Cold winters!!

[BarredRock4]

Any ideas on how to keep my girls warm during the cold snowy winters?? Any pointers will help thanks

 

[chiques chicks]

Since you are in Virginia...

Here in Pennsylvania, which I don't consider brutally cold for long periods of time, my answer is always dry, well ventilated, non-drafty coop. I don't use any heat or extra light. Most common breeds can handle the winters here. If there is concern about frostbite on combs, coat them with Vaseline.

I don't worry about frostbite, and some of mine have suffered damage to their combs, but it is cosmetic.

 

[bobbi-j]

Since you are in Virginia...

Here in Pennsylvania, which I don't consider brutally cold for long periods of time, my answer is always dry, well ventilated, non-drafty coop. I don't use any heat or extra light. Most common breeds can handle the winters here. If there is concern about frostbite on combs, coat them with Vaseline.

I don't worry about frostbite, and some of mine have suffered damage to their combs, but it is cosmetic.

Pretty much this ^. I live in MN, where we get into the teens and 20's below zero and I don't use supplemental heat, either. (I also don't use Vaseline to coat combs). I do keep a heated water dish in the coop so their water doesn't freeze all the time. Unless you have Silkies or some other froo-froo type chickens that need extra TLC, your chickens should be fine if kept in a well ventilated, draft-free coop.

 

[BarredRock4]

Thanks guys. I have Plymouth Barred Rocks and Gold Laced Wyandottle. I'll do the Vaseline.

 

[bobbi-j]

Thanks guys. I have Plymouth Barred Rocks and Gold Laced Wyandottle. I'll do the Vaseline.

They'll do just fine. How cold does it get there?

 

[Blooie]

I'm up here in Northern Wyoming, not far from Yellowstone Park. I use no supplemental heat and my coop is uninsulated. It is also very well ventilated. I keep windows open in there year round. If the wind is from the north, (which it usually is, and at 60mph sometimes) I leave the ones on the east and south open. They aren't open fully, just a couple of inches, but they are always open on the leeward side. The upper vents are also left open on the sides where there isn't any wind blowing in. We had no issues at all with the chickens. In fact, I even brood my chicks outdoors in the run, which is a large hoop covered with greenhouse plastic in the winter. I have a stock tank heater in my water bucket. On some occasions the nipples have frozen but just a few seconds with the heat gun in the morning and they're good to go.

The pop door between the run and the coop is always open. I think a bigger danger to the chickens in winter comes from being confined so long. The daylight hours are short to begin with, so they go to roost earlier and are on there longer than in the summer. So that time outside the coop is critical and they can just let themselves out in the morning instead of waiting for me. I have things in the run for them to do so they don't get bored and cranky and start pecking at each other. They can stretch those wings, bask in the sunshine on the floor of the run, and peck at suet feeders I have scattered around in there at different heights and locations. They have a swing, which they love. Their dust bath is on the south side of the run where the sunshine can warm the dirt a little bit. I use deep litter in the run as well as the coop and they dig around in there for missed treats. They also burrow down into it and just lollygag. The idea is just to break up the monotony of confinement. On warmer, sunny days I let them out of the run to explore a bit, and they don't seem to mind the snow too much. They won't go into the deep snow, but they'll wander along the path we make going from house to coop and in areas where the wind has blown the snow off.

The key is to keep them busy, dry, and out of direct winds that ruffle feathers and let heat escape. Make sure water doesn't freeze and replace it promptly if it does - they need to stay hydrated. If you do that, they'll be fine.

 

[BarredRock4]

It gets in the low 20's sometimes. I have an A frame coop and I has ventilation where the wind is less likely to hit. Right now I have hay in the coop about two inches deep. And on the bottom run is sand/dirt. They love the mulch that is in the garden beds.

 

[Blooie]

We often see stretches of winter where we don't get any warmer than 20 below for days on end. <shudder> And it's coming already - our forecast for this weekend says we have a good chance of freeze and maybe even some snow. It was in the upper 90s here all week until yesterday, when it was 70 so this is a real shocker! Last year we watched the kids Trick or Treating without their parkas over their costumes - it was in the upper 60s. Within 26 hours our temps plummeted to 17 below zero and stayed there for almost a week.

Some photos of your A-frame might help us help you a little better.

 

[bobbi-j]

It gets in the low 20's sometimes. I have an A frame coop and I has ventilation where the wind is less likely to hit. Right now I have hay in the coop about two inches deep. And on the bottom run is sand/dirt. They love the mulch that is in the garden beds.

Again, they will be just fine. I agree with Blooie that time outside is important, too. My run is not made to keep snow out, but I keep the pop door open until it gets extremely cold (as in, teens to 20's below zero). We will, on warmer days, open the people door for them so they can go out and wander around where DH has plowed the driveway.

 

[chiques chicks]

Again, they will be just fine. I agree with Blooie that time outside is important, too. My run is not made to keep snow out, but I keep the pop door open until it gets extremely cold (as in, teens to 20's below zero). We will, on warmer days, open the people door for them so they can go out and wander around where DH has plowed the driveway. 

My pop door also remains open all three time.
My water dishes are in the run, although in the winter I move them closer to the pop for so the birds don't have to venture far in the snow..
I use rubber bowls that are easy to stomp the ice out of and full with lukewarm water. The bowls are black, so they absorb some sunlight and don't freeze as quickly in the winter. Still need to keep an eye on them.

I also have windows and vents that never get totally closed. Deep bedding also helps. I've had birds brood in February. Momma keeps them warm. Chickens produce a lot of body heat!