Arctic Blast Coming - Any Suggestions?

[ccoscina]

This weekend an arctic blast is coming which will bring the temperature to 15 degrees below zero for one night. My chickens have never experienced this before, the coldest they have been through so far is about 2 degrees.

I recently purchased a heating pad which should help. It only raises the coop temperature by 5 to 10 degrees but they can get very warm if they stand next to it.

Do you believe a tarp would help? I want to make sure they get enough ventilation but I really want to reduce drafts as much as possible. I will also duct tape the ventilation window- it's shut but there are thin gaps around the edges.

I will also feed them hot oatmeal and give them warm water. But I'll only let them out for an hour or so on Saturday, I'll be keeping them inside most of the day. Will probably let them outside twice to make sure they get enough water, but if it's below zero they probably won't need much water anyway.

Any suggestions on what I should do is appreciated.

 

[DobieLover]

Do you believe a tarp would help?

No. It should not be necessary and you don't want to block ventilation. Can you post pictures of your coop?

I will also duct tape the ventilation window- it's shut but there are thin gaps around the edges.

This is not a good idea. Thin gaps around windows just add more ventilation. Are the windows at roost level? If they are then you might want to block any drafts.

warm water.

Warm water evaporates and makes a steam plume in very cold weather. A steam plume that the chickens have to put their faces in to get a drink. Then the moisture freezes on their skin and causes frost bite. Just have thawed water available.

But I'll only let them out for an hour or so on Saturday, I'll be keeping them inside most of the day.

I would let them decide if they want to go out. Water should be available during all waking hours.

They generate quite a bit of body heat via thermogenesis (digesting food). Making sure they have full crops at roost time the night before the big chill is very important.

I understand your concerns about the temperature drops and any large combed birds will likely suffer some frostbite no matter what you do in those temperatures. But as long as you provide them with a very dry, wind blocked, well ventilated coop with lots of dry fluffy bedding on the floor, they'll be okay.

My first year flock went through a night at -23F and the rooster lost the tips of his comb and that's it. It didn't seem to bother him much at all.

 

[theoldchick]

My Flock recently experienced 5 degree weather. All I did was provide a wind break area on one side of the coop. I used a transparent tarp that allowed sunlight in during the day. I also provided small home-made tee-pee tent for them to get into if they wanted to. I've seen people use large dog crates to provide shelter for the chickens to get into.

 

[Acre4Me]

If they can roost in a draft free area, that is great. Some people will add a tarp on the outside if a coop to better create a draft free area at the roost - but only people who have really drafty coops need to consider this.

The main thing we change with really cold weather is to add feed in the coop for 24/7 access. When they eat, it helps them generate heat. So, there is always thawed water in the coop, but we put in a feeder too.

Oatmeal not needed. Actually not that nutritious. If you are set on giving them a hot meal, then add boiling water to their feed, get it to an oatmeal consistency, sprinkle seeds on top for visual interest and enticement, and they will readily eat their proper feed, but warm!

Since it is short lived event, your chickens should be fine.

 

[ccoscina]

I covered most of the fence around the chicken run with a tarp to block the wind when they are outside. Hopefully it doesn't freak them out when they come outside tomorrow, but they'll get over it. The lack of light might make them eat and drink less, but if I decide to take it off then it will only be a 5 minute operation. We shall see how it goes.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Be careful with blocking ventilation, especially in cold weather. Birds naturally produce moisture, if not allowed to vent in cold weather, it can freeze and cause frostbite and other issues. I like the idea of a "non-ventilation blocking" wind break for a drafty coop.

Honestly, though...chickens seem to do far better with extreme cold than with extreme heat.

 

[triciayoung]

Hello: Looking at your coop, I can see what you mean about ventilation being at the roosting level, however, I do see an opportunity to create a hole (ventilation) at the top in between the ^. You could then secure it with hardware cloth. This may help for any future weather needs also. Additionally, not necessarily for this blast- too cold, but for warmer weather when wind is an issue, I have 6-mil plastic wrapped around my run - only 3- feet up from the bottom to cut the wind in cold weather so they can be outside. At first, they kind of freak out about the plastic moving in the wind, but they quickly got over it. I make sure it is as tight as possible to cut down on the plastic movement. @ccoscina

 

[DobieLover]

Here's a couple pics of my coop, one from the ad and one from my yard.

I'll avoid the tarp and warm water based on your points. I can't let the water be too cold though or it will freeze almost immediately. So I think lukewarm water will be okay - it will probably freeze within an hour or two anyway so it won't stay warm for long. I have already avoided giving them hot water because I notice they don't drink it. But if the water is too cold it can freeze in less than an hour in single digit temperatures, which goes against your principle of providing them water constantly.

The ventilation window IS at roost level, literally right at their butts which is why I want to temporarily seal it with duct tape. Also the window flap is metal, I might cover it with a blanket. There are other gaps that provide ventilation in the roof and around the door. I think i should still do this - the chances of freezing to death are way too high to worry about a little less ventilation. That is not the only ventilation that they have and they are predicting big wind gusts which will cause severe wind chill. If it's very windy then even with a little less ventilation gaps it will still recycle the air enough due to high wind.

I don't put water inside of the coop, only out in the run. If I put water in the coop, then water will inevitably spill in the coop, which is why I don't put it in there. Last year in a brutal blizzard when they wouldn't go out I put food and water in their coop. I already plan to toss in some warm oatmeal, chicken scratch, and pork chops when they aren't going out, I'll put these into the actual inside of the coop. Also the oatmeal will be mixed with water to help keep them more hydrated. I notice on cold days they stay inside the coop most of the day anyways. I'll mostly have them in the coop with the door shut but let them out in late morning and in the afternoon to eat and drink.

Have you wrapped the run in clear vinyl or shower curtains to block the wind leaving about 6" open at the top?

Reducing ventilation at all is far more likely to cause them to freeze to death then having adequate ventilation in these cold temperatures.

 

[Dakar2009]

Here is my attempt...

Put 6 mil plastic sheeting up as a wind-break all around the run and a little higher in the corner where they sometimes roost outside.

I closed "vent flap" I put on to deflect too much wind from going directly into the coop, but air can still flow past it.

My radiant heat plate is now plugged in next to their roosting bars inside.

Their water is on a heating plate in a corner (protected by the plastic) and hadn't been frozen over when I checked a little while ago. I'll keep checking that today.

Put food for them in the coop and a cracked corn snack cake to peck at, so I hope they'll spend more time inside there today.

And as predicted, they are mad at me because they want to come out and can't see me walking around the coop because of the plastic, lol

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I’m in northern MI UP. It was -12 F at 0800 today. I closed the main pop door to the attached run last night to cut down on floor level drafts then put a radiant oil filled space heater on medium. It kept the coop around 15 F. I place the heater under the poop boards so the hot air doesn’t go straight out the roof ventilation. The model heater I use works great, low risk of fire, has a tip alarm with auto shutoff.
I only turn the heat on if it will be well below zero.