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

[centrarchid]

Birds I bring in are kept in until a warm day or I put them in garage for a day then partially open it so they can come and go until they are acclimatized which takes a few hours at most.

Birds in poor condition are not put out until condition improves.

 

[Hope4Hennsyvania]

Mine would steal your treats and then go back where they were (bad girls! But smart... I can't fault them for outwitting me)

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.

 

[Hope4Hennsyvania]

Chickens take awhile to get used to change, they may or may not ever use the box. Easy on the carbs for now, they need a little more carbs in winter than summer but not much more.

That was an attempt to get them out of the corner to a safer place, a trail is a palmfull sprinkled with a slice of bread halved. Not trying to hurt them, they need nutirion... and white bread aint it im sure

 

[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

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Oh no, sneaky buggers lol. You might have to resort to force tactics after all.

They are stubborn little geniuses! (Or I am not so bright) they keep out smarting me)

 

[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! ❤

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

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! ❤

After all this is done you'll know more about how to fix the coop (next year!) To make life easier on you and more comfortable for them.

The hens in the laundry room will be an awesome Christmas memory for your 10yr old, and you will not spend the holidays consoling your daughter about her hens dieing from cold.

Take pictures of your daughter w all her hens in the laundry room with some Christmas decorations. You'll be able to look at them and recall this crazy moment in your lives. It is funny, really, when you look at how much we do for these babies... I have 2 khaki Campbell Ducks happily swimming in my bathtub at the moment... I feel pretty foolish, but it was easier than building them a new run with a heated tub in it. It got too cold too fast this year. Next summer I'll see about "improvements" I've got 4ft of snow on the ground, nothing can be done this year.

(And yes, there are two yellow rubber ducky and a little blue rubber whale in the bath with the ducks)

 

[Hope4Hennsyvania]

After all this is done you'll know more about how to fix the coop (next year!) To make life easier on you and more comfortable for them.

The hens in the laundry room will be an awesome Christmas memory for your 10yr old, and you will not spend the holidays consoling your daughter about her hens dieing from cold.

Take pictures of your daughter w all her hens in the laundry room with some Christmas decorations. You'll be able to look at them and recall this crazy moment in your lives. It is funny, really, when you look at how much we do for these babies... I have 2 khaki Campbell Ducks happily swimming in my bathtub at the moment... I feel pretty foolish, but it was easier than building them a new run with a heated tub in it. It got too cold too fast this year. Next summer I'll see about "improvements" I've got 4ft of snow on the ground, nothing can be done this year.

(And yes, there are two yellow rubber ducky and a little blue rubber whale in the bath with the ducks)

My lil girl has no idea at this age what Im willing to go through for her, and these hens... she likely wont appreciated it for another 15+ yrs when she has her own "flock" of humans. Lol.
Meanwhile this has caused other problems... a distuption in the pecking order. Our Ninja has decided to be in the middle on the laundry room roost (black sex link, the biggest of the bunch but the outcast. She doesnt lay eggs & was always bumped around) . The other 2 girls, checker the dominique head hen & goldie cinnamon are on the ends and pecking her legs and head... she aint budging. Normally shes on the floor in the outside coop, and my daughter says "roost" and shell hop up. Then lights out and there is peace. Not tonite the food and water habe been knocked over. I hear chicken clucking & bickering. OmG what have i done!
Im sure theyll work it out. They "try" to behave when i enter the room but they cant help themselves.
Honestly if ninja wanted to she could beat all their asses but she dont. I dont know time for lights out for the girls then cookies and lights out for me. Happy Holidays BYC friends.
Peace love and happiness to you all

 

[Hope4Hennsyvania]

After all this is done you'll know more about how to fix the coop (next year!) To make life easier on you and more comfortable for them.

The hens in the laundry room will be an awesome Christmas memory for your 10yr old, and you will not spend the holidays consoling your daughter about her hens dieing from cold.

Take pictures of your daughter w all her hens in the laundry room with some Christmas decorations. You'll be able to look at them and recall this crazy moment in your lives. It is funny, really, when you look at how much we do for these babies... I have 2 khaki Campbell Ducks happily swimming in my bathtub at the moment... I feel pretty foolish, but it was easier than building them a new run with a heated tub in it. It got too cold too fast this year. Next summer I'll see about "improvements" I've got 4ft of snow on the ground, nothing can be done this year.

(And yes, there are two yellow rubber ducky and a little blue rubber whale in the bath with the ducks)

I love their heated bath! I could sure use one. We all have work to do for next year, lets make it through 2022 wirhout frozen, frostbit or injured birds.
Who knew this was this hard? Certainly many did, but no one ever tells ya the dirty details until you're smack dab in the middle of it..... like child birth rofl
Well, hopefully tonite isnt a long one and the holiday spirit takes over ( or the spirit in the egg nog, whichever is strongest)

 

[o2bgreenntx]

I love their heated bath! I could sure use one. We all have work to do for next year, lets make it through 2022 wirhout frozen, frostbit or injured birds.
Who knew this was this hard? Certainly many did, but no one ever tells ya the dirty details until you're smack dab in the middle of it..... like child birth rofl
Well, hopefully tonite isnt a long one and the holiday spirit takes over ( or the spirit in the egg nog, whichever is strongest)

OMGoodness everyone! The things we do and the sleepless nights we have for our babies. I've experienced all your feelings and doubts about if I've done the right thing. I'm in North Central TX so not experiencing anything like some of you. It is cold, though! I have 4 -18 month old hens and 6 15 week old pullets. They were fine in the single degree hours we had. I still worried. Merry Christmas all my BYC friends - warm mash and scrambled eggs for Christmas breakfast for girls, hot coffee and cinnamon rolls for me!