Below zero/young chickens outside...

[Matilda Belle]

I put some chicks outside this past weekend and they seem to be doing fine in the coop with a sweeter heater. It has been 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit recently. Over the next few days it's going to dip down into the negatives. There will be a wind chill affect too, but my coop is draft free so I'm not concerned with that. The chicks were some I purchased so I don't know their exact ages. I would guess three of them to be 3 months old, and one might be closer to 2 months old. Do you think they'll be okay in this cold with a sweeter heater?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Is a sweeter heater the overhead infrared brooder?
If so, I think they'll be fine. 4 of them under a heat source and at least 2 months old.
There is no wind chill effect inside the building. Wind chill is the effect of temperature and wind velocity on skin. If there are no drafts in the building, there is no windchill.
Not for chicks but I keep fans blowing into the building year round in my building with only one window but ridge vent. My other buildings have huge openings on both east and west walls with wind blowing right across the roost. I understand your pullets are small but I don't put much stock in the 'no draft' advice.
Not yours, but most chickens are outside all day, they are therefor in a draft all day.

 

[Matilda Belle]

Is a sweeter heater the overhead infrared brooder?

Yes. It doesn't heat the entire coop, just under the brooder.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I just noticed your screen name. Are these silkies?

Keep in mind, a mother hen doesn't heat all ambient air, just the spot under her and they do fine in cold. Your birds would no longer be under a setting hen anyway. They aren't that fragile, but I've never raised silkies.

 

[Matilda Belle]

I just noticed your screen name. Are these silkies?

Silkies and satins (part cochin).

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've had 5-1/2 week old chicks go through nights in the mid 20's Fahrenheit with no supplemental heat at all. These were regular large-fowl chicks, nothing exotic about them at all. Mine had been exposed to older temperatures so they were acclimated, not sure how much exposure to cold yours have actually had. I'd think at those ages if they had been exposed to cooler temperatures they'd be fine without heat but if you can keep an area of the coop warm I don't see any problems at all.

 

[Matilda Belle]

I've had 5-1/2 week old chicks go through nights in the mid 20's Fahrenheit with no supplemental heat at all. These were regular large-fowl chicks, nothing exotic about them at all. Mine had been exposed to older temperatures so they were acclimated, not sure how much exposure to cold yours have actually had. I'd think at those ages if they had been exposed to cooler temperatures they'd be fine without heat but if you can keep an area of the coop warm I don't see any problems at all.

I first put them in the coop Sunday afternoon, so they've been exposed to colder temps for almost three days (20s-30s).

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I first put them in the coop Sunday afternoon, so they've been exposed to colder temps for almost three days (20s-30s).

That's cool. The danger comes when people move chickens of any age from room temperature into frigid temps.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I first put them in the coop Sunday afternoon, so they've been exposed to colder temps for almost three days (20s-30s).

That helps if hey have really been exposed to them and not kept warm with a heater. I don't have any hard and fast numbers on time but I'm not sure that is long enough. I'd probably want to give hem another week or so of exposure before it dipped into the negatives. But that is just a guess.

 

[Mrs. K]

In SD we have pretty wild temperature swings all through the winter, right now we are near 0, and it is suppose to be 55 degrees on Friday. A healthy 3 month old bird should be perfectly fine with some protection. Or at least in my experience.