How many chickens is too few chickens to stay warm in a coop?!

[ShiviBear]

@cavemanrich Arg! I did provide all that info, I am not sure how I posted only a part of my post! Still learning the ropes! But here is the rewritten info.

Ok, ugh, this is kinda hard to explain and I'm not even sure it's in the right place but....worth a try.

Ok, so, about 2 weeks ago a youngish hen (now aptly named vulture) was attacked by a hawk and had a bunch of skin ripped off her neck.
I posted about it in the emergency thread,
#1-Possible Hawk Attack
#2-Hawk Injury Healing

Long story short, Vee is doing great but alot of hens go directly for her injury so she has to be separated.
Vulture aka Vee now stays in an enclosure located within the main chicken area that is roughly 12 foot by 10 foot and contains 2 smaller coops, one 'injured chicken' coop and one 'sick chicken' coop.

I have 62 free ranging chickens, (58 hens and 4 roosters), and am totally new to to taking care of their fluffy butts.

She stays with 3 other very sweet hens and 1 Brahma rooster that is lowest on the pecking order and they stay and sleep in the smaller coop.

Up until this point, the nights and days have been unseasonably warm, never going below 45 degrees or so.
Starting tomorrow though, temps will drop into 30's then 20's.

My question is whether 3 little sweet hens and 1 nice rooster will be ok in a coop by themselves on nights that are below freezing? They are used to sleeping/roosting in the big coop with 50 other chickens with lots more body heat.
Does it even make a difference how many chickens are in a coop when it comes to surviving cold nights?

The coop they stay in is pretty well ventilated, probably better then even the main coop BUT there is also a big window that pretty much makes up one part of the wall of the coop.

(Injury Coop is all the way to the left, main coop is the red one)

Vee won't be able to be with the rest of the flock for a little while still, many hens go directly for her injury, sometimes violently.
I would like to know how to reintroduce her back eventually, but maybe that's another thread entirely.

Here is Vee in the Injury Coop

 

[cavemanrich]

You are asking how many chickens, but don't include the number you have.??
All that aside, let me tackle your question with an explanation.
BTW.. I,,,. ,,, to you for including you location in your profile. Lets me give more sensible advice based on climate.

During winter, chickens stay warm by fluffing up their feathers, and retaining body heat. That is somewhat what we do by wearing coats. Chickens will retain the heat as long as there is not much draft to blow it away. Ventilation is very important, but it needs to be DRAFT FREE.
In a larger coop, with many chickens, the interior does warm up somewhat. Not warm enough for chickens to stop their feather fluffing.
Another thing to do is feed extra carbohydrates during cold. I know there are peeps ready to dispute that, but I'm not here to debate that. I just know what has worked for me. Have been keeping chickens for over 20 years now.

You being where you are NJ. the temps do not drop into extremes. I know there are occasional dips into the cold zone, but not sustained cold like many other locations. Interior Canada, and Interior Northern US.

You key is,,, A DRY, WELL VENTED (draft free) COOP.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and,

 

[cavemanrich]

Vee is doing great but alot of hens go directly for her injury so she has to be separated.

You may consider getting some Blue Kote. Chickens peck at red areas and wounds with blood. Blue Kote covers so chickens are not attracted to the wound.
Even the 3 chickens that she is with could start to peck on her.

My question is whether 3 little sweet hens and 1 nice rooster will be ok in a coop by themselves on nights that are below freezing? They are used to sleeping/roosting in the big coop with 50 other chickens with lots more body heat.
Does it even make a difference how many chickens are in a coop when it comes to surviving cold nights?

The coop they stay in is pretty well ventilated, probably better then even the main coop BUT there is also a big window that pretty much makes up one part of the wall of the coop.

Your chickens will be just fine.
Is that large window considered part of the good ventilation that coop has. Yes during warm weather, it is excellent to have open. But during cold, it would cause unwanted DRAFT

I can advise you on how to introduce the 4 chickens into the main coop. When the chicken recovers and regrows feathers, she will not be targeted and pecked on wound. She will still be seen as an outsider, along with the other 3 that were away. Best to have them inside run with a netting divider for a while. Then you can try to see if they will integrate while in run together. If I see it correctly, your run is the large fenced in area that they are in. Seems LARGE ENOUGH. If there is still pecking, you may have to place the pecked chickens into a wire dog cage, and place them into main coop for the night. During day , you may have to shuffle them back into small coop. The small coop during day would be if it is too cold for chickens to be outdoors. Then again into large coop into dog cage for the night.
I know it gets tiresome, but you need to do what it takes. Some things go smoothly, while other things go less smoothly.

 

[cavemanrich]

You can also consider one of these, or make one yourself.
Google search,,, Chicken Sweaters,,

Avoid red color.

 

[Carson213]

You are asking how many chickens, but don't include the number you have.??
All that aside, let me tackle your question with an explanation.
BTW.. I,,,. ,,, to you for including you location in your profile. Lets me give more sensible advice based on climate.

During winter, chickens stay warm by fluffing up their feathers, and retaining body heat. That is somewhat what we do by wearing coats. Chickens will retain the heat as long as there is not much draft to blow it away. Ventilation is very important, but it needs to be DRAFT FREE.
In a larger coop, with many chickens, the interior does warm up somewhat. Not warm enough for chickens to stop their feather fluffing.
Another thing to do is feed extra carbohydrates during cold. I know there are peeps ready to dispute that, but I'm not here to debate that. I just know what has worked for me. Have been keeping chickens for over 20 years now.

You being where you are NJ. the temps do not drop into extremes. I know there are occasional dips into the cold zone, but not sustained cold like many other locations. Interior Canada, and Interior Northern US.

You key is,,, A DRY, WELL VENTED (draft free) COOP.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and,

i agree 100%. we have always just added wheat to their feed during the winter. get a 50 lb bag of wheat from a local farmer. growing up we fed once a day but i just free feed all day. i would rather have them have access to as much food as they want and oyster shells 24/7.

 

[Oolala]

I only have three chickens and they all cuddle up on a straw bed in winter together. My window is above their bedding area and all the ventilation is around the top of the coop apart from their little pop door which is sheltered from wind and rain

 

[aart]

key is,,, A DRY, WELL VENTED (draft free) COOP.

YES!!!

You can also consider one of these, or make one yourself.
Google search,,, Chicken Sweaters,,

NO, please, just NO!!

 

[cavemanrich]

NO, please, just NO!!

Just for the duration of the wound to heal. I searched out this turtle neck one just for that purpose.

 

[ShiviBear]

Thank you so much for everyone's suggestions and wisdoms!

Ventilation is very important, but it needs to be DRAFT FREE.
In a larger coop, with many chickens, the interior does warm up somewhat. Not warm enough for chickens to stop their feather fluffing.
Another thing to do is feed extra carbohydrates during cold.

You key is,,, A DRY, WELL VENTED (draft free)

I am researching and learning about what a well ventilated coop means. The chickens have been overwintering in the same coop for 10 years before I took over and seemed to be fine...but also, the previous caretaker looked at the chickens as purely livestock so we might have a different opinion of 'fine'.

I did sit in with the chickens in the small coop and it did seem a tiny bit drafty because of the spaces in between door and coop walls. I was sitting on the floor though, the chickens are usually up on the roost. I will be cleaning the bigger 'sick coop' today and disinfecting it in case the Vee Squad will like it more and it might be less drafty. It's been a while since a sick chicken has been in there and usually was placed there for their comfort, not to mitigate spread of disease.

I am getting the Blue Kote, even though Vee's injury is no longer red or bloody, it is pink with a big scab on it. It's worth a try and the Blue Kote is great to have in my small 'Chicken Farmacy' which I am trying to grow.

As for the chicken sweater, I would LOVE to have a chicken with a sweater running around. For any reason.
But, I have put a kid sock on her injury on multiple occasions and with multiple patterns (not red) and it seemed to ENRAGE the chickens. They hated that sock, it would be funny if I didn't feel bad for Vee.

I was also concerned that she would get the sock cought on a corner or something and get stuck or hang herself...but that was probably me being dramatic because I've grown a tiny bit too attached to her and am overly protective. But I will try again if its better for her and keeps her warm.

 

[aart]

I am getting the Blue Kote, even though Vee's injury is no longer red or bloody, it is pink with a big scab on it. It's worth a try and the Blue Kote is great to have in my small 'Chicken Farmacy' which I am trying to grow.

Get Vetricyn instead, it won't cover up the status of the wound.

a tiny bit drafty because of the spaces in between door and coop walls.

Air movement is good, just not strong enough drafts that could literally ruffle feathers on the roost.
Good discussion about it....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/ventilated-but-free-of-drafts.1048597/

But, I have put a kid sock on her injury on multiple occasions and with multiple patterns (not red) and it seemed to ENRAGE the chickens. They hated that sock, it would be funny if I didn't feel bad for Vee.

That's much better than the sweater, maybe a solid color. close to her color, would be less alarming?

As for the chicken sweater, I would LOVE to have a chicken with a sweater running around. For any reason.

Get a concrete goose, or chicken, to dress up.