Hi, This is my first year with hens. I'm in MN and we have a small coop with lots of ventilation, and the last time it got to -15 I covered the coop with a blanket for 2 days to cover some of the ventilation and a few of my girls got some frost bite on their combs. Now it's supposed to be WAY colder. Are they okay? I don't have a coop door or hatch that I can close up to reduce the cold, I have vents, so in order to "help" increase warmth I'd have to cover them with a blanket, which increases the moisture and puts them at risk for frost bite. Can they survive -65 wind chill? It could get that cold overnight tonight. Our coop is not heated or insulated. It's small, so the heat from our 6 birds has been good enough in the cold, but this is a major deep freeze which scares me. Is there anything I need to do for them in this EXTREME cold? Or can they deal? I have good cold weather birds, a langsham, buff orphington, Plymouth Barred Rocks, etc. But darn, I don't think I've ever seen it get this cold in my adult years.
you can put vaseline on their combs. it will prevent the frost bite. blanket, tarp, whatever blocks the wind. and dont stay out too long, those temps. are harder on you then them.
I'm in MN, too, so I know what you're talking about. Remember that the temps are WINDCHILL, not actual air temps. Where are the vents? Will the wind be blowing directly on the chickens? Is your coop in a location that the wind is hitting it directly? With the 40+ mph gusts, I can see that it would be a problem. Can you cover some of the vents but not all of them? Maybe leave the ones on the side of the coop out of the wind, uncovered? I've never put vaseline on my chickens, but others say it does help. Whatever you do, please be safe out there. YOU can get frostbite more quickly than your chickens - within seconds. Take care.