Did I make a mistake bringing my 3 chickens in the house overnight because of the cold?

[Hope4Hennsyvania]

Im in Southeast PA and my 3 girls are 6 months old. It went down to 2 degrees lastnight, so i set up a dog kennel in my laundry room. They roosted & slept fine. Ive read below 20 can be dangerous for them. Now goldie is due to lay an egg and bitching, i opened the door but they didnt venture outside its currently 8 degrees but my laundry room is 58 degree. can they go back out or is it too drastic temp change?

 

[Ridgerunner]

How are they acting after you put them outside? My guess is that they are staying out of the wind but otherwise acting fairly normal, maybe not moving around as much as normal. In your previous lows they have grown acclimated to be able to take those temperatures. They are not likely to die or get injured, though frostbite could be an issue. It's probably pretty low humidity and they generally stay out of the wind so windchill should not be a problem for frostbite. They are acclimated to winter. I've seen the temperature swing by 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit in less than a day, including warm to cold. They should be able to handle that easily.

Did you do wrong by bringing them in? Not in my opinion as you were concerned. Your peace of mind is pretty valuable. Would they have survived outside? Almost certainly but they are your pets and they were more comfortable inside. But now they may want to be somewhere else.

My suggestion is to watch them, which I'm sure you are. Make your decisions based on what you see, not what some stranger over the internet like me says you will see. You might see something different.

If the wind is calm mine choose to go outside when the temperature is below 0 F. If a cold wind is blowing they stay out of the wind. I'd expect yours to act much the same way.

 

[Hope4Hennsyvania]

Hope everyone is having Merry Merry & Happy Happy.

 

[Chickeeaholic]

I know the difference can be hard on them. Especially if they are kept so warm they don’t grow proper feathers, but the drastic weather change that just happened via Mother Nature is also hard on them. I don’t think what you did was bad. I also moved mine temporarily yesterday having the same weather as you. They are back in the coop today with a heat panel if they want it.

 

[RoyalChick]

Quick update from me. We hit 10 degrees (-7 with windchill) and mine are out and about foraging - including the one that is still molting.

 

[Hope4Hennsyvania]

Sometimes just do what is simpler for you. If you have a space with a floor you can clean and can lock them in so they don't wander around eating your house plants, just do it and don't beat yourself up. There are nights so cold even a junkyard dog deserves a mat in front of the fire.

Focus on having a good day and let them curl up in a safe place. Better that than the guilt if they died/suffered and you had had an option to protect them. Sometimes cleaning a floor is easier than worrying

Thats where im at. I screwed up by bringing them in ASSUMING they couldnt handle the cold. Then then let them sleep in a balmy 50+ degrees. Let them out to lay eggs cuz they were yelling at me. Single digit temp from 50 degrees seems drastic and they didnt adapt to it after 2 hrs. So back inside until uts a more reasonable transition for them (and me)
I have to cook dinner & bake cookies from scratch w my 10yr old, ive spent most of the last 2 hrs outside to see how they are. Normally theyd follow me, run up to my daughter...they did NONE of those things. I saw them pulling one leg up to their stomach and balancing on the other, too fluffed up. So theyre in the laundry room til tomorrow. Thank You everyone for your advice and expertise. I have a better idea of how to prep their area & what to ensure they have.
Happy Holidays to all and our feathered friends! ❤

 

[SueT]

While I do bring my sole bantam hen into the basement for single digit temps, most of my chickens stay out and are fine. They were fine during the 2021 polar vortex when it got down to -20. I was afraid it could kill them all but no. I had brought 3 or 4 in that year. Stinky and unnecessary. Their down jackets seemed to keep them warm enuf.
This current cold spell brought us -6 one night. What they hate more than the cold is the snow that came w it. Now the sun is out, it’s up to 8º and they are realizing it’s not The End of the World, after all.
Our basement is in the 50’s. The little hen has been in 2 nights, she’s going back out when it’s above 10º, She could probably take the cold we’ve had but she’s my favorite chicken and kind of old. And not messy like the big girls.

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Regarding older/smaller/molting hens that get preferential treatment, since these are not children you can have favorites as long as the "least" favorite one is still safe and well cared for. We all have one that makes our hearts soft. You never regret spoiling her once she is gone, you always wish you had spoiled her more

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I just brought them back in. The standing on 1 leg w geathers puffed to double their size got me. Its 10 degrees n -9 with winds whipping up and whirling around . Theyre not al all complaining, they started drinking water and eating feed the second they got in the dog pen.
I cant spend half the day running outside. Next time i know not to panic & bring em in and just wait and see. But christmas eve it not the night for drama. Temps will be near 30 tomorow.

Sometimes just do what is simpler for you. If you have a space with a floor you can clean and can lock them in so they don't wander around eating your house plants, just do it and don't beat yourself up. There are nights so cold even a junkyard dog deserves a mat in front of the fire.

Focus on having a good day and let them curl up in a safe place. Better that than the guilt if they died/suffered and you had had an option to protect them. Sometimes cleaning a floor is easier than worrying

 

[casportpony]

Let them stay in if they want, especially they one that wants to lay.