How cold is too cold?

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

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

That is odd because it works on human skin. I slather on face cream to go outside and if it is not water based, it makes it easier

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

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.

Glad you knew, I always include too much info because I know others will read it later who know less than the OP.

Yes, every year we think it will never be this cold again and then a year comes along to show us how much worst it can be!

When people go through really bad weather we swear that come spring we are leaving! But then spring is lovely and summer comes... You talk yourself into thinking the worst is in the past ... If humans didn't do that we would spend our time wandering the planet looking for Eden. But you will survive (not always unscathed, of course)

For anyone reading:
Do what you can for those less fortunate than you. Drop some eggs off to a poorer neighbor or a small object you can do without to a thrift shop... Shovel a little for someone older or frailer... Or say a prayer for all of us... Cold touches every one, as does hunger.

 

[aart]

That is odd because it works on human skin. I slather on face cream to go outside and if it is not water based, it makes it easier

Is your 'cream' petroleum jelly?
Would you have been frostbitten if you had not applied it?

There was member here that put vaseline on some birds and not others,
both treated and non treated were frostbit to an equal measure. That convinced me.

 

[RoyalChick]

Epidemiological studies show that using things like Vaseline on human skin do not protect against frostbite.
Here is one of many studies done on soldiers in Finland.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12324150_Emollients_in_the_prevention_of_frostbite

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Is your 'cream' petroleum jelly?
Would you have been frostbitten if you had not applied it?

There was member here that put vaseline on some birds and not others,
both treated and non treated were frostbit to an equal measure. That convinced me.

Poor dears... Sorry about their frostbite, it was just too cold for them to be outside. No topical application would protect in such cold

As to human skin, Try putting on a face cream before going out, you will see the skin that is well hydrated with non-water based cream is less responsive to cold. It is more comfortable. If there is danger of frostbite you cover the skin with clothing nothing topical. I don't know where you are that you think a cream can save you from that, I would never do something that foolish. I get -40 here, we respect cold.

For chickens: I don't think anything except shelter from the wind and cold will prevent frostbite, sometimes you just should not let them outside. Mine have refused to go to the run recently and the last few days were so cold I did not open the trap door because it cools the coop.

I had one that was poorly last year, that I took her in and gently rubbed her comb to warm it up, get the circulation going. The comb was so cold in my hand it just felt dead. I put Vaseline on her afterwards and whether the cream or the rubbing she was more comfortable. She was fine afterwards. She never got frostbite.

The only frostbite I had was well before the cold, it was in November, it was above freezing but that hen has ascitite (water belly). Of the other hens/ducks/turkeys no one else has ever been so poorly protected as to get it. She lost the tip of one point on her comb. She is alive... I have drained her twice, but I doubt she makes it through the winter.

Local farmers have told us not to heat the coop, just put them in with other animals (horses, goats, cows) in a draft free place, but when asked about frostbite they say it is inevitable and the whole comb dies and falls off. But they only keep them 18 months, they kill them before the second winter and start again in the spring. They get sick and die/stop laying from that treatment so they don't see a point in keeping them.

I don't have any other livestock to heat their area, and i keep them "until God comes to get them", so sometimes that means some compromises and extra effort. I am not trying to make a living on selling eggs, so it isn't the same calculation for me.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Epidemiological studies show that using things like Vaseline on human skin do not protect against frostbite.
Here is one of many studies done on soldiers in Finland.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/12324150_Emollients_in_the_prevention_of_frostbite

No, nothing but clothing can stop frostbite, even that is hit/miss if your body can't keep warm, but it can ease discomfort from cold.

To be clear: you put clothing on TOP of the cream on a child, you don't just smear a little Vaseline or cream and put them out to play without a scarf and a Balaklava.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Glad you knew, I always include too much info because I know others will read it later who know less than the OP.

Yes, every year we think it will never be this cold again and then a year comes along to show us how much worst it can be!

When people go through really bad weather we swear that come spring we are leaving! But then spring is lovely and summer comes... You talk yourself into thinking the worst is in the past ... If humans didn't do that we would spend our time wandering the planet looking for Eden. But you will survive (not always unscathed, of course)

For anyone reading:
Do what you can for those less fortunate than you. Drop some eggs off to a poorer neighbor or a small object you can do without to a thrift shop... Shovel a little for someone older or frailer... Or say a prayer for all of us... Cold touches every one, as does hunger.

Yea, more info always helps. We give our neighbors extra eggs all spring summer and fall no charge. And we have been doing 4 driveways every snow to help a elderly lady, our neighbor, 2 peoples sidewalks and then i do a driveway for a guy he had to have his leg amputated. I love helping communities and helping people!

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Yea, more info always helps. We give our neighbors extra eggs all spring summer and fall no charge. And we have been doing 4 driveways every snow to help a elderly lady, our neighbor, 2 peoples sidewalks and then i do a driveway for a guy he had to have his leg amputated. I love helping communities and helping people!

You make the world a warmer place for us all

 

[saysfaa]

The reason for not rubbing combs that might be frost bitten is that the tissues are much more susceptible to damage from shear forces. It is similar to bed sores in people in this aspect.

 

[catballou]

Hello, thank you for your response!

I will definitely looks at bringing them in tonight, last night it stayed at 1 degree which I think is okay for them but do worry with -7 tonight.

I have had my hens for about 5 months but they came to me in a dire state, most without any feathers at all. They were just skin and bones, its taken them months to grow feathers but they arent a good amount of feather, not layers of other feathers I have seen on other chickens. And you are so right about our weather, these minus temperatures came in very fast and sudden, It doesnt look like they are consistent but some night look so cold. I dont think they have had a proper amount of time to adapt to these conditions.

We took a few of them to the vet that needed to go when we got them and the vet commented on how slim they were, a few monthd later I had to take 2 back to the vets and they hadnt gained much weight at all. The vet tested their poo and did and overall health check and took samples and found nothing wrong. Theyve been wormed, anti parasited and everything but they just dont gain any weight at all. Your probably right in the sense that they may not of been in best condition anyway, I lost one a couple of months ago to reproductive cancer.

Thanks again for your response, I definitely agree with everything you say and you have taught me a few things which I didnt know

What are you feeding them? I bought two hens 3 years ago, sight unseen. They were both super skinny, one was very lame and died a month later with an impacted gizzard. ( I cut her open to see) now, 2 years later, the other hen is filled out nicely, fully feathered and has gotten much less skittish.
I fed a 18% layer feed, a handful of black oiler sunflower seeds, a cup of scratch twice a day. Also mealworms twice a day, a handful.
I suggest you make sure there are absolutely no drafts in their coop. They really should be OK in 0° weather. That's about 32°F here in Michigan. It was super cold here the last 3 nights, -18°f with the windchill snd inside my coop was 12°F this morning and they were fine.
It also depends upon how many you have, how big of a coop, insulation, building materials and location. I don't have insulation but thinking about it for next year.