18 Degrees Hens Outside?

[insiderart]

Must be something in the air. Some of the speckled sussex decided to do this very same thing tonight too! I went out there at dusk and 4 of them were up on a perch in the run. It's about 18F here tonight too. I figured if I went out there in the morning and they were on the ground frozen to death I'd just have a chicken dinner....

Never before have they decided to "camp out". Crazy chickens.

(I will say the silkies have never done anything like this... they are first to bed every evening. Better to get that prime sleeping spot on the bottom of the pile! I would nerver have believed it if you told me that so many chickens could sleep in such a tiny spot. I often wonder if there is jostling in the night to get into the middle (or "sweet spot"), or if it's set once the sun goes down.)

 

[FireTigeris]

Quote:
At least its dry heat and not 100% humidity like here...

of course at this rate Christmas will be 80 degrees.

 

[lilcrow]

I think you guys have got more nerve than I've got. I just can't let 'em sleep outside. If I catch them on the perch going into evening I MAKE them go in the coop.

Some of that is because I don't trust the predator population around here also. I haven't lost anybody YET and I'd like to try and keep it that way for as long as possible. The last couple of days it's been in the teens and low 20's during the day and down to single digits at night with sustained winds of 30 the first day and yesterday about 25. Those goofy chickens, particularly the cochins were out in it all day. Yesterday afternoon the wind was blowing terribly and it was bitter cold, I found the hens huddled in the corner of the run while the roo was out running around, so I tried putting them all back in the coop. Of course I had to put the roo in to keep the girls in, but that only lasted about a half an hour and they were right back out again, so I finally did give up for the daytime. My Mille Fleur d'Uccles are a bit more "delicate." The have no problem staying in the coop all day and night. I just have to make sure that they get enough food and water. The water is a drag because I haven't got it fixed up yet so it doesn't freeze. I've got to keep checking it through out the day. (It's a logistic thing, my coops are small and their water is outside).
I guess if anyone has frozen chickens they could try the hairdryer method of warming them up to revive them, like they were talking about yesterday.

 

[dacdeihl]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

If they're staying outside of their own free will, then they're fine. Mine will stay outside down to about 0°F before calling Uncle and heading into the coop. I only close them in when it's below 0F. Don't worry... they'll know when it's too cold.

Mine do the same thing. I have a couple who will sleep on the perch in their run. My only concern is preditors at night. Owls took six of my chickens over the summer and I hate for them to get taken this winter because they don't want to sleep in a nice warm coop. My coop is a large ched so they even have the choice of perching in front of the window or in front of the wall heater.​

 

[insiderart]

Well looks like there's no chicken for dinner tonight. Nary a chicken popsicle this morning.

 

[emys]

My guess is they are either too hot (didn't mean to shout it - think underlined, not capitals) in your coop and would rather be outside, or the light bothers them. If your coop is insulated, that is all they need. Really.

I'm in Idaho and I tried the heated water bowl in the coop - too much moisture - big mistake - keep it outside!!!!

I tried the heat lamp - got too hot in there compared to outside - they didn't want to go in at night. Stopped the heat lamp altogether, and now we all get a good night's rest.

 

[gsim]

Rat, snake, or weasel in the coop?

 

[Akane]

Personally I would prefer to lock chickens in a building and would not provide a roost in the run. They are nowhere near as safe no matter how secure your run is or how few predators you think are around. The cold though is probably not much concern unless it's windy there. It was -5F in the big coop a few nights ago and last winter it was -30F during the day and my standards didn't really care. You do have to take any windchill into account though and changing temps at night. Once they are roosting they may not switch to a warmer location even if the weather changes and they start to freeze.

 

[insiderart]

I noticed that all of the Sussex went to bed early tonight, even before the silkies! HA!

 

[Amethyste]

I live 30 miles N of Seattle, so we have been dealing with the cold cold weather as well. The coldest it has been here is 4 degrees overnight, since we have lived here anyway.

Our birds are locked up at night with no heat in a dry ventilated coop, and we bring the water in every night. They are let out as soon as the sun is up, and they make the choice about going in or out. They have an enclosed run, so its up to them if they want to be on the frozen ground in the run. So far its been a resounding yes. They want to be in the run and do chicken things even when its 9 degrees outside. They have roosts in the coop not the run, so they can sit on the ramp if they really want to. They all go inside at dusk by themselves. If they choose to stay outside at night, they dont get to act on it cos I lock up the coop at night, and make sure everyone is in the coop. They know better

As long as it is not heavy snow, or high winds, I let them out. Since I check them every night just after dark to make sure no scragglers....they dont sleep in the run even tho they might want to.