How cold is too cold?

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

. My feeling is if a chickadee or wren can live with no coop, my chickens will survive just fine

Birds do die in winter, we find them in the woods after a cold snap. They make nests inside trees or in barns/house roofs. Animals or bugs eat the dead.

And chickens are not bred to live outside, they are bred to give an unnatural number of eggs and make minimal feathers. (Feathers cost feed and don't increase sale price of flesh or eggs.) My Leghorns lay 365 days a year, but they have lots of bald spots and no fat on them, two of them never have belly feathers, 3 are molting at the moment. (The timing is not genius, my RIRs did their molt weeks ago) Where my RIR have nice fluffy butts, they do not lay as often, and sometimes stop for a while younger than my LH.

Don't forget wild birds lay only to breed, in the spring, and put on a layer of fat before winter. They sleep through the cold temperatures by hibernating. They are not equal.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Pesky unwired coop.

Don't feel bad, just make it as draft free as you can, lots of bedding and snacks. We do what we can with what we have.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

It was -4°F in my chicken coop all night last night & they all did fine. (These temps aren't our normal either)1 is shaking her head today but I'm wondering if she might have gotten some frost bite yesterday because our wind chill was -23°F & she came out of the coop during those temps.

It can take a few days to show itself. If you can put her in a more protected place for a few days it might help.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Not the best picture but does your chickens frostbite look like this? Its the black and white.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Not the best picture but does your chickens frostbite look like this? Its the black and white.View attachment 3357373

@Mistidiane

 

[BeyondBlessed]

This thread is giving me such a peace of mind. We are in florida, and it's getting to a windchill of around 8 degrees tonight. I laid extra bedding, gave extra protein, and prayed for our birds. I came on here for even more peace for my girls, and thankfully, you all have given it to me. But am also so worried for so many who have it so much worse.

Praying for every single one of your families going through this crazy cold. I can't imagine being in temps that low.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

This thread is giving me such a peace of mind. We are in florida, and it's getting to a windchill of around 8 degrees tonight. I laid extra bedding, gave extra protein, and prayed for our birds. I came on here for even more peace for my girls, and thankfully, you all have given it to me. But am also so worried for so many who have it so much worse.

Praying for every single one of your families going through this crazy cold. I can't imagine being in temps that low.

I am glad you feel comfort from shared love of these helpless friends we probably spoil

Bedding & protein (& as close to draft free as we can do without killing all ventilation ) is most of their needs.

Whatever happens now is in G+d's hands. You did everything including love them.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Not the best picture but does your chickens frostbite look like this? Its the black and white.View attachment 3357373

I am sorry, I don't see much on the pic, I am viewing on a phone.
Frostbite on a comb tip (if I understand the picture & message) will look like the end was dipped in something black after a few days. It hurts but it isn't deadly, it will kill that skin and eventually fall off, it should not spread. It won't heal or regrow. Don't try to help! Leave it be, it will cut off the circulation to the tip and when it falls it will be like a scab falling away. Don't touch, do not remove it. It will fall off.

We use to rub Vaseline on skin to prevent frostbite on exposed (children's) skin when I was young, I heard it was preventive for chicken combs too, but apparently that isn't done anymore, but I don't know why.

If that bit of dead comb is all she/he has, you did fine don't beat yourself up, it was a big drop in temps. Combs are not life threatening... It just hurts for a little while, it should heal fine

 

[aart]

I heard it was preventive for chicken combs too, but apparently that isn't done anymore, but I don't know why.

Because it doesn't work...and in some cases could make it worse.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

I am sorry, I don't see much on the pic, I am viewing on a phone.
Frostbite on a comb tip (if I understand the picture & message) will look like the end was dipped in something black after a few days. It hurts but it isn't deadly, it will kill that skin and eventually fall off, it should not spread. It won't heal or regrow. Don't try to help! Leave it be, it will cut off the circulation to the tip and when it falls it will be like a scab falling away. Don't touch, do not remove it. It will fall off.

We use to rub Vaseline on skin to prevent frostbite on exposed (children's) skin when I was young, I heard it was preventive for chicken combs too, but apparently that isn't done anymore, but I don't know why.

If that bit of dead comb is all she/he has, you did fine don't beat yourself up, it was a big drop in temps. Combs are not life threatening... It just hurts for a little while, it should heal fine

Yea i know not to touch it, it would do more harm than good. This is the coldest temperatures we have had in a very long time and i thought last year was cold.