Do I need to worry about frozen eggs? Frozen chickens???

[ADK_FARM]

I live in an area that can get really cold. This morning it was -2F. It can go as low as -25F. I am worried about my chickens in the cold as well as frozen eggs. I have tried to insulated the coop walls with hay. It is protected from the wind, but it is still going to get really cold in there. Any thoughts?
Thanks, Mark

 

[Marlinchaser]

If they are fully feathered they should not need any extra heat.

If you have chickens with large combs you may need to worry about those getting frostbite.

Your eggs will freeze and crack, but if you gather a couple of times a day that shouldnt be a problem either(dont gather eggs then leave them outside the door where you wont forget to bring them in, trust me you will forget, and the dogs get eggs for breakfast once they thaw out)

You also will need a heated waterer or will need to change out thier water often.

 

[Southernbelle]

We're not nearly as cold as you are! Chickens tolerate the cold much better than they tolerate the heat. It sounds like you're doing great to give them a place to get out of the wind. I plan to rig up a heat lamp over the water bucket in my coop, to keep it from freezing overnight. We don't get as cold here in VA.

As long as you collect the eggs daily, they'll be fine to eat.

 

[michelle1017]

Quote:
I did this last week! We had been getting 5-6 eggs a day for a couple of days. This particular day, the girls laid 10!! I was so excited, but set them down to give treats and promptly left the coop only to find them frozen and cracked the next day! I was soo mad at myself!

 

[Splash_Guard]

It gets that cold here, but they seem to go outside the house when it's 10 degrees even tho a 250-watt red heat lamp burns 8 hours a day. Guess the cold doesn't bother them as much as it does humans.

Don't know about frozen eggs yet, aren't getting any (chickies 20 weeks old), but I'd guess frequent egg collection would prevent freezing.

 

[pookiethebear]

We were worried about our hens as well. Our coop is 8x8x8 high...for 10 birds under a year old. It has been down right feezing here (10-14 degrees). Hubby just installed a lamp in the coop and put a 150 watt reveal bulb in there and he says they were all running around happy as could be. I may come home to roasted chickens! It should give them enough light and heat to save off the brunt of the cold for them. Now we just worry about the coop exploding from the droppings fumes!

 

[ADK_FARM]

Thanks for all the reply's.
Right now i am bringing them fresh water twice a day, but am considering a water heater. They are really very hardy animals, and i enjoy taking care of them. I have to say this forum is a great resource and very well attended.

 

[vermontgal]

Hey ADK - I'm across the lake from you in the Green Mountains. Similar temps; you might be a bit colder.

I think a heated waterer makes sense where we live. I'm not heating the coop.
I have 4 chickens so I am still using the little chick waterer as my main waterer - lasts a couple day when I fill it. I just bought a heated dog bowl (Farm Innovators, uses 60 watts and it is on a thermostat), and have the chicken waterer in it. This works great. If I had more chickens I would consider a heated waterer base made for a 1-3 gal waterer.

Tonight it is supposed to be -5 F here. Right now it is 15F in the chicken coop in the top near the roost. I hope they are doing OK.

 

[annaserv]

I got my first frozen egg a couple mornings ago. We had a -9 night and stayed below 0 for a while that morning. Some one was in the nest when I left in the morning so she must have laid the one that froze, cause there were 2 other ones that were fine when I picked later that afternoon.

I have mostly Cochins and they looked so warm and toasty in their snow pants. I don't think their going to be fazed by the cold this winter as much as me.

 

[MamaSue]

I am assuming as long as the eggs are not cracked, they are edible. I leave for work early and sometimes there are no eggs yet, but when I come home there are. They feel very cold and if the temps have been below freezing I've been wondering if they might be frozen on the inside. I take them in and eventually use them. But is that OK if they freeze a little and then defrost?