Feeding and water in extreme cold

[saysfaa]

...Should I worry about them not eating and drinking because its so cold? ...

Yes. They need both in the cold. If your regular feeder and waterer won't work well, one option is to go through your kitchen and house looking for taller, narrower containers that can be tied or wedged in place. Or maybe heavier containers that could be set on something about as high as their backs. And/or to take food and water out periodically.

 

[KyCoop]

I don't know about anyone else but I'm exhausted from running the water relay all weekend.

Starting with putting on 43 layers of clothing including my husband's work coveralls. Then trudging through what felt like an artic expedition only to find the gate latch and run door frozen shut! By the time I got into the run, the liquid water I brought was turning to slush.
The girls were smart and would come out of the coop for a drink and go back in.
I stayed in the winterized run for a few mins to "warm up" and then wrestled the run door and back across the tundra into the house to peel off the 43 layers.
I did this every 3 hours for 3 days. I need a nap.

 

[Kanekoded]

following as I tucked my girls into the coop with moistened food but not sure how to get water in there without them kicking it over. the winds are nuts here and I think they need to stay in for the day/evening?

I realize that this is a few days late but for the next deep freeze....

I keep a heated dog bowl in my coop and to keep the chickens from knocking it around and getting litter and poop in it, I put a cardboard box over it with 4 holes just large enough that they can put their heads in to drink from the bowl. Perhaps, it's an idea that will work for you in the future so you don't have to worry about spillage.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

I realize that this is a few days late but for the next deep freeze....

I keep a heated dog bowl in my coop and to keep the chickens from knocking it around and getting litter and poop in it, I put a cardboard box over it with 4 holes just large enough that they can put their heads in to drink from the bowl. Perhaps, it's an idea that will work for you in the future so you don't have to worry about spillage.

all good - the moistened food and water visits worked during the storm when they were locked up. they're now back out in the run with their heated waterer

 

[Luv Ducks]

Yes! They were on sale for $15, so I grabbed another one!
Here’s my pic from spying on them at around midnight! (Excuse the feather mess, some are still molting! Brrrr!)View attachment 3357056

Do you pay a monthly fee for your camera and is it waterproof? I wanted to get one but do not have a lot of technology under my belt. My belt is older, lol.

@CoopBoots , I’m cracking up that you marked my “box thingy” comment as informative.
Here’s actual information on that item:

I've tried three times making a link to it, but it won't open. Aghh. I'll try a screenshot...
View attachment 3357810

I don't know about anyone else but I'm exhausted from running the water relay all weekend.

Starting with putting on 43 layers of clothing including my husband's work coveralls. Then trudging through what felt like an artic expedition only to find the gate latch and run door frozen shut! By the time I got into the run, the liquid water I brought was turning to slush.
The girls were smart and would come out of the coop for a drink and go back in.
I stayed in the winterized run for a few mins to "warm up" and then wrestled the run door and back across the tundra into the house to peel off the 43 layers.
I did this every 3 hours for 3 days. I need a nap.

I knew my gate would be frozen shut so I took a plastic pallet, blocked the entrance with that, put a tarp from the top of the pen to the bottom of the entrance, blocked it all shut and was able to get in with no problem. I too carried water and their buckets were froze to the ground so all I could do was keep adding to what they had already either splashed in or drank. They all survived as today the hose finally worked and the outside spigot worked even though it was still below freezing. I keep asking myself "How many more years do you think you can do this?" I love my Ducks so I figure as many as God allows me to.

 

[wamtazlady]

I don't know about anyone else but I'm exhausted from running the water relay all weekend.

Starting with putting on 43 layers of clothing including my husband's work coveralls. Then trudging through what felt like an artic expedition only to find the gate latch and run door frozen shut! By the time I got into the run, the liquid water I brought was turning to slush.
The girls were smart and would come out of the coop for a drink and go back in.
I stayed in the winterized run for a few mins to "warm up" and then wrestled the run door and back across the tundra into the house to peel off the 43 layers.
I did this every 3 hours for 3 days. I need a nap.

That is why I am so glad to be able to run an extension cord to my coop. I'm 71 and wouldn't have chickens if I had to do what you had to do. The water in my run was topped off before the cold spell. Just had someone go out and jiggle the 2 out of 3 nipples that had frozen when it got down to -35. Hope to never see temperatures that low ever again.

 

[Luv Ducks]

That is why I am so glad to be able to run an extension cord to my coop. I'm 71 and wouldn't have chickens if I had to do what you had to do. The water in my run was topped off before the cold spell. Just had someone go out and jiggle the 2 out of 3 nipples that had frozen when it got down to -35. Hope to never see temperatures that low ever again.

I have the heated water bowls but my outside spigot froze in these extreme temperatures so I had to carry buckets to my ducks up until today. I am no Spring Chicken or Duck either but was able to get them what they needed to survive, Thank You Lord!

 

[-Isla June-]

So I've been keeping the feeder and water out in the run to minimize mess and keep moisture out of the coop. We also usually don't use any type of supplemental heating in the coop. The girls don't seem to mind it being cold that much, usually they are out in the run even with snow on the ground. But with this cold front we did add a heat lamp and now the girls wont come out to the run to eat and drink. They tried and immediately went back in the coop. Should I worry about them not eating and drinking because its so cold? I don't want to move the feeders into the coop because I know they are going to make a mess, and I definitely don't want water all over the place. Also the heat lamp is just a temporary set up for this cold front to help them not freeze, once it gets back to just 20s or 30s we'll take it out.

i recommend putting red pepper flakes in the food, chickens can’t taste spice, but it warms them on the inside.

 

[MixedFlock23]

Do you pay a monthly fee for your camera and is it waterproof? I wanted to get one but do not have a lot of technology under my belt. My belt is older, lol.



I knew my gate would be frozen shut so I took a plastic pallet, blocked the entrance with that, put a tarp from the top of the pen to the bottom of the entrance, blocked it all shut and was able to get in with no problem. I too carried water and their buckets were froze to the ground so all I could do was keep adding to what they had already either splashed in or drank. They all survived as today the hose finally worked and the outside spigot worked even though it was still below freezing. I keep asking myself "How many more years do you think you can do this?" I love my Ducks so I figure as many as God allows me to.

No monthly fee. Just paid the $15 sale price (now $30) and bought a device to save videos on it. Without the extra module, I can still view the "live videos" any time I want to, which is all I really need. Both mini blink cameras are for indoor use, they say, but are doing fine inside our coops. One has been there since Nov 2020. Hubby wrapped it in one layer of plastic food wrap to keep dust off it and it is mounted on the wall just about 3 foot up.

Frozen latches are the worst! I pour hot water on them and act fast! I still had to carry water out to our heated waterers as they got low. My hose/spigot was frozen too.

 

[MixedFlock23]

I realize that this is a few days late but for the next deep freeze....

I keep a heated dog bowl in my coop and to keep the chickens from knocking it around and getting litter and poop in it, I put a cardboard box over it with 4 holes just large enough that they can put their heads in to drink from the bowl. Perhaps, it's an idea that will work for you in the future so you don't have to worry about spillage.

Genius idea!! One of my daughter's Polish pullets had a few icicle feathers! Everyone is fine, but this would have kept her head feathers dry/not heavy and frozen!