Are my girls cold????

[Mrs. K]

if they are standard birds, you do not need a heater at 30 below zero. Below that you might. Do not add makeshift heat... many coops have burned down.

 

[ValerieJ]

Hi Friends!!

Just wondering about my hens getting cold at night? We live in Northern Nevada and it gets freezing here....so I had my hubs build a box to put on top of the coop bc this is where they roost at night, at the peaK of the coop. I made sure he cut a extra tall door but they want nothing to do with it! The lil s*#$ sleep on the flat part at the end of the coop right next to the door ..‍ So my question is will they be smart enough to go inside when it gets really cold with wind and snow or they will never like the new homemade, warm, cozy, box . Thanks friends! I worry about my girls

What chicken breeds do you have? I used to have a couple RIRs who slept in a tree year round, even though all their flock mates slept in the coop. They even slept in the tree when it was snowing. They never got frostbite, and never went inside, until an eagle plucked one out of the tree. That broke the other one of the habit, and me of allowing it. But, you say your run is secure, so I wouldn't worry about it.

One thing to check is if there are red mites inside the coop keeping them out. I understand these mites only come out at night, so you would have best luck finding them then. I've heard you can run a white cloth or paper towel along the underside of the roost and if it comes back red, that's red mites. I haven't dealt with these myself, so I might not have all the facts on them just right. It's just a thought of something that might be discouraging them from going in at night.

 

[Rookie chicken gal]

Hey Valerie! Thanks for the info....I did checks and we are good there and I clean their coop every morning when I give them their chopped salad I make up for them they are pretty darn spoiled and they are RIR I just want to make sure they are not too cold...it’s funny bc they walk around in it during the day....I guess if they get cold enough they will become smart enough to go inside

 

[ValerieJ]

Hey Valerie! Thanks for the info....I did checks and we are good there and I clean their coop every morning when I give them their chopped salad I make up for them they are pretty darn spoiled and they are RIR I just want to make sure they are not too cold...it’s funny bc they walk around in it during the day....I guess if they get cold enough they will become smart enough to go inside

That's what I think. RIRs are very cold hardy birds.