How cold is too cold?

[Uwish]

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I live in Utah so that’s what’s scary as my temps don’t get near as bad as many people posting here. That to me is terrifying. I can’t imagine being in the below zero or even in the single digits and not have a heat source for them.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

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.

Oh my!! Please be mindful to be safe and keep your eyes peeled.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Oh my!! Please be mindful to be safe and keep your eyes peeled.

Yea it got to negative 48 last night. They all are fine this morning but its to cold for me to even be out there for a few minutes and the wind.

 

[Beaker99]

We were -8 last night. I have a bare floor coop with about 6 inches of mixed bedding. No frostbite on my 6 BCM nor the 3 EE. They still won't come out. But I wouldn't either.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

We were -8 last night. I have a bare floor coop with about 6 inches of mixed bedding. No frostbite on my 6 BCM nor the 3 EE. They still won't come out. But I wouldn't either.

I went and shut my door to make sure they wont come out.

 

[Iluveggers]

Wow. I was unimpressed with our low of 4F over the next 10 days, in upstate NY. Can’t imagine negatives in an area that isn’t prepared or used to temps that low. Good luck to you all!

 

[dawntreader]

This is our first winter with chickens, they were chicks we purchased at the feed store this past July and August. 2 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Barred Rock, 2 Blue Australorp and an Easter Egger. We have a non insulated coop (see my Coop Story here on backyardchickens.com) which has a well ventilated run with an enclosed raised coop that has vents in two sides at the roof level, so it is above the roost where they sleep the night.
We live in N. Texas, which is typically above freezing most of the winter. Last night it got down to 10 degrees F. Wind was around 25 mph to bring the temps here down from ~40 degrees F the day before. We fed them some cracked corn the night before they went into the coop.
This morning we brought out fresh lukewarm water (both watering bowls were frozen) before letting them out of the coop and some warm mash that had protein in it. When we opened up the coop door at first light, they came out pretty quick, commenting (squawking) and sampling the water, mash and regular feed while strutting around the run. They all seem to be in good condition! I picked some up and verified that their bodies were warm under their feathers.
We have a wireless thermometer in the coop that indicates that it was 10 degrees F this morning, the same as outside with about 5% more humidity than the ambient air outside. We did put up some temporary walls that block the wind in the north part of the run under the coop earlier this week. They seem to like it there, but venture out into the run throughout the day, especially when we come outside.
Their feathers are fluffed out a bit, but none of them are shivering, not even the smallest one which is our Easter Egger. Hopefully this helps others that may be experiencing their first winter with chickens. Our experience confirms what some of the more experienced people on this forum have been saying about how chickens tolerate the cold, along with their advice to not use heat lamps in the chicken coop.
Since it will be below freezing the next day or so, we will be periodically checking the water and replacing it when it freezes. By Christmas day or the day after, however, we should be above freezing during the day so it should not be an issue then. So it looks like we have got through the worst part of it and our girls have done admirably! Nice to have sun today, and oh, by the way, some started laying a couple weeks ago and we have found eggs every day in the nesting boxes since then, including yesterday. Amazing creatures these chickens!

 

[TJAnonymous]

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.

I'm also in Arkansas. It's currently -10 below zero with the wind chill. Sucks... Hard to believe by this time next week it will be in the 60s.

 

[TJAnonymous]

We were running water heaters for the ducks and 1 of our coops, along with the horse trough from the electric in the barn. It kept tripping the breaker so we unplugged the water trough for the horses. (We have a pond they can drink out of that didn't freeze.) In less than 12 hours, the water in the horse trough froze almost 4 inches thick!

All the other water bowls are fine. Heaters kept them from freezing.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I'm also in Arkansas. It's currently -10 below zero with the wind chill. Sucks... Hard to believe by this time next week it will be in the 60s.

Yea in Wisconsin it is -36 right now and its suppose to be 50 next week. Crazy.