as I thought.

All mine did the same.

 

[Nomibird]

I'm a big proponent of the idea that chickens adapt to cold very well.

But not every chicken in every situation.

In your case, I would take them inside when it is that cold. I would make a place in the coldest part area of inside to make the transition in and back out easier on them.

Among the reasons: the molting, the underweight (in and of itself and because it likely means they aren't in normal good health), ex battery chickens tend to not have good feathering even if they aren't molting, you are in the UK where these temperatures are unusually cold (I think, and as opposed to staying that cold for weeks on end), you are in the UK where inside is cooler and/or less evenly heated than in much of the US (at least it was when I visited and my friends said their place was normal in that way).

I believe your vet that couldn't find anything in particular wrong but they could have something like a not very well developed digestive system. Or respiratory system. Those can happen if she had been sick as a chick (for example).

Edit to add: Maybe the feathering recovers with time and good care? But it sounds like you haven't had them long enough for that.

Well, I will find out tonight how my chickens fair at 1 to -4 degrees in Arkansas (of all places.) They seemed to weather the day well but when it became time to roost this evening no one moved. And I have a thermometer in there that confirmed it was warmer and drier in the coop. So I picked them up and put them in and we will see how they are in the morning. This weather was totally new to them so I hope they react well. They have heated water and I gave them warm oatmeal and corn late this afternoon to help prepare them. We can’t remember when we have seen it this cold here. By the way, I have Orpington and Australorps.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Well, I will find out tonight how my chickens fair at 1 to -4 degrees in Arkansas (of all places.) They seemed to weather the day well but when it became time to roost this evening no one moved. And I have a thermometer in there that confirmed it was warmer and drier in the coop. So I picked them up and put them in and we will see how they are in the morning. This weather was totally new to them so I hope they react well. They have heated water and I gave them warm oatmeal and corn late this afternoon to help prepare them. We can’t remember when we have seen it this cold here. By the way, I have Orpington and Australorps.

The real feel is negative 48 here with the wind and it keeps dropping our coop is warm without supplimental heat, but my dog can barely be outside for 2 minutes without freezing. Neither can i. I have straw and put the heat plater in there and none of them are acting as if its cold. I give them lots of extra protein in the winter, corn and more.