calling any one from missouri

[Erinnlyn]

Hi fellow Missourians. How many are ready for the arctic blast? Soooo many posts asking for advice on super cold weather. I have read so many varying opinions on how chickens survive it. I just read a post on FB that saying chicks 11 weeks are way too young to handle the negative temps we are about to have. I have 3 10-week-olds out there. Now I'm worried. I do not heat the coop, but I have provided them with a K & H heated perch so they can use it as they wish. I've covered all the drafty doors on the coop. I try to keep poop cleaned out(keep bedding dry), and put plastic around the run part. I have really packed tight flakes of rye grass hay as their base in the coop with pine shavings mixed in. They have two 14-week-olds to cuddle with, so 5 youngins all together. This is my first winter with ones this young, and thought they were all good since fully feathered, but second guessing only now after reading other opinions. What do you all think? Anybody had young ones out in very bitter Missouri winter? I'd die if I came out to find them frozen to death. Please tell me my 10-week-olds will be OK!!!!! Thank you! Stay warm all!

Update: Well the young ones look like they're doing fine. I put up a tarp around their coop on the prevailing wind side. They have their heated perch and brooder plate to sit on. They occasionally walk around and stretch so I guess they feel fairly relaxed. It was 21F when I woke up, now thermometer says 0F. Dang wind blew off all my clear plastic I put around the bottom part to make them like a little "greenhouse" type area. Hope everyone and their feathered babies are staying warm!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

2" and -4°

Temp still dropping. Phone says -1 now. Mason says this is Bull

 

[The Moonshiner]

Temp still dropping. Phone says -1 now. Mason says this is Bull
View attachment 3356148

My phone says not even back to 0° until late tomorrow morning.
I'm thinking Mason is smarter then he looks.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

 

[shawluvsbirds]

My phone says not even back to 0° until late tomorrow morning.
I'm thinking Mason is smarter then he looks.

Well.. he is smart enough to turn the heated blanket on for himself so I'd imagine he is.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Smarter then me I guess. I don't even have a heated blanket but I'm wishing I did about now.

 

[PicoFarm]

It's 1*F outside at my place (1:15pm). Coop is about 7*F because a window is partially open (glass mishap) and only one 250 watt lamp (until I repair others).

I recall there was a thread somewhere about winter temp spread (coop/outside) but don't have time to hunt it down right now. Indoors I'm about to fire up my wood stove "Hank." ❤ Merry Christmas.

Hello, I am St. Louis raising Jumbo Brown Coturnix (quail). Nice to meet you! Adorable baby!

 

[1cock2hens]

Finally 1 degrees here as well with a nice dusting of snow. I'm glad it's just getting a few degrees cooler

 

[jthornton]

This is the heat in Coop Uno


One of the old gals going inside to warm up or just investigate the change.


Coop Deux heaters


Better view of the inside of Coop Deux


Coop Deux is fully insulated on the walls but nothing in the ceiling.

JT

 

[jthornton]

And it just started to snow here...


JT