Colorado

[yawningreyhound]

As long as you have adequate ventilation a little heat to raise it above 0 to make you feel better isn't a bad thing. The temp a chicken needs shelter and/or extra feed is 12F. Since we are getting well below that some help isn't a bad thing.

Yes, thank you. The way this thing is built I believe the ventilation is ok, sometimes a little too okay. I'm reinforcing with some bubblewrap in the walls tomorrow where I notice the caulk I've applied has shrunk and isn't as airtight. I've lined the coop with masonite to cover up these boards the woman used which are not flush to each other but there's places air can get in where it shouldn't and I'm tackling that tomorrow. It's tiny amounts, but I think they add up at current temps! I just went out to check on them and they're happily roosted and making their little goodnight sounds. They're at 15 degrees (-5 outside) with 42% humidity (68% outside). I was going to leave their pop door open but decided to shut it, too. I'll monitor the temp all night, but at this rate, I don't see them getting cooked out by any stretch! And light is aimed away from them and they have enough places to move to if it seems too much. Just since I've been typing, it's dropped to minus 6.

Again, thanks! I don't know that I even WANT chickens in the winter anymore. I'm too much of a worrywart! This may be our last flock until we move to warmer climes! Of course, since they live so long, this probably won't be my last winter. boohoo.

Hope all YOUR nestlings (four- and two-legged) are doing well!

 

[trsturself]

Yes, thank you. The way this thing is built I believe the ventilation is ok, sometimes a little too okay. I'm reinforcing with some bubblewrap in the walls tomorrow where I notice the caulk I've applied has shrunk and isn't as airtight. I've lined the coop with masonite to cover up these boards the woman used which are not flush to each other but there's places air can get in where it shouldn't and I'm tackling that tomorrow. It's tiny amounts, but I think they add up at current temps! I just went out to check on them and they're happily roosted and making their little goodnight sounds. They're at 15 degrees (-5 outside) with 42% humidity (68% outside). I was going to leave their pop door open but decided to shut it, too. I'll monitor the temp all night, but at this rate, I don't see them getting cooked out by any stretch! And light is aimed away from them and they have enough places to move to if it seems too much. Just since I've been typing, it's dropped to minus 6.

Again, thanks! I don't know that I even WANT chickens in the winter anymore. I'm too much of a worrywart! This may be our last flock until we move to warmer climes! Of course, since they live so long, this probably won't be my last winter. boohoo.

Hope all YOUR nestlings (four- and two-legged) are doing well!

The air should change over a couple times an hour so you need more ventilation than you think. As long as it doesn't make a draft directly on them it's ok. Definitely don't want things air tight. Moisture and ammonia levels can build up and really hurt your chickens. I'm thinking I may need to add something to our windows so I can crack them but have the air direct up instead of directly at the chickens. I have them closed right now but the pop door is sitting on my coffee table getting repaired (I think I finally fixed it!) so there is just a piece of plastic in front of it that doesn't sit flush so there is plenty of air at the bottom of the coop right now. But once I install the door again that will be fixed.

My phone says it's -11 with a real feel of -1 here, but my outdoor thermometer on our porch up against the house buried in snow says it's 1. It must not be windy out yet. It says by tonight it will be -10 to -23 with wind chill. Glad it's supposed to warm up a bit tomorrow and all the way to 41 on Friday. I think the animals can handle it better when they get a little break from the subzero temps. I know I do!

 

[COChix]

Good morning cold colorado! Just checking in to see how everyone faired overnight?

Glad to report we got down to only -6 last night in North Boulder, the gang looked good this am and I was glad the coop was 3 this am with an Infared heat lamp. The lowest it got in their according to the gauge was -1 and that was around 3 pm yesterday. So glad I did the work yesterday to button it up a little better. Suppose to be warmer today and maybe into the 40's by this weekend. I am making a cold hot cereal day for the gang, it's on the stove as I type. Got a fire going and the sun is out, going to be a good day.

Hope everyone's flock and criters did well.

 

[iluvchessies]

It was -15 degrees when I got up at 5am this morning. I'm stuck going to work today but will go home to check on the girls and their water, feed and eggs at lunch. Glad to see the weather folks predicting above 0 temps even with the next cold/storm front this weekend!

 

[ryan820]

Haven't even been outside yet! A cold has decided to take over my head and I'm slow today. I think all of my birds are doing well in this weather though. My oldest girl, Cora, had already fully molted before the snap and if she's well everyone else should be too.

My biggest concern now are the peeps just hatched. They have a heat lamp though and so far are doing great.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Double Kindness]

I went and got an amazon gift card last night to order a couple of those heated water bowls. I need them especially for my layers. There's a tarp over their run, but it seems like they don't want to come outside to eat or drink yet. I'm getting worried. Everyone else seems fine. My bf filled the bunny bottles too full. I'm thawing them out slowly hoping they didn't break. This cold is brutal.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Well, I shoveled out the run in 6 degrees and everyone piled out of the coop for some fresh air and scratch. It actually feels pretty nice in the sun. I have a heated water bucket with a plastic pail that fits inside it and that works great. Just pull the pail and clean if necessary, no fighting with the plug and cord. Quail seem fine as well.

 

[yawningreyhound]

Well. Hope everyone survived the night! Even with the coop's pop door closed and the heat lamp on, it got to 11 in there last night; but -12 outside, so I think the chooks appreciated the lamp. They JUST NOW, at 10am, decided to tumble out to see what was going on in their covered run. I'd been out there warming their water, dropping tarps, cleaning at 7am; 9am; and just now. They were quite happy sitting in the coop I guess.

They finally came out so I could clean the coop, they were in there most of the day off and on yesterday and all night. Poops look good tho', so they're chowing adequately.

I spread boss in the straw and by the time I came in, they were all scratching for it and the scrambled eggs (before they freeze!).

I'm just leaving that heat lamp on for the duration.

It's 18 in the coop and 7 outside now, kept the humidity at 42% inside, so I think the ventilation is good.

Thanks for all the handholding you guys.

Wish the sun would poke out more; it's on and off so far.

Stay warm everyone! I'm leaving my house today for the first time in 5 days. GOT to get to town. We're out of mealworms.

 

[maggiemo]

Mine are just now moving around too. I took some polenta and eggs out to the girls just now and they all seem fine. Poop boards all look good so , like YGH says. I guess they are eating and drinking ok. The poop is frozen so I can't clean the coop just yet. All six eggs I got so far are frozen too. I wasn't fast enough. Oh well, the girls will get those back, fair enough.
I have a naked neck who is molting and is the only one who seems miserable. She was sitting in the snow outside the run, I think to be in the sun. I put down some leaves for her and she is laying in the leaves, in the sun now. Poor thing. I am fighting the urge to bring her in to warm up. Maybe I'll bring her some eggs and separate her.
Stay warm everyone. I think we are through the worst of it...this time.

 

[suncatcher]

Hope everyone made it though the worst of our early cold!! My chickens did not venture out yesterday at all, even though I cleared an area of snow just outside their coop, no one was even interested. They are out today though, I think the sun and no wind is what brought them out today. My fortex water bowls were frozen SOLID yesterday, and today, but a couple swift kicks and the ice came out and I refilled them

I only filled them half way though, easier to empty the ice.

Trst, Horses do well in cold weather as long as they can get out of the wind. How big are the stalls? They should have an inside stall area of 12' X 12' each, so they can turn around and lay down if they want to, this is for an average size horse. You can buy horse panels and use them across the front to keep them in their own stalls, you can even put them on hinges. We have loafing sheds, so they go in if they want, or stand on the side where they are out of the wind if they choose, these are located in the pasture, but can be seen from the house. We used to blanket our old girls, only to help them retain heat during the coldest part of winter, I think they rather liked it!!! Younger horses we never have blanketed.

No eggs here yesterday! Had two of my older hens that were laying, now with the cold, nothing, only my pullets are laying at this point. I don't have an outlet in the coop or I might be tempted to put in a heat lamp or heat of some sort, so guess it is just as well......... Do what you feel is best for your set up, ditto on no one is going do judge you if you are using heat!!!

Enjoy the sunshine!!!! I know I am............