Cold Weather Chickens

[Cazook]

Unless you have sick chickens or ones unused to being outside, just give them the option of shelter and they should use it (or not) if they need it. Mine will venture out in snow and rain like crazed adventurers before piling back in their shelter.

The only thing I would make sure of in this weather is that they have access to unfrozen water and food somewhere near the shelter, so they don't have to go out in bad conditions if they need it.

 

[MysteryChicken]

Like you, I have read to use Vaseline (petroleum jelly) to prevent frostbite, or to treat areas that are already frostbitten.

But I have also read to NOT use it for prevention, or for treatment.

So I shared a specific example where Vaseline pretty clearly caused a problem, because most sources just say "do this" with no evidence either way.

Edit to add: and advice for treating frostbite, on chickens or people, usually says not to rub it or otherwise mess with it. So rubbing on vaseline would go against that advice.

Worked for my birds during the polar vortex, only had two birds that ended being untreatable for frostbite. An OEGB, & Buff Orpington/Barred Rock cross. Both were roosters.

 

[vantain]

I have one of those cozy coop heaters on the wall in the coop, and it is on during the really cold below zero days like we are having now. The one issue with it, is that it cycles on/off. It's not always on. In any case, it's there in case any of the hens want to warm up. However, in the three years I have had it, not once have I witnessed any hens standing next to it, or even near it, for warmth. They just don't care. No matter what the temperature is outside, they will spend the day in the run. It's covered, and I do put polycarbonate panels on it for winter, so it's usually a few degrees warmer than the outside temperature. By contrast, the coop itself is always about 10-20 degrees warmer than the outside, and I don't heat it at all. I know..I said I have a cozy coop heater in there...but..it doesn't heat the air. If I turn it off, I won't see any difference in the coops temperature. I use the heater, just to say I gave them an option...and option they still have not taken advantage of. They are stupid . If it were me..I'd be standing next to that heater all day long.

 

[3KillerBs]

I wouldn't lock them up.

Chickens know how to be chickens better than we know how to be chickens.

If they have the option of going into shelter and choose not to then we should trust their instincts.

 

[Flockincrazy]

I live in Wisconsin and as you can imagine it gets pretty cold here in the winter. We are currently in the middle of a cold snap and the temperature has been in the negatives every day. We have a radiant heater in their coop at night and it stays on during the day so that they can go up there anytime. It’s not that much warmer but it is out of the wind and if they perch right by the heater they can warm up a little. They have tarps on their run to keep the wind out as much as possible but they like to sit right where there is no tarp and watch everything that’s going on in the yard, which isn’t much right now. My question is, how cold should it be before I lock them up in the coop? I have only done it one day this year when it was about -20 windchill but today it is -16 windchill. Does anyone have a certain temperature they wait for before putting them all up in the coop? I know it’s not good for them but frostbite isn’t good either!

I live in Northern Ohio and it doesn't get that cold very often but I have never locked mine up because of the cold mine are currently laying in the snow along with the ducks happy as can be and it is 21° today I would stick with your heater they should be fine

 

[Jp617]

I live in Wisconsin and as you can imagine it gets pretty cold here in the winter. We are currently in the middle of a cold snap and the temperature has been in the negatives every day. We have a radiant heater in their coop at night and it stays on during the day so that they can go up there anytime. It’s not that much warmer but it is out of the wind and if they perch right by the heater they can warm up a little. They have tarps on their run to keep the wind out as much as possible but they like to sit right where there is no tarp and watch everything that’s going on in the yard, which isn’t much right now. My question is, how cold should it be before I lock them up in the coop? I have only done it one day this year when it was about -20 windchill but today it is -16 windchill. Does anyone have a certain temperature they wait for before putting them all up in the coop? I know it’s not good for them but frostbite isn’t good either!

I watch them..when they get really active or stir crazy during cold weather they are seeking a warm place. Most of the time the huddle together if it's cold and they are ok. If combs get frost bite on the tips.it will fall off. Depends on how bad it is. Most of my straight comb game birds I dub them for show standards and I don't worry about frost bite. A single 75 watt bulb in the coop will keep them from freezing at well below zero best of luck stay warm up there

 

[Cutebutsassy1]

Haha! The frozen latches and waterers are frustrating aren’t they?

They can be I get heated water dishes works great

 

[jmclellan56]

Here in Massachusetts, we've had some cold weather and there's a foot of snow in the run. My coop is basically a house, though, with eaves where I've kept the snow free from the entrance to the coop to the heated waterer which is housed under an attached shed roof. They spend 99% of their time inside the coop, though, coming out only if enticed with grubblies or some other treat- won't walk in the snow at all. My concern is WHY ARE WE MOLTING?? There are feathers everywhere inside the coop and two of them are showing skin where there should be feathers. What's going on?

 

[jmclellan56]

Here in Massachusetts, we've had some cold weather and there's a foot of snow in the run. My coop is basically a house, though, with eaves where I've kept the snow free from the entrance to the coop to the heated waterer which is housed under an attached shed roof. They spend 99% of their time inside the coop, though, coming out only if enticed with grubblies or some other treat- won't walk in the snow at all. My concern is WHY ARE WE MOLTING?? There are feathers everywhere inside the coop and two of them are showing skin where there should be feathers. What's going on?

 

[kodster]

I don't take the wind chill into account for the chickens, who are safely indoors. I whine about it for ME because I am outside, bundled up like little Randy in "A Christmas Story", cursing frozen latches and electric waterers that are filled with ice. And, yet, I continue to choose to live in Iowa and have outdoor critters.

LOL! That's funny, because that's exactly what I told my husband earlier today, and I live in North Dakota, where it's been in the sub-zero double digits for almost two weeks now, and even worse during the nights. Add that to our prairie winds, and the wind chill gets down to -50 F. We're 'told' that it will break by Sunday, and next week we'll start to see our daytime temps get above zero. Next weekend we're supposed to be in the 30s.

In the meantime, I have my girls locked up, inside their coop... ONLY because we had a predator come in and attack them, lost half my flock, and don't know who/what the predator was. Suspect it was a dog, but never saw it come back, etc. This was back in the fall. Got the fence fixed, re-fenced stapled, but then I noticed with our high winds, it got pulled away again, so I'm NOT risking them being out again until I can get that fixed, and with it being as cold as it is right now, that's on hold, too. They're not minding it, even though it IS butt-cold inside, even with the radiant heater I have running. I've been getting anywhere from 8-14 eggs (I have 14 layers), daily, so conditions are obviously good for them that they're happy and laying. Hubby and I are actually SHOCKED that they are laying so well, considering. Now my only concern is getting those eggs before they freeze, so that means me bundling up like Randy a couple of times a day to check for eggs, collect, and tote in fresh water for them, as it's freezing up too quickly.