Below 20 Degrees - any advice?

[Kakaruk]

Hello friends,

Please don't laugh at me for this, but I live in Central Texas (12 years actually) and have never experienced what is coming to us soon - under 20 degree weather! I also have kept chickens for years but never in cold conditions. For example, I used to live in New Guinea (tropics) and kept hundreds of layers and meat birds - cold was never a problem there.

Is there anything special I should do with my coop for them to sleep better at night? Or even for the run during the day? I probably will boil water and just carry it out in a pot to pour into the water. I do have hay straw in the bottom of my coop. The girls could cozy up at night next to each other. Should I do anything else? My coop has at least three sections of 'open' wire siding but I would say about 80-85% of the coop is sided with wood.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

As long as your birds are dry, in a well ventilated coop, and protected from strong winds (draft free) they will be fine.

Saw the weather, TX is getting a once a generation pounding from mother nature.

 

[Kale Chips]

It's -1*F outside and my chickies are doing just fine. The first few years I was really nervous that they would be frostbitten, but they have done great. No heaters, no special treatment, I just make sure they have water that isn't frozen over.

Stay warm!

 

[NatJ]

I probably will boil water and just carry it out in a pot to pour into the water.

They won't drink at night, so you might consider bringing the water into your own house so you don't have to thaw it in the morning.

Give them fresh water in the morning, and check several times during the day to make sure it's not frozen (or fix if it did freeze.)

Cold water is fine, warm water is fine, but don't make it so hot they burn their mouths.

Also, you can add water to some chicken food: they usually think it's a big treat and gobble it up fast, and then you know they got liquid as well as food. Just don't do so much it sits around and freezes.

 

[Handsfu1]

Hello friends,

Please don't laugh at me for this, but I live in Central Texas (12 years actually) and have never experienced what is coming to us soon - under 20 degree weather! I also have kept chickens for years but never in cold conditions. For example, I used to live in New Guinea (tropics) and kept hundreds of layers and meat birds - cold was never a problem there.

Is there anything special I should do with my coop for them to sleep better at night? Or even for the run during the day? I probably will boil water and just carry it out in a pot to pour into the water. I do have hay straw in the bottom of my coop. The girls could cozy up at night next to each other. Should I do anything else? My coop has at least three sections of 'open' wire siding but I would say about 80-85% of the coop is sided with wood.

Great question, I too am in Texas bracing for this weather!

 

[ChicNmom]

IMO Northern birds are fine and used to the cold temps but the southern birds are not acclimated to the sudden shift in temps.
You might consider stapling some sheet plastic along the open wire section to give them more of a wind break. The straw is a good insulator. If it stays cold for a while then they will get used to it just like people do.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

There's been a rash of people suffering unseasonable - ok wrong word, I've not had my coffee - how about "extremes of seasonal weather for their location" expressing concerns about their birds. Perfectly normal. Healthy.

Much healthier, for you and your birds, than some who have "humanized" them and insist on treating their flock as they would be treated. Better that they be treated like birds, and offered conditions birds like (or protected from extremes outside those ranges. Thankfully, chickens are tolerant of a far broader range of temperatures than we are - dry and draft free are about all they need until its colder than most of the US ever gets, or hotter than much of the US ever becomes.

We humans? 30-60% humidity and temps between 64 and 70 degrees F make us happy. We are the wimps of the animal world.

 

[Kakaruk]

Ok, so thanks ya'll. I got a bulb lamp out there in the coop. My girls are not used to this. My heat lamp bulb burned out but I have a regular light bulb out there trying to keep things warm. The projection is 7-8 degrees..... in the next day or two. By thursday it's supposed to be back up in the 40s.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Ok, so thanks ya'll. I got a bulb lamp out there in the coop. My girls are not used to this. My heat lamp bulb burned out but I have a regular light bulb out there trying to keep things warm. The projection is 7-8 degrees..... in the next day or two. By thursday it's supposed to be back up in the 40s.

A light left on will prevent sleep for them. Birds are particularly sensitive to it.
Tired birds are grumpy and prone to fight.

My advice is to remove the light.

After a couple decades keeping birds here in Colorado I have learned to relax a lot.
Observe the birds. You will find that healthy fully feathered birds are not phased by the temps you will be having.

We will be hitting a negative 18 Sunday night. While I despise that temp my birds are all well prepared to handle it in their down coats.

 

[Happy hen lover]

Ok, so thanks ya'll. I got a bulb lamp out there in the coop. My girls are not used to this. My heat lamp bulb burned out but I have a regular light bulb out there trying to keep things warm. The projection is 7-8 degrees..... in the next day or two. By thursday it's supposed to be back up in the 40s.

I have been using a regular old light bulb. Like 60 watt or 100 if you can find it . I put them in a heat lamp metal globe with the metal cage guard. I also use deep litter. It keeps the coop at 29 degrees. They put off a lot of heat of their own. I have 5 hens in my flock . Good luck , they really are pretty hardy.