Chicken keeping question.

[Cattle dog Mom]

I have heritage turkeys but no chickens. Where I live, in the fall and winter we get a LOT of fog, which can last for several days OR MORE at a time. Sometimes freezing fog, other times VERY wet fog. (As in when driving you need to use your wipers frequently.) Is it just asking for issues to try to have chickens too? Because having a "dry" coop that also has excellent ventilation, well I don't see HOW that could happen. I am in the high desert, so it gets cold and often windy here too. (With ZERO trees to block any of said wind. ) For instance right now, there is VERY wet fog and some wind. And it is 39 degrees F. (So not cold right NOW, but WET. and supposed to be below freezing again tonight.) How do you keep a "dry" coop to try to prevent frost bite in a climate like this? Is it even possible? Am I "over thinking it"? (Which I tend to do. LOL) (Hopefully I asked this in the right area of the forum!)

 

[BantyChooks]

There are many breeds with small combs and wattles that should easily be able to withstand the conditions you mention. Chanteclers, Buckeyes, Orloffs, and Brabanters are the first breeds that come to my mind. It may be worth looking into them rather than breeds with single combs.

 

[Anime2lover]

I have heritage turkeys but no chickens. Where I live, in the fall and winter we get a LOT of fog, which can last for several days OR MORE at a time. Sometimes freezing fog, other times VERY wet fog. (As in when driving you need to use your wipers frequently.) Is it just asking for issues to try to have chickens too? Because having a "dry" coop that also has excellent ventilation, well I don't see HOW that could happen. I am in the high desert, so it gets cold and often windy here too. (With ZERO trees to block any of said wind. ) For instance right now, there is VERY wet fog and some wind. And it is 39 degrees F. (So not cold right NOW, but WET. and supposed to be below freezing again tonight.) How do you keep a "dry" coop to try to prevent frost bite in a climate like this? Is it even possible? Am I "over thinking it"? (Which I tend to do. LOL) (Hopefully I asked this in the right area of the forum!)

Easter eggers are another excellent breed for that kind of weather to.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You're over thinking it a bit.

You can use wind barrier on prevailing wind side of run or have a large enough coop to accommodate the birds on inclimate days. I never keep the coop door closed days, the birds have the option to use the run. They only stay in the coop when temps are -10F and below.

The Northwest is damp indeed. Though a well functioning vent system will aid in drying I'd agree it will never be bone dry in the wet season. But that's not a problem. Plenty of chickens are kept in WA and OR without special needs.

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

You're over thinking it a bit.

You can use wind barrier on prevailing wind side of run or have a large enough coop to accommodate the birds on inclimate days. I never keep the coop door closed days, the birds have the option to use the run. They only stay in the coop when temps are -10F and below.

The Northwest is damp indeed. Though a well functioning vent system will aid in drying I'd agree it will never be bone dry in the wet season. But that's not a problem. Plenty of chickens are kept in WA and OR without special needs.

Yeah bone dry doesn't happen in most locations at least part of the year. My concern was them being "soggy" then the temps dropping below freezing. And unfortunately we don;t really HAVE a "prevailing wind" side. LOL We get wind, and from any direction. Generally nasty cold wind is from the N or NW. Usually wind that brings rain/moisture comes from the south or SW.

And I'm not in your "typical" PNW climate zone. It gets hotter here and we can get bad winters. Not what people on t

There are many breeds with small combs and wattles that should easily be able to withstand the conditions you mention. Chanteclers, Buckeyes, Orloffs, and Brabanters are the first breeds that come to my mind. It may be worth looking into them rather than breeds with single combs.

Thank you. Unfortunately none of those breeds will work for what I need. (Even though I LOVE the looks of Brabanters!)

he west side of the state think of as "bad" either. LOL

 

[aart]

Wouldn't turkeys with their near naked heads be more at risk for the climate conditions described?

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

Nope. Turkeys

Wouldn't turkeys with their near naked heads be more at risk for the climate conditions described?

Nope. Turkeys do great here. But they are much more hardy than chickens. Wild turkeys live outside in all elements 24/7/365. Heritage turks (which is what I have) also do fine. While turkeys have bald heads, they don;t have combs and wattles to get frost bite on.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you. Unfortunately none of those breeds will work for what I need. (Even though I LOVE the looks of Brabanters!)

What specifically do you need that comb type matters?

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

What specifically do you need that comb type matters?

It isn't that comb type itself matters. It's that I want/need LARGE, docile, NO leg feathers, and tend to go broody. (I have been thinking about brabanters but just for the "fun factor". But they don't fit the rest.) And the main breed I have been considering fits all of my wants/needs but is single comb. (Java) Though I am talking hens ONLY. So it might not be as big of a deal since I have no need nor desire to have a rooster.

 

[BantyChooks]

It isn't that comb type itself matters. It's that I want/need LARGE, docile, NO leg feathers, and tend to go broody. (I have been thinking about brabanters but just for the "fun factor". But they don't fit the rest.) And the main breed I have been considering fits all of my wants/needs but is single comb. (Java) Though I am talking hens ONLY. So it might not be as big of a deal since I have no need nor desire to have a rooster.

With that set of criteria in mind, may I plug Chanteclers specifically real quickly? They fit all your criteria and they have cushion combs. I only own bantam Chanteclers right now, but I used to have some LF and they were not small birds.