Anyone in Path of Current Arctic Vortex with Chickens Roosting Outside?

[centrarchid]

If you can check on them as night progresses to see if they come down off the roost to find a more sheltered location. When I had them roost in trees, they would often come down during the extreme cold events. The following nights they would either roost in a more protected location like provided by a conifer tree or move some distance to roost in a building. Some would hunker down in high weeds or even venture into dog house to sleep on dog. I will be checking a couple times through night, but windchill here not likely extreme enough to cause such a move.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I have a handful of chickens that prefer to roost in the roofed run rather than in the 2 available coops...there is plenty of room in there, too! Normally, I let them roost where they want, but tonight I went in and moved the 5 girls to join their flock mates in the bigger coop. They will stay when moved, so with the frigid overnight windchills coming tonight and tomorrow night, I wanted them to get them out of the cold.

 

[centrarchid]

I have a handful of chickens that prefer to roost in the roofed run rather than in the 2 available coops...there is plenty of room in there, too! Normally, I let them roost where they want, but tonight I went in and moved the 5 girls to join their flock mates in the bigger coop. They will stay when moved, so with the frigid overnight windchills coming tonight and tomorrow night, I wanted them to get them out of the cold.

That works. I am certain others here have moved birds in from run. Will be interesting to see how folks respond and see what the birds do.

 

[centrarchid]

There will be a spate of frostbite from this.

 

[centrarchid]

Looks like we will bottom out around -7 F with windchill in the mid -20's F. Meteorologists are having a hard time nailing forecast down even within a few hours. All of my roosters are crowing.

 

[Nardo]

All of my roosters are crowing.

I am so interested in this. Have you noticed that they crow when it's windy or if bad weather is coming or ?

 

[Acre4Me]

There will be a spate of frostbite from this.

Yesterday I noticed 1 point on BJG comb was looking a bit black, another point looking whitish..so we will see what the end result is in a few days. Surprisingly, an EE (pea comb?) had what looked like a black area on one bump on comb. Everyone else looked ok.

 

[centrarchid]

I am so interested in this. Have you noticed that they crow when it's windy or if bad weather is coming or ?

No. Some the apparent changes in crowing are related to me going out and listening more. Photoperiod increasing and mild temperatures might promote real increases in crowing.

 

[centrarchid]

My birds are coming through very well. Seeing some really interesting activity with goat herd out side my office. They are acting very much like my free-range chickens.

Major disaster ongoing with fish as well pump went down. I bet cold related. Having to roll an oxygen cylinder around between tanks to increase oxygen levels to compensate for ammonia buildup and temperature increase. I am already up to about 50 lbs of fresh chicken feed and need to get well back ASAP.

 

[centrarchid]

I am seeing lots of frost bite on combs and wattles of roosters with a lot of head gear. Even birds kept inside overnight got it. Inside birds got when they came out. Hens and toes on all birds did fine. Overall, not bad.