11* outside and no rooster crowing yet

[bobbi-j]

More logic and common sense than proven fact,
not sure a study's been done on such.

Take your bowl of warm oatmeal outside, hold the bowl very close to your face, feel the moisture..see the 'steam'? Now take it away and put your face in the wind, that wet is chilly, eh?

Now take a bite, just using your mouth...are your wattles wet?
Oh, well, that's not a very good analogy. Never mind.

A bowl of warm oatmeal makes us humans feel good(literally and/or figuratively) on a cold day, to think that the chickens feel the same is anthropomorphizing, IMO.

@bobbi-j has a great analogy about humans thinking chickens need heat in their coop,
thought I had saved that but can't find it...maybe she will chime in.

@aart - Here goes: Your chickens come with their own down coats. Stick your hand under their feathers next to the skin - it’s nice and warm and toasty under there. They can’t take those coats off. For comparison, put on all of your winter gear - coat, insulated coverall, hat, scarf, gloves and boots. Now go outside. The colder out there the better. It’s not too bad with all your gear on, is it? Stay out there for an hour or more. Next, go inside. Leave all your gear on for two or three hours, just to get a feel of being in a heated environment and not take off that gear.
Steady temps for your chickens is better for them than going from warm to cold to warm again.

I have been raising chickens for quite some time. Have never fed them warm steamy anything. I agree that the moisture from the steam could cause unnecessary chill and possible frostbite if it’s super cold. Cool and dry is better than warm and moist.