Any suggestions on how to solve our frostbite problem?

[Bogtown Chick]

I'm in Florida and temperature tonight are going to be on the 30's. Should I be worried. They have an open run which I added wood boards to make a L against the wind and put three red heat lamps in

No need to worry dolfi. They are not used to it that cold I know...but one night like that will not hurt them. Put some bag balm on their combs if you wish. Make sure they are well ventilated, but out of drafts, and kept dry through the night. 30's are pretty easy for chickens to handle.

 

[viktoriacl]

Honestly this is my friends chicken. I am having mine made at https://www.facebook.com/twoknottymamas He claims they don't get them off! Maybe they like them

 

[Triple Willow]

I live in northern Alberta and we have temps of -40 at times. I feed only layer ration no scraps and give fresh snow in their bowls every day. My flock is very healthy and no frost bite problems. I still even get a couple of eggs a day although they freeze solid and crack before I get to them usually

Hey Waffle. You mention that you put fresh snow in their bowl every day. Do you do that instead of water? I can see how that might work instead of dealing with frozen water.

 

[jdoane]

They may not have hands, but I've seen them try to wipe the Vaseline off with their feet - they are pretty agile!! LOL

Mine definitely try to wipe the Vaseline off their combs with their feet!

 

[dolfi]

No need to worry dolfi.  They are not used to it that cold I know...but one night like that will not hurt them.  Put some bag balm on their combs if you wish.  Make sure they are well ventilated, but out of drafts, and kept dry through the night.  30's are pretty easy for chickens to handle.

Thank you. I was getting so worried. Hate to lose my babies because my inexperience.

 

[shmccarthy]

I have 9 chickens right now in a 10x20 covered run and they have a two story coop to go in. The windy side of the run is covered by tarps to help with the windchill factor but it's been consistently -20 to -35 the last week here. I live in mid michigan and even here we're not too used to that consistently cold temperatures. The coop is always open to the run and only about half the time they will sleep in the coop. Their favorite spot to sleep is a roosting bar in the corner of the run where it is most covered by the tarps. I had a heated water dish in the run for them but the constant cold weather caused it to implode? Somehow?? I've noticed some frostbite on 2 of the roosters combs that are the largest.

 

[Shimmana]

I have three small chicken house on wheels. In one I have no heat, second one heat lamp, and third two heat lamps. The chickens have a choice as to where they can go. So far during temperatures of minus 27 degrees they have chosen to sleep in the one with one heat amp and two heat lamps. I do allow them to go out during the day. So far no frost bite.

 

[Joan71]

There is an excellent article on BYC learning center that talks about proper ventation and one on how to treat frostbite.

The ventilation article tells us to vent under the eves. To leave space for the air to move up and out. If it should get really really cold as we have now, to block only the vents on the wind side and open more on the other side.

I had to add tarps to my coop to protect from the cold. But left the vents open at the top for air flow.

As for the wattles, I was told to put the Vaseline on before I put them down for the night. If it was really cold during the day to repeat the Vaseline as needed. The black is dead skin killed by the frost. Putting the Vaseline on quite thick is suppose to help prevent the frostbite.

As bad as your weather has been and we received some of it too. You probably did all you could to protect them. The Learning Center covers just about every subject I have had to look up. Just key in ventelation or frostbite and the article will come up. Good luck with your flock. I am learning just how tough my girls are. It got down to 12 degrees here in SC which is really cold for us. For my peace of mind, they ended up on my enclosed back porch so I wouldn't have to brave the cold to check on them. They wanted back in their coop this morning so they could lay their eggs in their nest. I put them out and they did fine. I have had my chicks for 9 months and it is a continuous learning process.

Good luck.

 

[Shasty57]

I have read all these good suggestions and now I have questions. I was told "deep litter" method helps keep the chicken house warm. Is this wrong? I also feed my chickens warm oatmeal on the cold mornings. I feed it outside of their house just so it doesn't get so messy in their house (with the wood chips). I have 10 young hens and 1 young rooster, all born last spring or early summer. I usually get 3 eggs a day even on the coldest days. I have a pop door leading into their "pen", an enclosed roomy (20 by 16 ft. heavy duty covered kennel). I would like to know if it's okay to feed them warm food if it isn't inside their house. I also am not sure about what other ventilation I need. I have the pop door and one of the windows facing south cracked open a little. I have never felt a draft in the house and it has been pretty cold here lately. The other day I shut up their pop door and put a 100 watt light bulb to get them through this cold spell. Today I opened it back up and turned off the light. It was about 28 degrees outside which was pretty warm here! My question- is it okay to have a light on them only when the temps drop (-30 windchill) or should I turn the light back on them since they had it for two days. Much warmer now, it is 21 degrees out now, real feel is 13. My chickies are mainly for pets. I do not want them to freeze but I also don't want to keep a light on them and make them continue to lay eggs when they wouldn't otherwise. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or thoughts.

 

[SIMZ]

Might I say that this thread is all fine and well but there are layers of considerations to be made based on where you live--i.e. your climate (a dry cold like where I live or maritime Northeast or Northwest with moisture laden cold). How many birds do you have in your coop? How tall is your coop in relation to the roosting bars (can humidity keep rising above your birds at their roost level and out the coop) . I think there are rapid weather events where outdoor humidity "Mother nature" is very difficult to fight against before temperature drops...these events are the worst for frostbite. And personally I believe "cold is cold" dry or humid. And this is where breed research for your area (picking the right comb and wattles) is key.

That being said there are basics to dealing with frostbite. And that is keeping things as dry as you can in the coop. removing Poop, regularly will help. Using dry pine shavings seems to absorb moisture from poo better than hay IMHO. Ventilation as Two Crows has said above the birds roosting spot.

It seems that it must be a ventilation issue. The highest roosts are about 2 1/2-3 feet below the top of the coop. One eave has been open, but the other is blocked. We have 12 large and 6 bantam chickens in a roughly 8 by 10 coop. It has a 4 inch air gap between the double wall, but no other insulation.

We live in Northwest Indiana about 15 miles from Lake Michigan. Our temperatures are all over the place here. I start noticing frostbite around 15 degrees and it's usually just the roosters (unless I fed them warm oatmeal like last year....I can second your experience!). The rooster that has it this year has been roosting all by himself in front of a window. Poor guy is barely going to have any tips left after this winter.

I have talked to other people in my area that don't have problems with frostbite, so it makes me think I need to improve something.