-40 wind chill forecasted for Friday

[Sydney65]

If you decide to heat, a radiating heat plate is great. There's always a debate over supplemental heat, but I just finished cleaning, so I can give you an idea about them. Radiant heat warms the birds, not the air. It's safe & even if knocked over, shuts itself off.
So, cleaning; I was able to scoop the poo without chipping, bc it was just enough heat to prevent it from being seriously frozen to surfaces. But the poo was still frozen. If there's moisture, try a bag of pdz horse stall refresh (zeolite, same as chicken pdz but you get more for a more reasonable cost). That'll dry out the poo.
If your poo was still unfrozen, you may not need extra heat. Use feed bags, etc, things that won't retain moisture, to block the drafts & make sure the moisture is under control. Easter eggers are supposed to be pretty hardy, so if you do that while preserving ventilation, they should be fine. I remember reading somewhere about strips of fabric hung in a coop, but don't remember the details.

 

[Doris29]

If you decide to heat, a radiating heat plate is great. There's always a debate over supplemental heat, but I just finished cleaning, so I can give you an idea about them. Radiant heat warms the birds, not the air. It's safe & even if knocked over, shuts itself off.
So, cleaning; I was able to scoop the poo without chipping, bc it was just enough heat to prevent it from being seriously frozen to surfaces. But the poo was still frozen. If there's moisture, try a bag of pdz horse stall refresh (zeolite, same as chicken pdz but you get more for a more reasonable cost). That'll dry out the poo.
If your poo was still unfrozen, you may not need extra heat. Use feed bags, etc, things that won't retain moisture, to block the drafts & make sure the moisture is under control. Easter eggers are supposed to be pretty hardy, so if you do that while preserving ventilation, they should be fine. I remember reading somewhere about strips of fabric hung in a coop, but don't remember the details.

I tried moving them to the basement during a massive rainstorm once and they freaked the crap out so I’m thinking keeping them in the coop might be best.
The poo was frozen but scoopable yesterday. They weren’t huddled together when I tucked them in last night but it warmed up to a feels like of -10 by then. They really seem to stay pretty cozy in the coop, considering, and since it’s just 2 of them I think they’ll generate enough heat to warm it better than
The garage, actually. I might just add a couple more inches of bedding and keep them
Locked in there with food, and go out and offer water a few times during the day. They’ll be mad no matter what but what are you gonna do. It’s just a few days. Better than frozen chickens.
I have curtains over the nesting boxes for privacy. And a warming plate being delivered overnight… we’ll see if I can make that work.

It’s already got inches of snow around it, which actually helps, and we’re getting a few more inches by the weekend so that’ll help insulate it even more. The more I think about it the more I think it’s going to be ok… hopefully.

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

I did keep their old portable brooder pen thing that has a zip top. They wouldn’t have a ton of head room but I guess it would only be for a few days.

Where do you live?

 

[Sydney65]

I tried moving them to the basement during a massive rainstorm once and they freaked the crap out so I’m thinking keeping them in the coop might be best.
The poo was frozen but scoopable yesterday. They weren’t huddled together when I tucked them in last night but it warmed up to a feels like of -10 by then. They really seem to stay pretty cozy in the coop, considering, and since it’s just 2 of them I think they’ll generate enough heat to warm it better than
The garage, actually. I might just add a couple more inches of bedding and keep them
Locked in there with food, and go out and offer water a few times during the day. They’ll be mad no matter what but what are you gonna do. It’s just a few days. Better than frozen chickens.
I have curtains over the nesting boxes for privacy. And a warming plate being delivered overnight… we’ll see if I can make that work.

It’s already got inches of snow around it, which actually helps, and we’re getting a few more inches by the weekend so that’ll help insulate it even more. The more I think about it the more I think it’s going to be ok… hopefully.

I found it-it's actually for brooding, but if you find they need more, https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...possibly-no-supplemental-heat-at-all.1126460/

 

[Sydney65]

I tried moving them to the basement during a massive rainstorm once and they freaked the crap out so I’m thinking keeping them in the coop might be best.
The poo was frozen but scoopable yesterday. They weren’t huddled together when I tucked them in last night but it warmed up to a feels like of -10 by then. They really seem to stay pretty cozy in the coop, considering, and since it’s just 2 of them I think they’ll generate enough heat to warm it better than
The garage, actually. I might just add a couple more inches of bedding and keep them
Locked in there with food, and go out and offer water a few times during the day. They’ll be mad no matter what but what are you gonna do. It’s just a few days. Better than frozen chickens.
I have curtains over the nesting boxes for privacy. And a warming plate being delivered overnight… we’ll see if I can make that work.

It’s already got inches of snow around it, which actually helps, and we’re getting a few more inches by the weekend so that’ll help insulate it even more. The more I think about it the more I think it’s going to be ok… hopefully.

This should help ease your mind as well
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-my-chickens.1680793/post-28931175

 

[NatJ]

I might just add a couple more inches of bedding and keep them locked in there with food, and go out and offer water a few times during the day. They’ll be mad no matter what but what are you gonna do. It’s just a few days. Better than frozen chickens.

Is there a reason to lock them in?

Chickens are usually smart enough to go inside their coop if it is much more comfortable than outside, so I would consider leaving the pop door open so they can choose.

Even if outside is cold, the chickens may choose to go out to run around and flap their wings for a bit of exercise, or some other activity that makes sense to chickens, then go back inside where it is more sheltered. (Rather like how human children play outside briefly in cold weather even though they go inside again soon.)