Cold front

[mi2bugz]

We have a cold front coming in this week and the lowest temps our 16 week chickens have been exposed to is probably 45 degrees. Without a heat lamp would they be ok in 31 degree days and 22 degree nights? We do not want to do a heat lamp incase power goes out and would rather they get acclimated to our temperatures. The coop tends to be about 5-10 degrees warmer.

Would you also recommend Vaseline for the waddles and combs? Really only the rooster has then right now but he isn't too fond of us touching his head. He doesn't really like belly rubs nor do they get on the roost yet.

So far they all sleep on the sand floor. For the colder temps should I add some hay or pine shavings for them to sleep in?

~ Nicole

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’ve kept 5-1/2 week old chickens in an unheated coop when the overnight lows were in the mid-20’s Fahrenheit. The lowest they had been exposed to before that was in the mid 40’s. That coop did have good draft protection and good ventilation up high. Yours are three times that old. They will be fine.

If your coop has good ventilation frostbite should not be a problem. If your coop is closed up tight so the moisture can't escape, frostbite might be an issue. I don't use vaseline on mine when the temperatures get below zero, but I have good ventilation.

You don’t have to add bedding but you can if you wish. It won’t hurt a thing and will probably make you feel better. There is value in that for you if not for the chickens.

 

[mi2bugz]

We think we have good draft protection. We caulked every seem and the door doesn't give a draft. We can only feel the breeze from the vents which are well above the chickens and their roost if they use it.

During cold temps do you still keep the run door open so they can enter and exit at will even if it drops the temp in the house?

We are supposed to get freezing rain so not sure how much humidity will get in the coop from the run door.

Thank you so much for the help!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I open my pop door every morning, no matter the weather and let them decide what they want to do. It was 4 degrees above zero Fahrenheit when I took this photo. You can see what they decided.

 

[mi2bugz]

Thank you! Feeling much better

 

[AmericanMom]

We have 17 two month olds, they have no heat lamp now and there coop although is enclosed and secure is not closed off completely with one side being just wired off. Our outside temp read 18 f at 6am when I woke up, went out at 8 to let everyone out and make sure there water wasnt frozen over (it was) everyone was fine and happy to be let out to get there daily ration of scratch grains, I laid down a good amount of hay and pine shavings last night before closing them in and will continue to do that until this cold snap breaks.

 

[mi2bugz]

Thank you! We just started our cold front and I left the run door open today. i went out to put them in for the night and found the girls all huddled in a corner in the run instead of in the coop on the roost. All were ok but I was thinking...if your cold go in the coop on the roost bar.

If they were really cold would they typically go in the coop so they probably weren't as cold as I think they were?

 

[mi2bugz]

Do you let the chickens out if the run, roost and ground is wet and/or iced over and it's still freezing rain out? The tarp we had over the run won't stay in place with the wind. It's still covering the roof (except a 1 ft section). Unfortunately we didn't get to the roof before this cold front came in (it was 80's on Wednesday!). The run is covered on 3 sides (2 being the tarp that wont stay in place very well). We are expecting to get more freezing rain all weekend! Wind chill with rain should be around 3F.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I open my pop door every morning, no matter the weather, and let them decide what they want to do.

 

[mi2bugz]

Thank you. I was just concerned about them getting wet with the wind chill. Guess just worrying too much lol.