Birds dying...extreme cold! **UPDATE** 12/23 PG 10

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Yeah...I couldn't figure it out--so I bundled up & spent about 45 minutes in the coop the other night...I should just take pics of them...it's weird...

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Yeah, I'll try those, next! It's like they are retarded!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Yes...and most of them were okay in cold with moderate protection & in an area free from drafts. My coop is not drafty at all and there are heat lamps...I was thinking the Houdans might be the first to go (they were), followed by Sumatras (I lost one hen, so far). I was thinking the Sultans or Porcelains would be next (lost two Sultans) and then maybe my Milles or Crevecoeurs...but I instead lost two Salmon Faverolles and one Muscovy! I thought that the Salmons in particular would be hardy...but they seem to be getting wet & then parading about in the runs (I had to lock everyone in because of them)!

Oh gosh... I just don't have any answers here for you. One more thought though. Do you have any Oxine by chance? It might not hurt to spray down your coop with it. That would be the only thing I can think of to do at this point.

I don't--but I posted a few days ago about getting some...just to be on the safe side.

I ordered some through Amazon (it was the cheapest) but with the airports & passes all closed, it looks like I won't be getting any until next week.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

I know you have a lot of birds... all I can suggest is the soda pop bottle waterers, and get the large bottles.
I have a 3gal galvanized font in the layer coop on a heated base, and they've not made a mess of that one (yet)

. Now, the cup-waterers I have in the breeder coop have been my nightmare... the pressure's too high, and after a little while they just don't hold the water back anymore and I'll come out to find anywhere from 2-5 gallons of water soaked up in the bedding in their pen. I have a pressure regulator valve on its way, but I'm so afraid of them getting too wet and cold, so I switched it off and switched over to the soda water bottles.
http://www.gundogsupply.com/-4449-2-.html
They're cheap, and I just keep a lot of bottles on hand to replace the empties. They still tend to fling it a little, but not as much as the other fonts.
Either that or you need to hang the fonts just high enough that they can reach the water, but not play in it. ?

Oh Heather, I'm so sorry...

you must be so sad right now.

Thanks for the link--I just ordered five of those--do they fit on the 20oz bottles? I am sure I can wire those up around the inside of the coop, somehow...Thanks!​

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Thanks! I have several rubbermaid tubs that may work for that...I'll have to go home & see what I can rig up! Thanks!

 

[Mrs MIA]

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Thanks for the link--I just ordered five of those--do they fit on the 20oz bottles? I am sure I can wire those up around the inside of the coop, somehow...Thanks!

Yep, they do.

I have twice as many bottles (I have a lot with 8 pens and a bunch of quail cages) so I can have some filled and ready to just pop into place. I've put the bottles in the dishwasher to clean them, but that only lasts maybe 3-4 times before they melt, so just clean them with bleach or a bottle-brush.

It really works well, and just hangs on 1" chicken wire. Good luck!

 

[Chick_a_dee]

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It's spelt Farrier, they also trim your horses feet

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Do you have a cold hardy breed? It does make a difference in the end. You could give them extra bedding, perhaps some straw or shavings on the floor to snuggle down in off the roosts if they feel like it. Stack some straw bales along the walls of your coop outside, that'll do wonders. Plastic wrap it like others said. It might just be that you don't have insulation, and that does make a significant difference.

But then again, they could have just been ill or starting to get ill and it was made worse by the cold temps.

Mine are fine, it's been as low as -25 outside with a windchill lower than that, with a 100 Watt bulb up just for light.

 

[Mrs MIA]

She said that her birds were getting wet... they'll chill and die if they stay wet for too long, especially at the temps she's been seeing. Hopefully a temporary adjustment in the watering system will help keep them dry.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Oop! Yes... I just read that, I didn't skim through all the posts.

Mine were making a mess of their water, so I put their waterer up on 2 cinder blocks. No problems since. I still get poop in the waterer sometimes cause one of the chickens likes to roost on the handle, but otherwise it worked great.

I guess the other option would be to start them on water bottles like the hamster cage kind. OR with those white/red waterers the little hole has a cap that you can take off. I unscrew mine, let it fill up the base, then screw it back on so it's not constantly releasing water. The downside with that is that you have to be out there every couple hours to release some more water, but it keeps them from messing with it too much.