First Colorado blizzard in forecast tonight...

[Justplainchickn]

Winter forecast for our part of Colorado and I'm not sure when I need to put a heat lamp in the coop. I want them to get used to the cold so they will make it through the winter. We have plenty of ventilation on the upper portion of the coop so I'm not concerned about ventilation or draft. I have a small coop though fits 6 regular chickens but I have 3 silkies, 1 d'uccle and a mixed partridge rock bantam. I close up the door to the roost at night and close the side windows. They said it will get down to 26 f tonight with lots of wind and snow. Any info would be wonderful.

 

[RJSorensen]

Over in Utah here, yep storm headed way! I would not fret about the temp you noted. Birds will do fine if dry and out of the wind/draft. Perhaps as you get toward the teens or lower you may want to keep a good eye on them, and from that do what you think best. If your roost is wide enough to cover their feet… they will snuggle down and be fine. For me and my birds, I don't worry about them until it gets below 0 degrees.

Just make sure they are feed well, have water at all times, coop is dry and no drafts, you will be fine.

RJ

 

[Justplainchickn]

Thank you so much! I am hoping for the best. I do have a question and it may be stupid but we have like I said a very small coop, it basically a roosting area ( with wide roosting bar) with 2 nests. Then the run area below. I don't keep water in the roost but they have access all day except when they go to bed I close the door to the roost area. Do they need water in roost area? Do they drink at night? I know sounds dumb but I just want to make sure I do it right

 

[shortgrass]

They'll be okay without water for the night. If its too windy in the morning, it might not hurt to move the water and food into the coop, depending on if they have to go out in the wind to eat. Mine have a windbreak on the north side of one coop(in northern part of state), and we got blasted with the blizzard last week and everybody in that coop managed to mosey out to eat, but I did move the water in for my broody coop; I have a mom and a 4 week old, and 16 12 week olds in that one, and their door faces the north, so I did lock that coop.

I didn't turn on any supplemental light; I even had 4 that decided to roost in a tree that night

They were frosty feathered but fine; they'll snuggle. Ventilation is really important here, because they'll snuggle and breathe hot moist air on each other and can get frostbite, so as long as there's air flow (but not a strong draft) they'll be just fine