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

 

[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.

 

[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,

 

[HiEverybirdy]

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

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/

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


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

I always appreciate how when I have a question, so many others have already taken the time to contribute that I usually don't have to post, just search this site. Thanks for the thoughts and very helpful link on drafts vs. ventilation.

 

[AntiqueB]

I'm in north NJ, and will have just 2 pullets wintering together. They were fine during that cold snap we just had. People on BYC have been very helpful, and I'm feeling confident that the drafts are gone, but the ventilation is not!

 

[Carson213]

I have open windows that can’t close with gable vents. there is always a breeze...however, the roosts, feed and nesting boxes are at different heights out of the direct air flow. my waterer sits on metal hardware wire mesh that is open to the ground below...just so the water mess they make drops below and not onto the bedding...but my problem is that i have deep bedding and even though the waterer is raised about 10 inches above the actual floor, the chickens scratch the bedding onto the wire mesh. i am thinking of putting wood across the coop high enough to keep the deep bedding away from the waterer. they would have to jump over the wood to get to the food, nesting boxes and waterer but only about 6 inches. hoping that will help.

 

[Carson213]

I have open windows that can’t close with gable vents. there is always a breeze...however, the roosts, feed and nesting boxes are at different heights out of the direct air flow. my waterer sits on metal hardware wire mesh that is open to the ground below...just so the water mess they make drops below and not onto the bedding...but my problem is that i have deep bedding and even though the waterer is raised about 10 inches above the actual floor, the chickens scratch the bedding onto the wire mesh. i am thinking of putting wood across the coop high enough to keep the deep bedding away from the waterer. they would have to jump over the wood to get to the food, nesting boxes and waterer but only about 6 inches. hoping that will help.

I split the coop with 3 2x6’s so the bedding is deeper on one side and not as deep near the water.

 

[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