Can chickens stand the cold weather?

[LittleJJs]

Well if you already have a coop you should increase it by a least five times it's size.  Bigger is better I always say.  It' easier to keep a small flock in a big coop than vice versa. 

Anyhow seriously I'd say a good size would be 6' X 6' with a run added or 8' X 8'.   Some thing in that square footage.  What have you got?   Pics would be nice.  

 

[Yukonchick]

Ya i got 13 birds in an 8 by 10 chicken house.

 

[LittleJJs]

Hey we got are chickens names

 

[Charley]

We've had chickens for two years now and they seem to do ok in the cold. We are located in SE, KS. The girls have a wood coop and they have managed just fine.

In mid February, we purchased 27 new chicks. Don't ask me why so early. We allow the girls to free range here, and over the past two years we have encountered a few coyotes in our midst. So, my numbers are down and hubby wanted me to order them right away.

We started to build a large enclosed/fenced/covered area for them. However, no sooner than getting the post holes dug, we had rain, then snow, then cold and we haven't finished it yet. The hope was to have this outside run area done before the chicks were big enough to put out with the others. We just had another huge snowstorm last night, so it may be awhile yet.

The chicks are now 5 weeks old and I can tell you that 27 chicks sure make a mess. We have them in two large troughs in the corner in the kitchen. I'm wondering if we can put them out in the hoophouse soon. The hoophouse is about 12 x 25' and is covered in heavy plastic. When do you think it would be alright to put these babies out there and do you think just putting some hay on the floor and hanging a heat lamp in the center would be enough? We have been getting in the 20's overnight. During the day, the hoophouse seems to collect enough heat, but I'm concerned about the evenings. Any thoughts?

 

[Den in Penn]

Hi Charley: At five weeks the should be nearly fully feathered now. The hoop house with the heat will work with them, after all there are 27 of them to keep each other warm if the heat lamp isn't enough. I have my two week olds out in the grow out tractor with a heat lamp. My over nights temperatures have be in the high twenties, and they are doing well.

 

[cinch920]

A couple of things I considered.

One: I have a number of homes around me that have unused chicken coops. I know because I'm old.

B. They are high in the front and low in the back. Not these new fangled 12 ft high coops we're seeing today.

III. Wouldn't it make sense to bring the "ceiling" lower since chickens will roost as high as they can get, thereby keeping them in the "heat zone" of their own bodies. Put the roost under the ceiling but not so high as to block them from roosting.
When we bought our current home I wanted lower ceilings, since our previous home has 9' ceilings and that was where all the heat was. Our current ceilings are 88" and I am warm and happy.

4. Chickens are domestic birds but no so much so as to need added heat. I've read you may put them at a disadvantage in the event of a black out. I recently discovered their water heater was unplugged and the nipples froze.

E. Gramma sure didn't have a heater to stick in her coop. It was designed to keep them warm enough to survive. This is why the Buckeye was developed. With a pea comb for frost bite protection. Choose breeds according to you climate.

Finally, if you are keeping chickens for pets and just a few do what you will, but if you are keeping large flocks of 15 - 20 or more you might consider these things in building and the housing of your birds. The old ways are not always outdated.

I wish you well,

Rancher

Amen. Well said.

 

[Our Roost]

I am also pretty old and remember when black and white TV first came about. All the items you mentioned are true and important. In todays more modern world you can make things a lot easier on yourself and your birds if you do use todays technology to your advantage! Keep in mind that they didn't have back then what we have now. I am willing to bet they would change a few things if they only had it to use!

A: An outbuilding with a flat pitched roof was an easy build without trusses back then. Some were built low profile to keep lumber usage and costs down.
B: I don't know of any coops being designed to be 12' high. A standard 2x4 is 8' long. Widely used in home construction.
C: Heat does rise, but it also escapes through the use of cross ventilation to ward off moisture buildup and frostbite on combs and appendages. Exterior grade lumber and or insulation is an alternative to aide in heat loss. And yes, you don't need a barn sized coop to house just a few birds.

Finally, Although the old ways have not been abandoned, we have used todays advances to make raising birds healthier and easier to maintain.

 

[Davy Crockett]

Hi there. I am just starting out with a dozen laying hens, and concerned about a couple things. How do you clean out their pen in the winter if you it's too cold to let them out. Do you just get right in there with them. I almost made a mistake by insulating them all in with a insulated roof and everything until I read about the ventilation thing. I have raised pigs, and like to give them the royal treatment with fresh greens, a good inside and outside pen and of course country music. lol I want to apply the same care for my birds. I am not getting them until May 15. I will be constructing my coop and do as much research as possible. Please send any tips you "cluckers" might have.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Davy Crocket, knowing where you live might help some of us help you to make suggestions for your climate. Might I suggest researching your breed appropriateness (extending combs and wattles get frost-bit) to your location. If you want large combed varieties and you live in antartica like I did this winter then you might want to consider insulation and or heat especially for Roosters. If your getting all girls then it's less of a worry. But sometimes there are mix ups even when you are just expecting girls....you get a roo. There are many factors and you have to dig on this website to make all the right considerations appropriate for you. Research, research, research.

 

[Going Quackers]

Hi there. I am just starting out with a dozen laying hens, and concerned about a couple things. How do you clean out their pen in the winter if you it's too cold to let them out. Do you just get right in there with them. I almost made a mistake by insulating them all in with a insulated roof and everything until I read about the ventilation thing. I have raised pigs, and like to give them the royal treatment with fresh greens, a good inside and outside pen and of course country music. lol I want to apply the same care for my birds. I am not getting them until May 15. I will be constructing my coop and do as much research as possible. Please send any tips you "cluckers" might have.

Yes, i just clean around mine lol my coop is raised(no digging out of snow) but still tall enough for my 5'2 frame to stand in, there are only 4 but i am always around the girls, they are fully tame. I also chose birds who are good for cold regions, my winters extend more and more the older i get

I do give my birds greens, they have no access to much, we dipped to freezing again last night and still are steady at about a degree about freezing +1C there out happily picking away in their run... they will probably find quite a few worms from all the rain we had the last two days.

Forgot my coop has no added insulation, no heat lamp... they do get a heated dog bowl otherwise they'd get no water... I'm in Canada, so -20/-30C totally common in winter.