Extreme cold - what is “too cold?”

[themidnightmama]

I live in NE Texas. We have mild winters with temps that rarely drop below freezing. But the polar vortex is heading our way and the low on Monday is 1 degree F. Temps will be in the teens and 20’s over the next week.
I put a thick layer of new straw in the coop today. I have 8 hens, so they generate quite a bit of heat themselves.
How cold is too cold? Do I need to put a heater in the coop during the coldest nights? Anything else I can do to help keep my hens safe?
I attached a picture of our coop.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

The thick straw layer is good. I would not put a heater in there because of the risk of fire.
As long as they are protected from wind they should be okay. Don’t forget they are wearing little down-filled coats!

 

[WindingRoad]

I live in NE Texas. We have mild winters with temps that rarely drop below freezing. But the polar vortex is heading our way and the low on Monday is 1 degree F. Temps will be in the teens and 20’s over the next week.
I put a thick layer of new straw in the coop today. I have 8 hens, so they generate quite a bit of heat themselves.
How cold is too cold? Do I need to put a heater in the coop during the coldest nights? Anything else I can do to help keep my hens safe?
I attached a picture of our coop.

It's been 10-15 below zero around here for the past week. My birds are fine. You might want to worry more about frozen water. Do you have a heated waterer or can you refill about every hour or two.

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

And I forgot to mention, check that their water isn’t frozen. There are warming dishes at pet stores that some people use. I just keep changing the water out.

 

[CluckerFamily]

It has been -20°F this week, I don’t heat my coop with those temperatures. Making sure they are out of the way of drafts, that they are dry, have plenty of food and their water isn’t frozen are key things to make sure the flock will be comfortable.

 

[rosemarythyme]

What is too cold? Extreme example, chickens survived -58F in an unheated coop: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-cold-is-too-cold-check-this-out.1345546/

As long as you have draft free ventilation, available buffers against winds (i.e. the coop, straw bales in the run), and liquid water, healthy adult birds will be fine.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

This winter, I have lost 3 birds to the cold.

1 was probably more of a fluke (it got really cold, really fast, and my mom thinks he just gave up).

1 was a Cornish bantam male, and Cornish don't have a lot of down to begin with, so they're a bit more cold sensitive I've noticed.

1 was a frizzled Ayam Cemani who snuck out of the barn and got lost so she couldn't get back in to warm up.

The last two happened Wednesday night, when it was about -15ish. Everyone else is close to miserable, but they are still outside, moving and alive (apart from 3 for other reasons) and vary from 16~ weeks to almost 9 years old

 

[MissE]

I have a 75 watt bulb in my coop. It comes on at 2am this time of year. Its ceiling height, and with the ventilation, it's not providing any heat. Mine are all fine. Now the hourly egg check begins.

 

[aart]

I live in NE Texas. We have mild winters with temps that rarely drop below freezing. But the polar vortex is heading our way and the low on Monday is 1 degree F. Temps will be in the teens and 20’s over the next week.
I put a thick layer of new straw in the coop today. I have 8 hens, so they generate quite a bit of heat themselves.
How cold is too cold? Do I need to put a heater in the coop during the coldest nights? Anything else I can do to help keep my hens safe?
I attached a picture of our coop.

No heater, but might want to block mesh walls that face the wind.
Is there ventilation up under the edges of the roof?
Do not block all ventilation.
8 birds in a coop that size can create a lot of moisture and it needs to be able to escape.

I understand that these temps for keepers not used to them is alarming.

 

[icy_flames]

Do not heat the coop. I would temporarily cover up a couple of those big windows you have with maybe some clear plastic so no wind comes in. Keep them dry and extra scratch in mornings ( canned corn works too ). You want to get that internal furnace of theirs going by digesting food. Make sure water does not freeze. Today temp not over 0 F in my area and my girls are doing ok.