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

[erinm]

I agree that you should not be losing them because of the cold. I read here once a cold chicken is ok A wet chicken is ok , acold,wet chicken is not ok. sorry about your chickens. I cry when I lose mine. It is heartbreaking to see them suffer then die. ErinM

 

[ml]

You can make quick and dry waters out of plastic containers like
milk jugs and clorox bottles. Just cut a hole in the side in a moon
shape or a up side down U with a straight bottom about few
inches up will work till you find some thing else you like. Normally most folks have these or at a place folks take laundery too will have some empties.

I use a dremel with a bit that is like a small round chain saw attachement to do mine. They work no one hops in either.

ML

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I'm sorry you've been having such terrible trouble.

How are your chickens walking in their water? Do you have it sitting on the floor? Can you elevate it? I put chick water up on a brick as they grow and adult water up on cinder blocks. I generally shoot for the food and water openings to be closer to the height of their backs.

Also, is their water freezing at all or is it heated? If it's freezing at times, they could have gotten in the habit of scratching surface ice away, before it freezes solid, to get at water underneath.

I hope you can figure something out.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

What kind of roost do you have for your birds? Even a couple inches off the floor will get them out of shavings that are wet. I have seen closet bars used as perches, as well as strudy branches from downed trees, but we used two by fours, and our birds seem to love them. Just remeber, chickens are not helicopters, they need to be able to jump from shelf to shelf! so if you angle them, it also keeps them from pooping on each other at night....

Heat also rises, so if your birds can get up higher, they will get warmer....

Also, we put our waterer up on a concrete block, so its at head level, but they cant get thier feet into it. Oh, and one last thought, if your waterers are not perfectly level, they will empty out onto the floor all by themselves! I learned that the hard way with a 7 gallon waterer.

Now with a raised waterer, and by aiming one of the heat lights at its base, I can keep my waterer from icing up, but I still have to open the bottom valve by hand twice a day, or it empties out over a long time....

Good Luck, I hope you can make something work.

 

[henlady]

I've tried the brooder lights in the past - but they're not efficient for more than a few birds sitting under them. I have 9 hens and a pretty tight coop - no insulation. Last year I spent a little $ on a flat panel heater - and it's priceless. I can keep it comfortable for them (usually between 25 and 40). On nights where it's 20ish I'll use my ceramic bulb heater that emits heat but no light. My indoor/outdoor wireless thermometer lets me know what the temp is in the coop. I liked the site I bought both heaters from.
http://www.shopthecoop.com/id82.html
I hope this helps people. The ceramic bulb will smell if dusty - so I clean it when cold. The flat panel never smells and I feel very comfortable having it in the coop. It's standing on top of the nest boxes - secured by wire to the ceiling - super safe! I sleep well at night ;-)
As for the deep little method - I know it works for some but hasn't for me. The moisture in their droppings and breath collects on the wall and floor - eventually leading to mold. I now touch up the shavings every couple of days - removing dampness, leaving only dry useful pine shavings. They seem much healthier since I've done this - no sneezing or signs of crd or anything. Smells great too!