Cold in Canada

[wr4546]

-3 degrees F ,in the coop last night .What would be a good temp to keep layers happy?Oh by the way i am a new member,hi everyone.
Thanks Warren&Lori

 

[kidcody]

from Washington State glad you joined us

 

[Fred's Hens]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=421122

Come on over to this thread, for those raising chickens in cold places. Lots of encouraging posts and lots of wisdom.

 

[True Grit]

Whoa you must be pretty far north! I only have 4 chickens in a 4x4 coop. I use a heat lamp that comes on at 20 degrees over the roost at night. It might get down to zero in there but they get a little radiant warmth from it. I have an insulated coop with no drafts, and ventilation up high although I don't need a lot of ventilation when it is really cold out. Many people don't use heat.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Whoa! You MUST be further north... we've only gotten down to 19F so far... where are you?

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Hi there wr4546,

Welcome to BYC. Gosh am I glad it's not that cold here.

Chickens can survive very cold temperatures. But there is much more involved than just the ambient air temp. You should be looking into being sure that they are not in drafts, but still have adequate ventilation. The fluxuations in your weather. Insulation of your coop. The cold hardiness/ breeds you have.
Also take into consideration the how you view your chickens. If they are pets to some degree, that may affect how you want to keep them.
If you choose to heat the coop, be sure that you do so safely. Lots of people do heat their coop without problems. There is nothing wrong with making that decision.

Imp- Best of Luck.

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC.

 

[greymane]

from the Finger Lakes of New York! Wow, that is cold for this early in the year! Dry and draft-free are key.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us. Wow, that is cold

It was in the 90sF here today, so I have absolutely no experience with keeping chickens in cold weather, but I do wish you the best of luck with them

 

[Ema]

Hi from northern ontario...

its been cold here too, but my chickens are quite happy, their doors were wide open today and they were outside enjoying the mixed weather. check out the link provided above, good info provided on there.

Ema