Can chickens stand the cold weather?

[JackE]

JackE,

I see decines even with supplemental lighting. COld stress I think is reason. Cold snaps result in temporary declines in egg output.

I can understand and agree with that. I mean if a molt takes it out of them a bit, with no eggs as their energys are used elsewhere. If it is really cold, they just might hunker done and shut off the egg plant for a spell.
Jack

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I think cold is such a relative term....about a week ago my friends and I had a good laugh when it was a frigid 55 in L.A.....There were news clips all over facebook while today it is a balmy 40 in good old South Dakota and I wore only a fleece jacket outside all day (there is no wind). So just because you are cold doens't mean you chickens are and when someone from Canada asks about the cold you know they mean COLD....Not to insult anyone but I find humor in people from lets say Florida giving advice to someone from a place like Alaska on cold weather but it may just be me... Anyway stay warm everyone wether that be 40 or 80 F lol


As far as adding heat have you ever been in your car with the heat on then gotten out and it feels crazy cold or went outside where its hot for a bit and then when you go back to A/C it feels like it is freezing in the house. That is what happens to chickens with supplemental heat. They get used to it so of course it feels cold when they go outside and then they never will. Also, you have to account for what happens if there isnt any power to warm them....do you then just leave them to their own devices?

No. I have the luxury of back up buildings and or generator if it was crazy cold and that would be if I felt like they were really needing it at all. I'm just dabbling with low wattage lights and they are not seeing temps much over 20 degrees on average at roost level anyways. I could probably skip it all together and it would have little affect on them whatsoever. But they are somewhat important to me these birds and if I want to take the bite out of pretty nasty winter temps with a 25 watt light bulb I don't think I'm doing them un due harm.

I do agree with you on the winter advice of those from the south to those in the north. Those birds just are acclimated to different weather "extremes" and have different tolerances based on their environment and weather patterns.

 

[wyan5]

I know y'all probably laugh at us southerners for being so sensitive to cold. But let me tell you... A wet cold is the nastiest thing! I wish we had dry cold weather! Oh well...

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Here is what I do with my two shed coops in the winter (keep in mind here in the Pac. NW it is rain/fog, rain/fog, rain/fog most of the winter- if I go outside I can get soaked from the fog walking around my yard):

SHED #1- Metal shed with large fowl: uninsulated, condensation dripping constantly from fog all winter from ceiling and walls, rain pours in the edges/sides on the floor, well-ventilated and air fresh all year but WET. No drafts. Sand on floor. They get a 100 watt bulb for 3 hours a day in the morning to add daylight. When it dips to the 20's I add a second 100 watt bulb that runs all night (rare here- maybe 2 weeks a year). This is simply a windbreak coop. It is the same temperature inside as out.

SHED #2- Plastic shed with tiny (Nankin and d'Uccle) bantams: double wall insulated, wet in winter with leaking water around edges and damp walls/ceiling from fog. Well-ventilated and air fresh all year but WET. No drafts. Sand on floor. This coop is warmer. You feel the warmth when you enter due to the insulation. I have a thermocube in here that turns on a 100 watt bulb when it goes below 35 degrees. I run a second 100 watt bulb when it goes into the 20's.

Oh, and there is a nasty wind too sometimes, as they are at the top of a hill.

My bantams will stay in the shed all day when it is bitter outside. My large fowl wander around outside even in very bitter cold weather (20's). Our winter weather is usually in the 40's and 50's during the day with 30's at night or so, sometimes warmer at night than that.

My one pound bantams would suffer tremendously in the metal shed and my large fowl would be uncomfortably warm in the plastic shed with the light on.

Go with your gut as your coop's microclimate might be different from someone else's- and most importantly, your chickens become acclimated to your climate. A large temperature drop suddenly might be very dangerous for them, especially if they are wet. But hey if they are used to the climate and have a dry coop then that's different.

Boy do I wish I could keep a dry coop. I'd have to run a dehumidifier.

 

[maggielulu]

i have a Stanley heater in my coop. coop is somewhat insulated. it has carpet on three walls. its all i had. stays 40 degrees f in there. chickens come out when temps are above freezing. i have 10 layers and am getting 7 to 9 eggs a day.
going on my second year raising chickens

 

[GA_Gypsy]

My hens seem to do fine in this unusually chilly, wet weather. No insulation and no heat lamp (it's only GA ya know). But I am concerned about my 2 turkeys. They refuse to be cooped up and always roost way up on top of the shed. No matter the weather, they are always in the same spot the next morning. Tonight we're supposed to get a little snow and ice. I always figure that if they're ever THAT miserable, they'd go under the shed's cover. But I still worry about them and always just wish they'd get enough sense to move!!!!

.

 

[Trauma]

I live in MI, and we have pretty cold temps here. We have had single digits a couple nights ago and my girls were fine. I supply a light to make up for the lack of sunlight on the short winter days but it offers no heat. I currently have six hens and I'm usually getting 5 eggs per day. I think the key to cold weather is ventilation and keeping their coop dry. Just my $.02

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I know y'all probably laugh at us southerners for being so sensitive to cold. But let me tell you... A wet cold is the nastiest thing! I wish we had dry cold weather! Oh well...

I understand a damp cold vs. dry cold and it is way nasty. There's a little more moisture on the wind today up here and it goes right to your bones. I agree whole heartedly. And if you're not used to cold on a regular basis it feels not so good. Don't worry about us Northerners. We're griping about the weather if it's too cold and jealous of you that have it a little more warm where your at and then come July/ August if it's too hot.

It's sorta the scandinavian way....LOL. We're not so tough in October when temps start dropping and we're digging out the winter coats.

 

[mommissan]

A lot folks hate to hear it, but I don't believe in supplemental heat. They feather out better without it and are therefore more cold tolerant. We had -24 F a few weeks ago. No problems. They were even a bit bare from a late molt. We'll see -15 F tonight. I'll cover their door to keep out any drafts, but that's it. maidenwolfx80 is right. Moisture causes frostbite, not cold. My coop has a steel grate for a door, and excess moisture condenses on it- a built in dehumidifier.

 

[countrygirl74]

Here's a great post about the cold and chickens... just skim through even the last few pages and you will see tons of people that don't heat their coop at very low temps and they all do fine... In Arizona last week, we were at 0 degrees F for several nights and all my 3 month-olds did just fine - including some silkies. No heat, no insulation, kept pop door open for good ventilation. I had it closed a couple nights and noticed when I let them out in the morning, there was not enough fresh air in there so I stopped closing them in. They keep each other warm. I just fed them a nice warm breakfast in the mornings...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-your-chickens-think-again/1310#post_10291647