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

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Well, I lost another one today (another Salmon Faverolle pullet) and have two more that do not look so good.

The outside temps are around 10 degrees and it is 17 degrees in the coop.

I discovered the reason they are dying...they are getting WET. I have tried everything I can think of, including spending lots of money on different waterers and finally settled on several white/red waterers with the very small openings for the water to come out. However, they are still splashing/walking in the water, getting chilled & dying. The latest fatality, my husband just called me at work and told me one of my FAVORITE pullets was dead when he went out to give them fresh water. He said she was still slightly warm to the touch, but "definitely dead.¨ He said it looked like she was "TRAMPLED?¨

I still have the two 250 watt heat lamps, lots of straw, nest boxes, cardboard boxes and now, insulated ceiling, but all to no avail. We were supposed to be leaving tonight for Portland but due to the weather, we're not going now, at least until Thursday morning. My hubby thinks we should just stay home because of the roads and because my chickens are dying left & right and the person that is taking care of them means well, but cannot possibly check on them several times a day, let alone nurse them along if they are sick or dying. I have two in the bathroom right now in Rubbermaid tubs, getting heated back up (slowly). They are eating/drinking but my bantam Salmon Faverolle Roo has badly frostbitten toes (tips turned black) and the bantam Sultan pullet had her feet in blocks of ice this morning, like a cartoon. Sighs.

 

[verthandi]

I think this is so odd that you keep losing them to cold. I'm not saying it isn't as you are saying, but I live where it is very cold and I have polish and showgirls and they do fine without heat and their coop is cold. I have found that the red plastic bottle waterers work best for them. The ones that are gallon size for my big coop and the quart size ones for the small coops. I put them up on a small plastic pail. They can just reach in at chest height to drink. Maybe you have tried that already.

I hope you find a solution, it must be so upsetting to keep losing them. Best wishes for something to work for you and your flock.

 

[Mourningdove]

So sorry about your loss, this may sound abit off the wall but since people are known to put plastic over windows why couldn't you do that with a chicken coop?

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Yeah, I've never had troubles before...but I've never had the vast array of rare breeds that I have now, either.

I've done several heights of waterers, different styles of waterers and all to no avail.

They do not seem like hardy breeds...although I was hoping my Salmon Faverolles would survive.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
Well, I'd need A LOT of plastic...it's a BIG coop! Not to mention the runs & if I covered those, they would bend/break the runs for sure with the amount of snowfall we get here...I've insulated the insides of the coop and it's staying about 10 degrees warmer in there than it is outside...which is an improvement...but the birds just are not staying dry.

 

[gumpsgirl]

This really is strange and I hate that you are having so many troubles with your birds. The whole water thing really leaves me scratching my head. I've never had any of my chickens splash around in their waterers until they get wet. Hmmm... Sure wish I could help.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

I thought I should add that I took one of my last dead birds to the vet who sent blood & tissue to WSU for testing (cost me over $100) and everything came back negative for disease. The vet decided that it was acute hypothermia.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
I should have my hubby use his digital video camera to record them in the waterers...it's weird.

 

[gumpsgirl]

That really is the strangest darn thing. Have you done any research on the breeds that are dying on you? I mean have you checked to see if they do well in the cold or not? Maybe those breeds just aren't cold hardy. That is my only thought here.

 

[patandchickens]

How on earth (and why on earth) are they walking in their waterers????

But, pop bottle waterers would totally solve the problem, 100%. You will need a *bunch*, b/c you'll need to rotate them into the house several times a day on account of freezing, but do it often enough to keep them supplied with water and that should take care of the problem for the survivors.

Alternatively, rig their gallon waterers up so the birds have to reach their head thru a hole cut in the side of the cage to reach the waterer placed just outside the cage wire. If that makes sense. Not really *outside* outside, but sort of 'in' the cage wall, you know, sort of like a water trough shared between 2 horse paddocks? That would give them a whole big lot less to get into.

And then of course try to figure out what it is about your coop setup or management that's leading them to get so wet, so's to be able to go back to using regular waterers when possible.

Good luck,

Pat