Anyone else losing chickens to freezing temps in the south?

[chickenguysmom]

Lost one of our old gals last week. She was dead out in the pen. This week it was one of our young hens (just 10 mos old). She was dead at the bottom of the coop. Coop has a heat source and it doesn't stay as cold as outside. Still, that's 2 birds in the span of 7 days. The old one I understand, the young gal has me worried.

Anyone else in the south losing birds. Our flock was small at 8. Now there are 6. All are bantams. ???

 

[dichotomymom]

Are you sure it's the cold that got her?

 

[19hhbelgian]

I was thinking the same thing. It's been down in the single digits with high winds here, and we haven't lost any. I have 2 heat lamps in the coop, so they cuddle together under the lamps. Some of them still roost though. I have australorps all the way down to seramas. My oldest serama girl, checkers, needed to go in the shed with the 4 month olds, but otherwise everybody else is ok. Good luck!!

 

[chickenzoo]

Just like people animals get use to their reg temps. When it has gone so out of the ordinary it affects them. Sorry about your losses. Check for other reasons, but this cold could be part of the problem.....

 

[RoseRanch]

We got quite a bit of snow here in Oklahoma Chrstmas Eve, it is still melting. This week is the first week I have not had to chop ice on the pond for the cows. It was froze solid. As far as our chickens go, we feed more corn during the winter than the summer because it helps heat them from the inside. We also hang old carpet over the barn doors to help keep the heat in. I do not have heat lamps in my barns, but have not lost any birds either, and we have been in the single digits.....maybe I just got lucky. Im sorry you have lost your two, it gets very frustrating this time of year.

 

[Sjisty]

I have one hen that had gotten pretty skinny. I don't know if it is because of the cold. The other chickens started picking on her, too. She has been living in my living room for a week now and is doing very well. I let her out during the day but she comes back in at night. She is becoming quite the house chicken!

I notice some of my chickens aren't coming out of the coop as early in the morning as they used to, but other than that they seem to be fine. The ducks are still swimming in their baby pool, which makes me cold just watching! They all get a warm meal in the afternoons, either oatmeal or just a heated table scrap mixture.

 

[Chicken Chaperone]

Chickenguysmom, I'm so sorry for your loss of 2 sweethearts! That's a hard thing to go through no matter what the reason.
I think the problem is about acclimation- and the cold temps. I know in the span of 10 days
we had temps here that ranged from the high 60's all the way down to negative numbers if you count wind chill.
The folks who are in a deep freeze in the north have been there for ages and probably got there slowly so the animals
became accustomed to it over time. For us it was a shock to the system in every way! Now today we're back up to 60 degrees
and 65% humidity. 60+ degree temperature changes have got to be hard on animals- wouldn't you think? I do.
and again, I'm so sorry for your loss.. hopefully spring is on the way and we can hope for better weather for everyone!

 

[saladin]

I've talked to folks all over the South and most are losing older birds: mostly those that were not thru with the molt. saladin

 

[peepsnbunnies]

I agree with Chickenzoo. Just like in people - folks that live in the south get cold quicker and can not tolerate as much cold as folks that live in northern climates. I think animals are the same to an extent. We have some cold snaps here in central FL during the winters - but for the last several weeks we have had an extended cold spell. I did not take an chances - I put work lights in the coops and youngsters in my shed and my garage. Created a lot of extra WORK! But I felt like it was needed.

 

[LynneP]

...and dehydration is a huge issue in the cold. Sometimes birds huddle and do not seem to know they should be drinking. If you get a shrinking comb and fluffed birds, you should intervene and feed water by dropper if needed,and/or take the birds into shelter. I think those of you in the south have now been in a crisis situation longer than you had imagined and birds that were borderline are now in trouble. Get those coops and runs baffled from the wind, and consider keeping the birds in if any have been showing signs of dehydration and feeling cold. You are not expected to have cold-hardy birds down there. I had my birds in for 3 days recently during a bitter spell and they will be in on Sunday and Monday if the weather is bad again. And my hens are tough little nougies...