New to western Virginia and Cold Weather

[Kikiriki]

I’m reposting this here from the Virginia thread...

Hi people in Virginia! I’ve just moved to Roanoke County from Florida and I am loving my new home!
I rehomed my last two hens before leaving FL to a woman I know who will provide a safe and loving forever home. They were 3 and 4 years old so I thought the stress of moving, plus adapting to the colder weather would be too much strain on them.
I will not be starting a new flock until the spring, so I’m just looking to gather info on the local predators, and what measures y’all take for winter. We rarely dropped below freezing in FL, and cold snaps usually only lasted for days. Extended cold weather is new to me as a flock owner and I want to get advice from locals. I would also like to know what breeds have had problems for you here...frostbite or health wise.
The property has a coop, but I don’t like where it is...it’s in a small pasture with no cover nearby. If I can’t move it, I will repurpose it and build a new coop in a spot I like better.
I will repost this in a new thread, but wanted to just say “hey” to my new neighbors!

 

[BuffOrpington567]

I thought Virginia wasnt that cold

 

[Backyard Bruce]

It's not unless you're from Florida...

 

[rocking chickens]

The keys to cold weather chickens are:
1.Keep them dry.
2.Keep the water thawed.
3. Cold hardy breeds
4. Good ventilation
You can supplement heat but this is a optional for areas like Virginia.

 

[Kikiriki]

It's not unless you're from Florida...