30- zero!

[TheGoldenRoo]

Tonight on TV they said it was going to get up to 30- zero tonight! That is cold! I am hoping the birds and the dog will be ok outside.

 

[justbugged]

I would not ever leave the dog outside even in a dog house when it is that cold. I also would only consider leaving the chickens out in the coup with some type of heat source for them, and only if the coup was well insulated. Negative 30 is just to darn cold. But I wouldn't leave any living thing outside unless I was willing to stay outside with them. IMHO

 

[pbjmaker]

MY chickens did -15/20 last winter just fine without heat. But that was windchill and I didn't let them out of their coop. I did keep a close eye on them though and considered bringing them into the garage with a heat lamp. The dog - no way would I leave it outside in that kind of cold.

 

[Junkmanme]

Yep.

I'd bring the dog inside and put some sort of heat in the coop for the chickens.

I've been in THAT cold and colder. It's not only cold...it's deadly.

-Junkmanme-

 

[Pumpkinpup]

I agree with the others. I think they need to have a bit of a heat source and I hope the coop is well insulated. -30 WOW! BRRRRRRRRR

 

[Boyd]

with wind chill we've had it that low and my outdoor cats and chickens were fine. As long as they had a wind break it was no big deal

 

[High Roost Ranch]

We're only getting down to the 20s tonight here in FL and I just spent the last hour coveraging cages and making sure everyone was secure. Even have some birds in the entry was of my home that I was uncertain about.

I would do what I could to make them more comfortable. The dog shouldn't be left outside. I remember living in MN and how blasted cold it was. We never left our dogs out on cold nights like that. I didn't have poultry in MN other than a couple of barn chickens that lived in the hay loft but the bitter cold can not be good for their delicate lungs.

 

[lorieMN]

well,we are going to have the same here tonight,and my shiba inus are staying out,they have an insulted double walled dog house full of straw and a building and tarp to protect it from the wind..just make sure they have had plenty to eat,maybe go give them an extra helping before bed,,and my chickens are in a coop,no heat,but have been fine in worse temps before,,again,make sure they have food at all times and wouldnt hurt to give them warm water a couple times a day and deep fresh bedding to prevent any drafts coming up through the floor.I also bank the buildings with snow to help keep the wind out of any cracks I may have missed.

 

[technodoll]

Please give the chickens a heat lamp, at least...

And PLEASE bring the dog inside, it's inhumane to leave an animal out in the cold and dark alone like that - they need warmth and company, they are pack animals not polar bears!

 

[pbjmaker]

Depending on how big your coop is the heat lamps don't raise the temp that much in this kind of cold. Again as long as the coop is draft free, there is plenty of bedding and they can roost together - they should be OK. I also make sure they have cracked corn along with their food, it is supposed to help raise their body temp.

Regular wild birds survive this kind of cold, so will the chickens - unless they have been accustomed to heat all along.

I would still bring in the dog.