-40F temps with windchill here over the next few days

[Callender Girl]

Actual temperature here is minus 21 degrees right now. I refuse to even check on the wind chill number since this part of Iowa is flat as a pancake and the wind NEVER seems to end here (I am transplanted from the part of the state that has hills and trees that block the wind and look nice, too).

My birds have all been staying in their coops and I have been overfeeding like crazy. Plus, I have been making sure everyone has water. One of the Sapphire Gems continues to lay and I race outside regularly to make sure her efforts aren't frozen.

However, my geese seem to take little notice of the cold and wind. When I opened their shelter door yesterday morning they ambled out of their "house," which offers protection from wind and plenty of straw for bedding, and plopped themselves outdoors all day.

While they were busy not eating their provided food, I noticed tons of sparrows and juncos were more than happy to eat commercial offerings. I just keep reminding myself that if those tiny critters can survive this weather, my pampered babies with their shelter, extra food and access to water can make it too.

Good luck everyone and think warm thoughts! It won't last forever!!

 

[Melky]

I live in Canada. I have almost 69 trips around the sun. I have been keeping birds for decades. I am also witnessing the same sort of weather. My metal chicken coop is insulated my pigeon loft is not (¼ plywood) and I have been keeping the vents closed as of late. I also have been feeding "WHOLE CORN" as a supplement. I have no extra heat or light in either structure. A few of my chickens have been with me since 2012. Those 2012 birds for the most part have stopped laying. When they do lay the eggs are sometimes without a shell just a membrane sack or at best a thin shell.

Yes I do have a small feeders with calcium available to all my birds 24/7.

That being said I still average 3 eggs a day from 10 healthy and a few old hens. There are 3 levels in my coop and the birds have been not venturing out side of it now for months.
They are vocal and content for the most part in both buildings.

View attachment 1657921

Coop dimensions are 4'x8'

I add oyster shell to my chickens feed in the ratio recommended along with poultry grit so they for sure get the min and max, no waste as well. This keeps my eggshells healthy and strong. I use Manna Pro from TSC in the largest bag. I would also make sure they are on a good quality layer food with at least 16% protein. Sometimes the quality of the food can impact the strength and quality of the egg. Sounds like they winter well. I feed dried mealworms for the protein. Corn is not a good source of protein but empty carbs mostly. Might consider weaning to another better protein treat to see if it makes a difference in eggshell quality. Just a thought! I hope my girls do as well now when older! I know they may slow down but hope their egg quality holds.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I hope their egg quality holds.

Every flock and bird varies. I have noticed with the Golden Comets (they go under different name depending where you get them) the frequency of eggs and shell quality diminishes especially if they are lucky enough to live in my case 6+- years. My girls all die of natural causes for the most part except for the occasional loss to a predator. I have yet to find a solution to old age in my egg producers.

My girls do get extra protein from other sources such as table scraps and fish by products especially now that ice fishing is in full swing in my area. Variety in diet seems to be the secret to good health in chickens as well as in humans. Too much of a good thing is still bad for you in most cases.

 

[LamarshFish]

No No No don't seal off ventilation.

With my aviary opening blocked off with the original piece of wood it was cut from leave about 1/8" space all around it, and the seam between my loft's roof and it's walls leaves a bit of space as well. I think this is enough for a few days. The warm air from their bodies should rise to the top and create a bit of capillary motion in the air.

I turned my loft light on this morning so they could see in there today, will turn it off this evening.

I dumped out the last contents of a drinker this morning and the water drops froze before they even it the ground.

 

[Andrew Myers]

Polar vortex here in Michigan. Night time lows around -10F, -40F with wind chill, and daytime high of -2F without windchill.

My loft is out of the wind, but I'm wondering if there's anything else I should do with my birds. I could go nuclear and bring them in my garage one by one and keep them in a large dog cage for a few days, or just seal off all openings in my loft and hope they tough it out.

I assume there are some folks here in the midwest who are facing this same issue.

Yeah my chickens didn't hatch this week and they couldn't ship because of our weather, right now it is -35 and Thursday it is meant to be -45. It's horrible.

 

[WindingRoad]

With my aviary opening blocked off with the original piece of wood it was cut from leave about 1/8" space all around it, and the seam between my loft's roof and it's walls leaves a bit of space as well. I think this is enough for a few days. The warm air from their bodies should rise to the top and create a bit of capillary motion in the air.

I turned my loft light on this morning so they could see in there today, will turn it off this evening.

I dumped out the last contents of a drinker this morning and the water drops froze before they even it the ground.

I'm a bit confused. Your avatar show a beautiful pigeon. Are we talking about a coop for chickens or pigeons? If the later I don't know about the coop situation you need. I don't know much about pigeons.

 

[Andrew Myers]

I'm a bit confused. Your avatar show a beautiful pigeon. Are we talking about a coop for chickens or pigeons? If the later I don't know about the coop situation you need. I don't know much about pigeons.

Oh yeah well mine is Iggy Azalea!

 

[WindingRoad]

Oh yeah well mine is Iggy Azalea!

?????

 

[Andrew Myers]

?????

My avatar lol.

 

[WindingRoad]

My avatar lol.

Where is there a pigeon in your avatar?