Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[SillyChicken]

Hi Brennigan, Welcome back!
As long as your hens are healthy and in good condition, and you've taken precautions to provide a draft free, dry coop, they should be fine. I would not add heat, the risk is pretty high for a coop fire. The only heat I would try would be livestock heat pads (I use for the pig) or ceramic heaters for lizards etc... the red heat lamps are very fragile and can shatter (even on their own).

You could do as aart has and add electrolytes to some rolled oats or cook up some old eggs or something to help give them energy.

My poor pig, Peaches, didn't even leave her house yesterday. I put her food bowl next to her door so she only had to stick her snout out to eat. I'll fluff up her bedding tonight before it gets super cold. I may thaw out some eggs I froze for her tonight. I scramble up older eggs and freeze them to feed the pig for such occasions. I'm sure she'll like a warm meal.

Last night I nailed up some feed bags over the top half of the sheeps barn door. I'm hoping to minimize the draft and snow from going in. I may have to get more straw to bed them in as well. Next year, I hope to make a half door for the top that I can hinge, to close or open depending on the weather.

 

[Brennigan]

As long as they move for the treats, they should be OK.
That's my barometer to check for lethargy.

I like that!

Hi Brennigan,
Welcome back!
As long as your hens are healthy and in good condition, and you've taken precautions to provide a draft free, dry coop, they should be fine. I would not add heat the risk is pretty high for a coop fire.

They've never needed supplemental heat & with all this wind, I'm also worried about a power outage & I know the sudden change would be worse for them.

Just needed some reassurance from fellow Michganders! Thank you!

 

[SillyChicken]

so you are heating them now?

 

[Brennigan]

so you are heating them now?

No, I'm not heating them currently & don't plan to. I just shut the coop door to help with the winds & made sure they had plenty of food/water/scratch. Will give them some more cracked corn tonight before bed to help them through the night.

 

[Brennigan]

so you are heating them now?

I watched my next door neighbor's house burn down a few years ago & house fires really scare me. Heating the coop would be a last resort. Wednesday is supposed to be a high of -1* ~ windchill of -30*, so I'm just keeping them shut up that day too!

 

[aart]

Mine are shut in the coop today...blizzard here, and no protection in the run.
Not that cold tho ~20°F.
I too am tempted to heat for the upcoming polar vortex..
....but not gonna do it, I too have a history with a house fire.

 

[1muttsfan]

As long as they are shut into the coop you do not need to be concerned about wind chill, just Ambient Air Temperature. As long as they are closed in without any drafts, they will be fine as long as they have plenty of water and food, and absorbant bedding. It would not hurt to offer them a little higher energy food though, like some cracked grains. That helps get them moving around as well.
I imagine of all the animals we keep sheep are probably best suited to this kind of climate. I feel for the poor Pig though!
The high temperature today was -9, and we have a serious ground blizzard going on in addition to the snowfall. I'm sure the wind chills are down in the 50 below range, you just can't stay out for even a few minutes if you're anywhere in the wind. Most of the businesses in town closed early and sent their employees home so that they would make it before the roads got too drifted in.

 

[RaZ]

It was minus 2 this morning when I woke up. I went to an appointment at 8:00 am and the storm hadn't started yet. By the time I got home, a few hours later, the snow and wind had started. Wind gusts that topped 30 MPH. I'm not sure what the wind chill was but when I checked on the birds they were fine. Coop temperature is holding steady at 32 degrees.

I had a second hen submit to be groped while the others just stared at the "odd" behaviour. LOL I'm going out in a few to check them again. I'll take out some BOSS for a warm up snack for them.

I think the best peace-of-mind thing you can add to a coop is a remote thermometer. One that reads the temperature and humidity can give you an idea of what the coop interior is like. Cheap assurance for those of you (us) who worry about the conditions of our livestock. Fresh food and fresh liquid water are the best things for your flock. Chickens are pretty sturdy critters. They will be fine.

I'm amazed at how well these feathered creatures handle the cold. I've been watching the wild birds all day as they come to my window sill to feed. Everything from small goldfinches, doves, jays, nuthatches, tit mice to full size wood peckers and wild turkey have been foraging in this weather. I guess Mother Nature knows how to take care of them. I'm impressed.

 

[aart]

Got up to 34 here this afternoon, snow stopped but some drizzle..SMH.
Tried to do some shoveling, man that snow got HEAVY!

 

[Leahs Mom]

Yes, unfortunately this particular snow is very wet and heavy. Great for a snowman, but not so good for shoveling.

Then when those negative temps get here over the next 3 days I imagine it will be hard as a brick.