Here in the midwest, we for the first time in weeks, were above freezing all night. And temperatures today are expected to be close to 50 degrees. Tonight, in my experience, is when the chance of frostbite is very high.
When it is very cold, all moisture is frozen solid. When it is very cold, chickens spend more time on the floor of the coop, leaving the daily droppings. Which nearly freeze solid instantly. Frozen water is pretty dry as far as air humidity goes.
But today, all that ice is melting, releasing a lot of moisture into the air. Humidity is rising. Today, I swept out my coop, replacing the wet, damp bedding with dry bedding. The chance of it getting real cold tonight, is not high, but the chance of it being below 32 degrees is HIGH. That high humidity, will condense on your birds tonight as the temperature cools, and this is when I tend to get frost bite.
By putting fresh dry bedding in the coop, it begins to pull some of that moisture out of the air and away from my chickens. Dry chickens are warm, and much less susceptible to frostbite.
Just a heads up for you new owners, the danger is really not over as it warms up.
Mrs K
When it is very cold, all moisture is frozen solid. When it is very cold, chickens spend more time on the floor of the coop, leaving the daily droppings. Which nearly freeze solid instantly. Frozen water is pretty dry as far as air humidity goes.
But today, all that ice is melting, releasing a lot of moisture into the air. Humidity is rising. Today, I swept out my coop, replacing the wet, damp bedding with dry bedding. The chance of it getting real cold tonight, is not high, but the chance of it being below 32 degrees is HIGH. That high humidity, will condense on your birds tonight as the temperature cools, and this is when I tend to get frost bite.
By putting fresh dry bedding in the coop, it begins to pull some of that moisture out of the air and away from my chickens. Dry chickens are warm, and much less susceptible to frostbite.
Just a heads up for you new owners, the danger is really not over as it warms up.
Mrs K
