Florida chickens

[PScott]

A lot of these blogs mention sub-zero temps, so I'm feeling foolish now. I've been stressing for months about what to do with my flock this winter. I am a new backyard chicken owner and have raised 5 chicks I got at Easter time. I also was given 3 full-grown egg layers a few months ago, so by now have 8 egg layers. I keep my two groups of hens in two separate pen, each with a covered area to keep them dry overnight. I let them all out to free range daily and put them to roost each night. They have plenty of wooded shade to forage in during the 80-100 degree days here in Florida, but I've been worried about this winter when we occasionally get overnight temps that dip into the 30's and maybe even the 20's. Since they are in such warm climate most of the year, will they be able to adjust to drastic changes in winter time? We may have 20-30 degrees a day or two, then back up to 70-80 again, several times a season.

 

[sourland]

As long as they have a dry, draft free coop they will be fine.

 

[PScott]

I have been building a larger chicken coop out of pallets overlaid with chicken wire to blend both groups, hoping to be finished before our weather turns cool. I have put up sheathing for the winter, but it will not be air tight, so what do you mean by drafts? Do I need to caulk all corners and cracks? That would throw a kink in the coop since I want to take the sheathing off after wintertime so that the coop will be cool in our hot summers. I have a heat lamp ready to use if it gets down to 20-30 degrees.