Extremely slow, full molt

[Miss Lydia]

you made a good point jjthink, It's going to be in the single digits here for a couple of nights, my coop doesn't get that warm when I have on the heat lamp, I try to watch it and will turn it off when it gets into mid 20's, my question is how hard can it be for my birds if I keep on the heat for them on those really cold days so they can at least be fairly comfortable. Not really warm but not extremely frigid either. I have a really nice heat lamp that I ordered from Premier 1 very safe but I am afraid to use it because I don't want to make my chickens sick by making them go from one temp to another when going in and out. Am I making sense? I know they are uncomfortable when it get that cold, all you have to do is look at them to tell. Or maybe it's just me. They do get out and walk around in the snow, but they also like to hang out in their house on those bitter days too. I am confused to say the least......sorry I just hijacked the post.

 

[jjthink]

I've found that mine do better overall when they get a break from the frigid cold during sleepy time or anytime they feel like going into the coop to be more comfy (if it helps you feel not too extreme, my coop is rarely below 40 degrees

). They have free choice during the day (when coop door is open it's not as warm in there as during the night when door is shut but it's still better than outside...my coop stays warmer then it otherwise might because it's a building within a building [larger building is unheated] so enjoys a major wind break...)). Because BJ roo is ultra sensitive these days I have taken to keeping them in the coop on really raw days and this December has had some of those. Or, if I am able to be around such as on a weekend, I let them out to stretch for just a little while......
JJ

 

[janinepeters]

ddawn, yes, I think you and I have similar philosophies. I used to treat them much more like pets but have changed over the years. I think it's great that you are able to kill and eat them. I often think it would be kinder to kill them as soon as they begin to appear to be suffering, since I do eat meat anyway. But I cannot kill them. Sometimes I give an ailing chicken to a friend who does eat them. I should have given this one to her, but kept thinking she would pull through, if feather growth would just pick up.

You might be right - there might have been some underlying issue. Maybe the stress of some underlying problem was slowing feather growth. Honestly, the ones I have provided special care for in the past often turned out to be weak in some way...and I often wished I had just let them go without dragging it out. Maybe I did the wrong thing in this case, I don't know. It's always a tough call.

jjthink, thanks for you comments. Our coop is well insulated and provides excellent protection from wind and rain and snow. They have 2 runs, one of which is covered, so they can go "out" without getting rained or snowed upon. When I let them free range in the afternoon, they can even go into the garage, which is a bit warmer. But I have made the decision not to heat the coop. I do choose cold-hardy breeds, however, and don't let myself get seduced by the fancy but delicate types. (The one I just lost was a chantecler, a Canadian breed produced to cope with extreme cold.)

Miss Lydia, I think it's a personal decision to provide heat or not, whichever is easier for you to deal with, in my opinion. As for the birds, there are advantages and disadvantages in either situation, as I am sure you are aware. If you live in a cold climate and they are not particularly cold hardy breeds, you might tend towards providing heat.