Crazy Chicken Owner Sets up Spare room for Shivering Floridian flock

[JP101010]

Oh boy , here we go- our 1 week "extreme" florida winter aka coldfront has begun - stayed at 47 in the barn last night and we were trying to heat it up with a chick bulb but i think its to many square foot for too few birds .. it is 56 during the day but tonight it will be 22 degrees

, and my floridian birds cant do it. Hubby and I are pulling out the two playpens and cat carriers that house our chickens in the spare room during hurricanes. My "regular" hardy breeds RIR wyandottes etc would prob be ok if left outside in the mini chicken barn that will prob stay around 29 degrees with it being 22 outside , but i know my frizzles and silkies do not appreciate anything below 60 , let alone 40 and below

Look out , crazy chicken lover coming through !!!

 

[TinyChickenLady]

That kinda got me wondering...
Y'all have kind of extreme conditions during storms right? Like hurricanes and tropical storms....?
Does everyone take their birds inside during this weather? Or just lock the coop door?

Don't you just worry yourself bald during that time??

 

[JodyJo]

wow....we have -29* in Colorado and my chickens are fine...you are hurting them more than helping them...they need to adjust to the temp change, I would DIE for those temps here!

Your chickens are covered in DOWN...if you don't know a down winter coat can't be beat for warmth....they also huddle together, even if they don't like each other, its instinct.

What happens if you don't allow your chickens to adjust to cold temps and you aren't around to heat them up? Just leave them be....even chicken owners in Alaska don't add heat...they would know. We haven't gotten above freezing here in weeks...my chickens are still out in the snow and wind even when it is sub zero!

(the last two shots are 2 of my hens, puffed up against a cold wind...)
They can go into the coop at any time...they prefer it outside!
**BTW I had a silkie that didn't mind the cold one bit...
give them a chance...they can do it!

 

[clairabean]

Good luck.

 

[Imp]

It's not crazy at all, to do what's best for your chickens. No one knows the details of your set-up and your chickens better than you. And waterfowl grow down, chickens not so much.

Imp- Good luck through your cold spell.

 

[JP101010]

tinychickenlady : yes we have hurricanes every year and sometimes depending on the category of the storm we leave them in the barn , but if flash flooding or extreme wind comes through then they get to have shelter in the house.

jodyjo: the temps here never go below 70 , so yes i am helping them . to have a rogue coldfront of 22 degrees there is no time for them to "adjust" as you say , remember i live in florida. the day before yesterday it was 80. people in alaska dont add heat because their birds ARE acclimated to cold temps.. its funny how you know whats best for MY chickens in a state whos weather you have obviously never experienced.. you are ok with leaving yours "be" and thats ok for you ,but for me and my flock going from 70 to 22 in 2 days flat is not desirable .


Imp- Thanks!

Everyones in the room , they have un fluffed and become mobile again and they even started eating. see what a little warmth does for a bird who has never felt a colder temp than 70...

 

[nwfl]

i have open type houses. all i do is put a piece of heavy plastic over the north and west sides to make "walls" when it gets below 30. my silkies dont seem to mind their open run.

 

[JP101010]

nwfl : wow your at the very northern tip of florida- it must be cold up there regularly in the winter , where your birds get acclimated every year so i would say if you see no difference in the birds than what your doing must be working....

mine liked the cold air during the day ( 60s) , and in the sun seemed happy as could be , and Im sure mine wouldnt be dead by morning if left in the barn at night but they would be pretty uncomfortable > they are my pets and i want them to be comfortable.
Also i have way to few chickens for my walk-in chicken mini barns space- if they were all in one regular chicken coop im sure they would maintain much better body heat inside the coop.

 

[welasharon]

My regular chickens did well last year when we went to 17. I have polish, barred rock cuckoo marans and silkies. I am worried this year about my seramas and o shamo. It was over 70 three days ago and tonight is supposed to be in the teens....but I am going to leave them and the o shamos outside. However I did put plastic on the pens...I have open air pens with no coops...and put hay up, under and around the roosts...so we will see how it goes.
ETA: haven't had to deal with a hurricane yet....

 

[JP101010]

I was considering buying a tabletop ceramic stand alone heater for my mini barn shed size coop. They build them so safely now- if they even lean slightly they automatically kick off and we figured we could set the thermostat at like 68 and so i would kick on to take the chill out but i would hate to make this investment for a few days out of the year- cheaper for me to bring em in the spare room in cages.

with no physical shelter / coop i think your gonna hate hurricane season even more than these rogue cold fronts-are you on the coast?