Chickens died from trying to keep them warm in coop!!

[Ol Grey Mare]

unfortunately this is not the first post like this. Chickens, unlike dogs and cats, are not domesticated so mother nature gives them what they need to survive cold temps. We as owners give them shelter (coops) for shelter, they can do the rest. What about all the ducks and birds out there? I see ducks and swans floating around on the lake in the morning when it's almost freezing temps. they don't look cold. I check on my 6 hens every night when I get home from work and they look content huddled up on the roost. They'r 7 and 8 months old. Came home to 4 eggs last night and it was 4 degrees out.

Sorry to hear..

While I agree with your sentiments, I want to point out that the chickens kept today are domesticated animals. Their ability to keep themselves comfortable in these temperatures is not about whether or not they are domestic.

 

[Cohl0406]

I'm certainly in the no heat lamp camp as well. I should have come here to read more or ask more before doing it. I just am happy it wasn't worse as it could have caught the house on fire if it had happened in the middle of the night. We just bought a playhouse made out of wood and have that finished. We are converting it to a chicken house for the new gals we will be getting. They will stay inside for a few weeks until they are old enough of course but this house is larger and will not have any electrical source what so ever. Texas doesn't stay cold for very long. I'm down by the coast as it is. If we see snow it never stays past noon and we haven't seen it in a few years here. I still keep the what ifs running through my head and it kills me.

Yesterday as we were building the new coop my daughter was running around the yard (she's 2.5) saying chickens come here here chickens. Where are you? I had to tell her the chickens went and found a new home with lot of chicken friends to play with. :-( luckily that is enough to suffice her and she said yeah they play! And not another word. it's truly been traumatic and I hope people don't make the mistake I did.

 

[Cohl0406]

That being said what are good bird that do well in cold and very very hot humid weather? We had cuckoo marans and buff orpingtons. I adored my Maran and she was really big and fluffy so I think another would fair well in the cold. They didn't have to go through a true texas heat due to when we got them.

 

[recfsh]

While I agree with your sentiments, I want to point out that the chickens kept today are domesticated animals.  Their ability to keep themselves comfortable in these temperatures is not about whether or not they are domestic.

i wouldn't disagree with you just basing on my own experience. Yes we do want and need to provide a "safe" environment as chicken owners..

 

[recfsh]

That being said what are good bird that do well in cold and very very hot humid weather? We had cuckoo marans and buff orpingtons. I adored my Maran and she was really big and fluffy so I think another would fair well in the cold. They didn't have to go through a true texas heat due to when we got them.

I prefer the "heritage" breads. Have 3 new Hampshire reds, black austrolorp, Columbian Wyandotte and a non heritage polish lace. She is the only one not laying in winter. Luckily there is a local heritage breader so it's neat to be able to go there and pick what u want.

pics this morning.

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https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6695131/width/200/height/400[/IMG

[IMG]https://www.backyardchickens.com/content/type/61/id/6695134/width/200/height/400]

 

[Blueline]

Cohl0406, so sorry to read of your loss. We had a loss this summer and even though these aren't pets the loss is at times devastating. Hope the next adventure with chickens goes more smoothly.

Charlie

 

[Cohl0406]

All my ladies where currently laying but again it doesn't really get too cold here. It cools down maybe 3 months out of the year. The rest of the time it's crazy hot.

Thanks Charlie. I believe it will go better. Now I know. And it's not like they died because we were being mean or neglectful, we were actually trying to help. :-( so that's what sucks even more.

 

[WYNot]

Buckeyes are supposed to be a good cold weather bird. Developed by a woman here in Ohio to handle the cold winters and warm summers. They are a dual purpose bird that lays at a decent rate and grow well enough to make decent meat birds.

 

[windtryst]

I find my chickens suffer much more from the heat than the cold. I have an open air coop in Pa.,and they have been fine for years. We're I you, I would look into little bantams for your small daughter. My grandchildren just love the little chickens. My favorite? Nankins.

 

[Cohl0406]

We got them for the eggs and I read how tiny of eggs the bantams lay. That's the only reason we got standard size hens.

My daughter might be small but she will go out there and grab a full grown hen (currently) and pick her up and bring her around the yard to "show" her things lol.