Coop Temperature: 4° F

[UncleHoot]

It was -10° F at my house this morning.

I had left two brooder lamps running all night in the coop, but it still managed to get down to 4° inside there. The coldest I had exposed them to in the past was 10°, which they seemed to survive. It's a large coop. They roost near the lamps, so it may have been a bit warmer where they were roosting last night. The thermometer is on the opposite end of the coop in a nest-box.

The chickens all looked fine this morning. I'll be looking for signs of frostbite, though.

 

[phengel]

monday am it was about -10 in my coop. I don't heat at all, the coop is about 4 x 4 but the attached run is 10 x 4. The coop is not insulated, but the entire thing is wrapped in plastic to prevent drafts. I have 3 standard size hens and 2 cochin banties, and they do not seem to be bothered overmuch by the cold. I do give them warm mash in the morning and scratch, but other than the banties being almost perfectly round with their feathers are doing fine...and are still laying!!! We have been down to -20 or so this year, and even then they were talking and scratching and dusting in the run, especially on the sunny mornings. This being my first year for chickens, I went with the advice to not heat based on the fact that they DO have down, and like other birds seem to do just fine without drafts. so far so good! (betchu have more snow than us, though!

(in minnesota, just north of the Twin Cities). Would make the cold at least more fun!

 

[KrisRose]

UncleHoot- I toke my Roo to my neighbors- He was developing frostbite on his comb. So now in a garage heated to about 40. I hoping to save the points on his comb. Poor guy

.
My hens are doing fine and my coop was at 12 this morning with outside temp at about -3 not including the wind chill. Thats with a flat panel heater and a 250w heat lamp.
Hope this cold breaks soon.

 

[BantyChickMom]

And I worry about 20* weather here!

Hope you guys can manage to keep yourselves and those chickens warm.

 

[Aun <HIS><]

My aunt has chickens in western Colorado. Her temps go below zero at times, and she has an uninsulated hen house with a full size door that always stands open, she said. She doesn't even have very much litter down. She's never had any trouble with frost bite.

Here in NH, in my old henhouse, I had a cement floor, draft free, closed up tight with a thick layer of litter down, and some of mine did get frost bite, with temps occasionally under and around zero. In my current henhouse, it is completely draft fee, insulated from the floor up about 5 feet, with deep litter method, 2 heat lamps going 24/7, and I haven't had any problems. In my environment, the rule I follow is that if the water doesn't freeze, they're fine. If their water does freeze, I move fast to warm up the coop before their comb tips freeze.

I think it must depend on the humidity. 20 degrees in SC may be quite a bit more risk than 0 degrees in a desert/dry environment. So, I think what works fine for one may not work for another, depending on where you're from.

 

[cheeptrick]

Yep....it is bitter cold in NH today. I do have a heat lamp in the coop hanging above the font...which works SOMETIMES. I also have heated dog water bowl (kicks in when temps go below 40 degrees) that I sit a plastic font down into and it keeps the water from freezing.

Mine huddle together and all combs and feet look fine to me...no frost bite YET!! (no roos either)

Lucky babies in the brooder are next to a roaring fire place!

I do throw in a couple layers of straw from time to time. And give them cracked corn for warmth...laying is still down frm 18 eggs a day to 4 eggs a day. So I know they are conserving energy for warmth.