First winter storm & lessons learned

[dirkandlorie]

We went from 56* to -6* in a matter of hours. (Wind chill in the -20s) No way my girls could handle that! I brought them into a spare bedroom in the house. Put up a huge tent, lined it with a tarp and dumped in pine bedding. Cracked the window a bit, and my girls sat out the storm at a perfect 42*. Clean up was easy each day, my house wasn't covered in dust from chickens, and whole tarp bundled up at the end and dumped in the run. I also hung a bird seed bell in there to keep them occupied. Was so easy I'm upset with myself for not thinking of doing it this way before!

 

[Lilbitsnpieces]

Thank you. I will do that. It was after coming in I thought I might be having a heart attack. I guess it happens to runners in the cold? I didn’t know it was a thing until now.

I wear an n95mask when temps are below freezing..breathe in through nose..out through mouth..a paper mask doesn't get wet and crystalize like a cloth scarf or mask will..keeps that cold out of your lungs as well as any moist spores from the coop..-15 here and -40+ windchills(Nebraska)

 

[Chickeeaholic]

I wear an n95mask when temps are below freezing..breathe in through nose..out through mouth..a paper mask doesn't get wet and crystalize like a cloth scarf or mask will..keeps that cold out of your lungs as well as any moist spores from the coop..-15 here and -40+ windchills(Nebraska)

That’s a great idea. I was breathing through a scarf but through my mouth probably.

 

[Folly's place]

Last Friday was miserable here, and some of that fine snow did blow into our coop. The chickens found the least difficult places in the coop for the day and were fine. Lowest ambient temps were 5F, much better than might have been. We had amazing wind gusts and snow, beautiful to look at, but not fun to be outside at all! Our very short haired dogs were horrified!
Growing up in southern Wisconsin, i remember deep snow and -20F, definitely miserable too, but never had those 50 mph winds all at the same time.
Next time such winds are forecast, I'm going to readjust the ventilation at our coop too.
Mary

 

[TJAnonymous]

I have quite a few chickens. Somewhere between 60-70. I have 3 large coops, a 6 ft x 8 ft goat house, 2 shed run-ins, a repourposed child's playhouse, and a large domed doghouse all within my large 125 ft x 32 ft run. Despite all those places to stay out of the wind, I had about 10-15 chickens who insisted on staying exposed out in the cold during the day. Most never left the coops which all stayed dry and even decently warm (although I never measured the temp it felt at least 20 degrees warmer inside the coops). I had 2 roosters with large wattles and combs who ended up with frostbite on their wattles only. I believe this occurred from them getting wet while drinking. Both of these roosters were in the bunch who chose to hangout outside in the cold.

Anyone have any advice on how to prevent frostbitten wattles in the future? I can't think of anything practical other than to perhaps bring them indoors next time...

 

[catballou]

I have quite a few chickens. Somewhere between 60-70. I have 3 large coops, a 6 ft x 8 ft goat house, 2 shed run-ins, a repourposed child's playhouse, and a large domed doghouse all within my large 125 ft x 32 ft run. Despite all those places to stay out of the wind, I had about 10-15 chickens who insisted on staying exposed out in the cold during the day. Most never left the coops which all stayed dry and even decently warm (although I never measured the temp it felt at least 20 degrees warmer inside the coops). I had 2 roosters with large wattles and combs who ended up with frostbite on their wattles only. I believe this occurred from them getting wet while drinking. Both of these roosters were in the bunch who chose to hangout outside in the cold.

Anyone have any advice on how to prevent frostbitten wattles in the future? I can't think of anything practical other than to perhaps bring them indoors next time...

I'd have to bring them in the coop. They should know better, but I guess not

 

[TJAnonymous]

I'd have to bring them in the coop. They should know better, but I guess not

I didn't lock everyone in the coop because I knew they had ample places to spread out and still stay out of the weather. I didn't count on them CHOOSING to stay exposed in the run like dummies... I guess I know better next time.

 

[Kanekoded]

Been rethinking how to handle winter going forward. I can block off the east and west louvered vents (and long lower louvered one on the front from the inside).

I am thinking about adding a detachable deflector with east/west louvered direction cuts that will angle in under the north facing eve. That way it won't lose ventilation and redirect the airflow from the winds out the sides. Hoping this will be the solution. The run is on the north end.

Perhaps, this is an option to add to your list of things to try.

I've done this to all of the side vents in my coop and have had zero issues with rain or snow blowing in (see upper left corner of pic):

 

[3KillerBs]

Anyone have any advice on how to prevent frostbitten wattles in the future? I can't think of anything practical other than to perhaps bring them indoors next time...

Were they drinking from open waterers?

I didn't lock everyone in the coop because I knew they had ample places to spread out and still stay out of the weather. I didn't count on them CHOOSING to stay exposed in the run like dummies... I guess I know better next time.

Maybe take this opportunity to cull poor survival instincts out of your flock and don't let these fellows breed?

 

[Krugerrand]

I didn't lock everyone in the coop because I knew they had ample places to spread out and still stay out of the weather. I didn't count on them CHOOSING to stay exposed in the run like dummies... I guess I know better next time.

I DID lock everyone in the coop because the run was not protecting from the wind direction as I had planned. And, my two older chickens were stopping my two younger chickens from getting into the coop. (still not fully integrated) I also failed to consider them choosing to act like dummies. All four huddled into a single nest box. But, apparently while the coop has great ventilation, the next box does not have ventilation for four and two of them got some frost bite.

My two lessons: 1) block wind better in the run. 2) if they try and huddle into a nest box, close it off. They need to do their huddling where there's more ventilation.