-4F outside 75% humidity 2F in the coop 54% humidity the difference in humidity is good, right? Can't i just turn on the heat lamp to bring it up a little? Like for 15 minutes or something? I must remember: Consider the titmouse. Consider the Titmouse. Ralph Waldo Emerson.....seriously, go read it, it was quoted in the Woods' work Fresh Air Poultry Houses. What a great read. THAT is my next coop! Think warm thoughts for all the Colorado chickies tonight!
Wowza, it got down to -18F since midnight! Minus 10 in the coop. They got scrambled eggs and mash this morning. I don't care if they lay eggs, I just hope they're warm inside themselves today. The sun might be out it appears so I've taken down the coop run tarp, A little sun will be cheerful for them at least.
I'm in Boulder too. I have a couple birds with frost bitten combs this morning. It was -9 this morning here. I don't know what it was in the coop. I have never had any frost bite before. It's 0 in the sun right now. I had a couple frozen eggs yesterday too. Will have more today no doubt. Good to hear from other Coloradans.
I stayed home today. No point in trying to get around in this mess. Went out to gather eggs. Had 2. Just walking back to the house, 1 cracked. Waaaah I'm not having problems with frozen combs but man are they going through the feed. I've gone through an extra 50# these past 2 weeks.
I was tempted to vaseline their combs last night! and the two naked tails they're still sporting....but they're not particularly keen on restraint and I didn't want to stress them out with the chicken rodeo I knew it would be to vaseline them. But their coop was only 53% humidity, and I'm removing their water at night, so hopefully neither their breath condensation nor the head dipping kept them wet so maybe that's why I didn't notice any frost bite...not that I would recognize it until turned black I guess. As much as these premade buildings are odd, the roof of corrugated metal provides natural ventilation. I've let it stay covered in snow, too, as it seems to lend a little insulation. Plus they're wyandottes, so their combs are pretty low profile. They're all 5 squeezing into the 41" wide shelf above the nesting box (cuz that be where the poop is) for sleeping, Somehow one of them got pooped on I think. There was a tussled feather on one and upon inspection, a couple back feathers are stiff and stuck together. But it's where she can reach to preen, so I'm leaving it alone for now; if it's still there later, I'll take a warm wet towel out and try to soften it and remove whatever it is. Maybe she got under a cloaca discharge...cuz it's not anything that's actually ON the feathers, it's more like something landed and froze but was liquid enough to disburse. Darn I'm done with this weather! I'm just done with weather, period! Give me normal Colorado snow then melt and sun.
