angry!!!!! so angry!!

[Amethyste]

Same here... noninsulated coop with 9 birds and no issues...the coldest has been about 5 degrees F.

I would think they would be fine

 

[SurprisingWoman]

I would rethink having heat out for your girls. I completely understand wanting to make sure they are warm.

I have five girls in a coop that would be better for four (but they all turned out to be girls and five was the minimum purchase!) and it's not insulated. We had the coldest December in decades in Utah and my girls did fine, with temps regularly going down to 2.

If the power had gone out they wouldn't have been prepared to deal with the rapid change in temp.

As it was, I just made sure they DL was fresh and clean, the ventilation was good with no drafts and left them to it.

Just something to think about so you can live a more relaxed life.

 

[annie3001]

ya i have alcimated them to the cold, however with temps getting down to the 20s i just felt so awful!
if theres a power issue they are comming inside! (yeah right hubby would kill me) (but i could down in the basement!!!
ugh! I just feel awful when its so cold outside. I dont see any frostbite on their combs or feet, that kinda makes me feel good.
i dunno, but for now the heat lamp is gonna stay on.
i figure i have all of january and all of feb for the heat, i am shutting it off during day (sometimes

. if the runs open for them, seems like a waste to heat with the door open.

 

[LynneP]

I'm going tpo stand up for hubby, annie, I think he simply wanted to let you rest.
So long as they are dry, hens can tolerate a lot of cold.
But I agree about spare hardware, we're fussy about having extras, because sometimes it isn't possible to get to the store...

How are you managing with their water?

 

[B'villechicken]

I'm going to weigh in as well. The issue with your hubby notwithstanding, they should be ok. We have been in the single digits here north of Syracuse with 40" of snow the past threedays. I have a cookie tin water heater and no other heat source in the coop. Depending on your breed, I think they will do just fine.

 

[teach1rusl]

lol...you sound like me! I think we worry more when we only have a few birds. I do keep a few extra red bulbs of different wattages. That way, if it's not supposed to be REAL cold, I can use a lesser bulb. I have no doubt that my girls could survive down to zero or a little below, but I want more for them than mere survival.

And you can't begrudge hubby too much that he thought of you more than the girls...lol.

 

[QuailHollow]

Take a deep breath, dear. Everything is going to be OK!

 

[annie3001]

'm going tpo stand up for hubby, annie, I think he simply wanted to let you rest.
So long as they are dry, hens can tolerate a lot of cold.
But I agree about spare hardware, we're fussy about having extras, because sometimes it isn't possible to get to the store...

How are you managing with their water?cool




to answer the water question!!!!
i work till 11am, so i am home all day long.......constantly checking the water. i give them fresh water daily! i have seen it froze..... in the run mostly, i got a dozen bowls in their (all frozen water)
this time i put a pot (yeah from the house) ran out of big bowls!! then i deceided thats gross,, and its my pot for the kitchen!! so i brought it back in and melted the water from another bowl! (phew exhausted) anyways the waters not bad, i check my girls all the time. i love hearing them call my name when they seem me come out back (bbbeeekkk) dont know how to make a word out of their noise! lol.

 

[PoultryPedia]

I also worry about my chickens' comfort when it's real cold, plus greater susceptibility to disease.

You sound very conscientious about water which is way important in cold.

I'm not as good about getting to the coop as frequently, but have found if I hang the heat lamp (securely) a foot or so over their water bowl, it keeps the water from freezing. I also bought a timer plug (for less than $10) so I can set the heat lamp to automatically turn off and on at set times. I think it's preferable to have extra light in morning vs. evening when possible to prevent possibility of some chickens being left surprised and still on the floor when light turns off.

 

[LynneP]

I like the extra light in the morning too. It also means I get the eggs earlier and they don't freeze. Water is definitely the challenge of winter. I'm very pleased with my electric dog bowls. In the run I use rubber stock bowls so if I get some ice at the edges it comes out easily.

It's all fun!