Cold Snap -11ºF

[Hokum Coco]

It is really warm out today in Canada 12ºF.
They are forecasting a foot of snow.
It will be a good day to go tobogganing with the grand kids and spend outside frolicking.
The hens were vocal and active this morning when I changed their ice for water.
They are staying inside the coop today despite the warmer temperatures.
Go figure!
They were outside yesterday at -10ºF.
I only got one egg from the girls today.
Their water had a bit of ice in it but it was not froze.
It must be hovering around 32º inside the coop.

Canada No heat No light 12ºF No problems

Then again I may be volentold to go Christmas shopping with the Mrs.
Stores are open now on Sundays can you BELIEVE it.
Now they will make the same amount of money over 7 days instead of 6.

 

[Rooster Rules]

-11f, while that is cold, it is "VERY LIGHT DUTY", compared to Manitoba or Saskatchewan, ND, Minnesota, and Montana, how do you like -30f.
Don't think corn would fix this problem with little lighter feathered Bantams without some kinda warmth.
It is about 22f in the coop, relative humidity 40%, temp will rise to about 32f, by the late morning with the sun chicken activity, rising outdoor temps.
This is a record breaking low for this date in this area. It will be about 20f tomorrow.
No wind, extremely dry,. this temp doesn't not feel any worse to Me than -15f, if your dressed extremely well for the occasion.
PERSONALLY WOULD RATHER SEE THE INSIDE OF THE COOP AT 22f, than -??, that a outdoor temp of -30f would produce.
My bigger hens, 2 barred rock Xs, and 1 Sussex/Leggern X, have not layed an egg for 1 week, the little bantams are laying the odd egg daily. Birds seem healthy, eat well, no frostbite, large combs all intact... PS if I had all heavy standard birds of a very cold hardy type, might try the no heat source approach except for the water

 

[Rooster Rules]

It is really warm out today in Canada 12ºF.
They are forecasting a foot of snow.
It will be a good day to go tobogganing with the grand kids and spend outside frolicking.
The hens were vocal and active this morning when I changed their ice for water.
They are staying inside the coop today despite the warmer temperatures.
Go figure!
They were outside yesterday at -10ºF.
Then again I may be volentold to go Christmas shopping with the Mrs.
Stores are open now on Sundays can you BELIEVE it.
Now they will make the same amount of money over 7 days instead of 6.

What part of Canada is it really warm out, your area?, Vancouver BC, Calgary, Toronto, but sure as heck not in the Winnipeg area, CANADA is a HUGE country, temps varying like crazy from coast to coast......

 

[Hokum Coco]

Quote:Originally Posted by Rooster Rules

What part of Canada is it really warm out, your area?, Vancouver BC, Calgary, Toronto, but sure as heck not in the Winnipeg area, CANADA is a HUGE country, temps varying like crazy from coast to coast. On the east coast..


We suffer the most variable and volatile weather conditions in all of Canada.
Meteorologist find our east cost weather the hardest patterns to predict in all of Canada.
We can have Arctic frigid temperatures come in and drop the mercury to -40º or lower.
We can have the gulf stream take a tangent (usually runs up along Bermuda and disperses across the Atlantic toward England) and bring the temperature up for a January thaw.
Where I live on top of a mountain in New Brunswick the elevation always makes my average temperature 2 degrees lower than the valley on a good day.

In 1992 we were privileged to have bestowed on us by the Guinness World Records the largest snow fall in 24 hours in recorded history. We also held the Guinness World Record for the most amount of snow deposited in one year in recorded history (that may have change since 1992).

Check it out:

 

[Going Quackers]

-11f, while that is cold, it is "VERY LIGHT DUTY", compared to Manitoba or Saskatchewan, ND, Minnesota, and Montana, how do you like -30f.
Don't think corn would fix this problem with little lighter feathered Bantams without some kinda warmth.
It is about 22f in the coop, relative humidity 40%, temp will rise to about 32f, by the late morning with the sun chicken activity, rising outdoor temps.
This is a record breaking low for this date in this area. It will be about 20f tomorrow.
No wind, extremely dry,. this temp doesn't not feel any worse to Me than -15f, if your dressed extremely well for the occasion.
PERSONALLY WOULD RATHER SEE THE INSIDE OF THE COOP AT 22f, than -??, that a outdoor temp of -30f would produce.
My bigger hens, 2 barred rock Xs, and 1 Sussex/Leggern X, have not layed an egg for 1 week, the little bantams are laying the odd egg daily. Birds seem healthy, eat well, no frostbite, large combs all intact... PS if I had all heavy standard birds of a very cold hardy type, might try the no heat source approach except for the water

Those birds have some heavy combs, that could be a issue in extreme cold. I am not anti heat, there are circumstances where it is needed, be it an extreme cold front, be it the breed, or perhaps the very young, or very old. I think it's just in general, people do jump the gun and pull out the lights.

heating does have to be well thought out, you need a back up plan if hydro goes out and you do need to be aware it gets birds used to an UN-natural temp so you have to very closely monitor temps they are being accustomed too, not to mention fire hazard it needs to be well secured and wired accordingly.

I had to give a heat lamp to a Muscovy duck and her March hatch earlier this year, SHE was cold, we were easily -35C or worse(ACTUAL) and she just couldn't keep up with the demand of the clutches need for heat and her own... it was definitely a special case, we got through it, she was fine all the babies made it, so my point again i am not against heat just that it needs to be a well thought out idea not a knee jerk reaction to our response to cold.

 

[theoldchick]

You, down here in the deep south, our thermometers go to zero.

 

[Alaskan]

Ok, not that cold..... Just 15F, but the humidity is at 85%.......which is normal for here.

And....another 10" of snow predicted for tonight.....


Tired of plowing.... It is amazing how often something has to be fixed

Two hours of plowing this morning, two hours last night, four hours the night before.....

Now we have to fix lots on the plow before we use it again....


But, the snow blower on the " it only blows snow when driven backwards, made in 1974 tractor, seat strapped on with tow strap, no cab" looks to be working.

And WHY haven't i set up any electric de-icers this year? Changing FOUR different waterers two to three times a day. Idiot me.