Chicken Temperature

[Quail_]

Winter is coming and fast for New York. I have a heater and water heater getting set up but i want to know when i should generally take my chickens inside because their health and safety are at risk

Of course i will be taking them in if there is a blizzard, or sudden freeze.

But what chickens should i take priority over in case they really cant handle colder tempatures?

Here is the list of names and breeds of all my chickens, i am going to buy like a dog exercise thing to keep them in my basement with heaters.

Butters - Silkie Rooster
Pip-squeak - silver duckwing old English game bantom rooster
Tarantula - old English game bantom
Alejandro - black sex link
Rudy - black sex link
Soap - buff orpinton
Nugget - buff orpinton
Roach - gold laced Wyandotte

Any and all suggestions are appreciated! Tips and tricks aswell

 

[RUNuts]

Good Morning,
The silkies may need extra care. I'll defer to your research.

The others are able to handle the weather providing they have a dry, wind resistant coop. Mine have survived freezes with no added heat. I put the wind block up in the coop.

Do provide fresh water. The water heater is a popular solution.

Best wishes.

 

[Quail_]

Good Morning,
The silkies may need extra care. I'll defer to your research.

The others are able to handle the weather providing they have a dry, wind resistant coop. Mine have survived freezes with no added heat. I put the wind block up in the coop.

Do provide fresh water. The water heater is a popular solution.

Best wishes.

Ok thank you! Ill probably need to go get pictures of my coop now since you mentioned yours!

 

[Mrs. K]

People tend to thing 'HEAT" and WARM. But what they need to think is DRY, and out of the wind. If the birds are dry and have a wind block they will live quite well at -35 degrees.

The problem with heat, is people tend to lock the coop up tight, and then the moisture collects. Think of being in a car in the winter with a bunch of people. Almost immediately the car begins to fog up. That comes from the breath of the people, and from the breath of chickens. THAT is what you need to get rid of with MORE ventilation.

It is important to have a lot of ventilation on the lee side of the prevailing wind. This allows the moisture to escape. You need a solid wind block so that the chickens can get out of the wind. You need thick deep bedding to capture and dry out manure which can get deep quickly with the long nights of winter. All these things keep the birds dry. THAT is important, keeps them healthy.

Chickens are healthier outside in plenty of fresh air.

Mrs K

 

[Quail_]

People tend to thing 'HEAT" and WARM. But what they need to think is DRY, and out of the wind. If the birds are dry and have a wind block they will live quite well at -35 degrees.

The problem with heat, is people tend to lock the coop up tight, and then the moisture collects. Think of being in a car in the winter with a bunch of people. Almost immediately the car begins to fog up. That comes from the breath of the people, and from the breath of chickens. THAT is what you need to get rid of with MORE ventilation.

It is important to have a lot of ventilation on the lee side of the prevailing wind. This allows the moisture to escape. You need a solid wind block so that the chickens can get out of the wind. You need thick deep bedding to capture and dry out manure which can get deep quickly with the long nights of winter. All these things keep the birds dry. THAT is important, keeps them healthy.

Chickens are healthier outside in plenty of fresh air.

Mrs K

That makes a lot of sense. I wasnt going to be keeping my chickens locked up during the winter, I knew they could be fine in the winter i was just mostly concerned about them getting frost bite.

I am only confused if when i should add heat into the element, mostly because of my silkie.