Chicken and the Extreme cold

[Well Seasoned]

Chickens are great in the cold, I know this much. I am also aware that if using a heat lamp, it's dangerous due to the increased fire hazard as well as if the power goes out, they could die from not being adapted to sudden cold.

My coop, stays a bit warmer than the outside temps, is ventilated well up high.

I live in northern New Hampshire, up high and it gets cold. Last year for example, we had overnight lows of -30°F for approx 3 weeks with (wind chills easily -50+°F) highs only getting to about -10°F with around zero degrees for most of the rest of the winter.

I would like advice from only those that experience these temperatures please.

I've raised these pullets since chick stage, and we only had 20°F for lows when they were feathered in and finally introduced to the coop. I did use the heat lamp occasionally at night during this stage.

Do I heat with a lamp during these extreme low temps or not?

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I have extreme winters in upstate NY and have never had problems with my chickens surviving the cold. I have never used a heat lamp. I have had some combs get a bit of frostbite. I have since used Vaseline to protect them without any issues.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I never add heat either, nor do I close my shed up totally either.

 

[aart]

You should add 'extreme' cold to your thread title.
We get cold, but not sustained daytime negative F's like you state.

 

[PattyNH]

I'm from NH too! But down south in Nashua. I have a radiant heater that is attached to a thermostat plug so goes on when it drops below 35 and off when it is above 45. I got it mostly to keep the water from freezing and it does a great job for that! The electric bill is much better than when I used a heat lamp and the radiant heater work significantly better. My girls were around 6 months the first December I had it. I've never had any problems with frostbite or anything so I find it is very much worth it!

 

[Well Seasoned]

I have extreme winters in upstate NY and have never had problems with my chickens surviving the cold. I have never used a heat lamp. I have had some combs get a bit of frostbite. I have since used Vaseline to protect them without any issues.

The higher elevations in the Adirondacks are close to ours. I will pickup some Vaseline for this purpose. Thanks!

I never add heat either, nor do I close my shed up totally either.

What kind of low temperatures do you see?

I'm from NH too! But down south in Nashua. I have a radiant heater that is attached to a thermostat plug so goes on when it drops below 35 and off when it is above 45. I got it mostly to keep the water from freezing and it does a great job for that! The electric bill is much better than when I used a heat lamp and the radiant heater work significantly better. My girls were around 6 months the first December I had it. I've never had any problems with frostbite or anything so I find it is very much worth it!

Thanks! What kind of radiant heater do you use?

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@Well Seasoned Are those your normal average winter temps or just last year's fluke? We all had extreme negative temps that we weren't used to last year.

 

[aart]

I have since used Vaseline to protect them without any issues.

Do you apply this constantly...like every day it's near 32°F?

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Do you apply this constantly...like every day it's near 32°F?

No. Only when extreme negative zero wind chills are predicted.

 

[aart]

No. Only when extreme negative zero wind chills are predicted.

I've found FB often happens at near 32°F when the air holds more moisture than at colder temps. Worst FB I've had happened at about 28°F.
Windchill should affect them if they have wind breaks or are in the coop.