feeling worried -10 below

mlfairbanks

In the Brooder
Jul 23, 2015
16
1
22
HI
this is my first winter with my chickens. The inside coop is nice and warm and at night (on the super cold nights) i put hot water bottles underneath the hay to warm up their feet.

They are outside right now but it is -20 below with the windchill. Should i be worried? should i lock them inside? Will they go in on their own if they are too cold?

I put vaseline on their combs, they have plenty of fresh water and food.

Am I worrying too much?

Thanks for any input!
 
They are fine. They know how to go back in if they want, but it sounds like they want out. If it's sunny there like it is here that will make them happy. Right now some of mine are out, others would rather stay put, and it's -10 here now too.
 
Right now, it is -9 with the wind chill here. This morning it was colder. I opened the coop door late this morning, and like always, they went charging outside, through the run, and out into the field. Right now they are sunning themselves. Most chickens adapt well to cold...better than the heat.
 
I put bag balm on my girls combs and then put them in just for an hour that way they would warm up a little. I just let them back out and gave them a treat. I was worrying too but they seem to be ok for the time being! Temp here is 7 but feels like -10.
 
HI
this is my first winter with my chickens. The inside coop is nice and warm and at night (on the super cold nights) i put hot water bottles underneath the hay to warm up their feet.

They are outside right now but it is -20 below with the windchill. Should i be worried? should i lock them inside? Will they go in on their own if they are too cold?

I put vaseline on their combs, they have plenty of fresh water and food.

Am I worrying too much?

Thanks for any input!
Do you have good ventilation?
Moisture trapped in the coop will get you frostbite faster than anything else.
 
I've discovered that young chickens seem to be impervious to the cold, but my aging chickens mope and gripe and huddle together in tight groups when the temp refuses to get out of the single digits. I have one run that's separate from the main run, and although it's got plastic covering it to keep out the wind, it does get much colder since it juts out on the north side. Those three hens will go inside their coop to hang out and warm up periodically.

If you have five to eight-year old hens like mine, I hang a heat lamp in the center of the run for them to warm up under. The oldest girls take full advantage.

At night, they sleep close together on the perch so they stay plenty warm. I use Bag Balm on the tallest combs and I've never had a frost bite problem.
 

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