Freezing temps (help!)

[Crax]

As I am typing this right now the outside temperature is 26 degrees and freezing, I’ve kept my chickens inside their coop but I can tell they really want to go outside but am too worried they may freeze.. I lost a hen yesterday from the freezing temps but am worried if I let the others out that it’ll happen again does anyone know if it’s safe to let them out?
I live in Texas south of Dallas if that helps I just feel really bad for my chickens as they want to go outside badly, they have food and water and we have heat lamps in the coop but even with that I’m worried if they go outside that one will freeze again like yesterday..
I have silkies, seramas, and some regular layer breeds such as Rhode Island reds we are mainly concerned about our seramas as the hen I mentioned earlier that froze was one of them.. please if anyone knows that it’s okay if I let them outside please let me know

 

[FeatheredFriends&Horses2]

I'm sorry you lost a hen! What was the temp. yesterday? Seramas aren't cold hardy birds, but if it was around 26 degrees, I wouldn't think that the cold would have killed her. My guess would be that your hen was already struggling with something and perhaps the cold tipped her over the edge. The Rhode Island Reds and Silkies will be just fine in the cold. I live in NE and we didn't lock our birds inside until it got into the negatives. The only reason we have been locking them in is because it's so cold, and there's enough snow, that they won't go outside anyways. So we may as well lock the door to help preserve the warmth in the house. Generally chickens are pretty smart birds when it comes to what they can tolerate, and if they want to go outside, it means they'll be fine. If they are dry and free of wind, they can do a pretty good job keeping themselves warm. If they want to go outside, I'd let them outside. If you're really concerned about it, you can put some windbreaks up. When they decide they're cold, they'll come back in.

 

[Crax]

I'm sorry you lost a hen! What was the temp. yesterday? Seramas aren't cold hardy birds, but if it was around 26 degrees, I wouldn't think that the cold would have killed her. My guess would be that your hen was already struggling with something and perhaps the cold tipped her over the edge. The Rhode Island Reds and Silkies will be just fine in the cold. I live in NE and we didn't lock our birds inside until it got into the negatives. The only reason we have been locking them in is because it's so cold, and there's enough snow, that they won't go outside anyways. So we may as well lock the door to help preserve the warmth in the house. Generally chickens are pretty smart birds when it comes to what they can tolerate, and if they want to go outside, it means they'll be fine. If they are dry and free of wind, they can do a pretty good job keeping themselves warm. If they want to go outside, I'd let them outside. If you're really concerned about it, you can put some windbreaks up. When they decide they're cold, they'll come back in.

That’s what I was thinking was letting them out and trusting them to go back inside when they want to, I’ll just have to keep a close eye on them I’m sure the seramas though will stay inside on the perches

 

[vpatt]

I had a hen get shut outside last night. My husband put her back in the coop and she was picking at food. But she was all fluffed up and not really moving much. I don't really have a set up to bring her inside and I wasn't sure if that would help....what do you all think? Oh, it was down in the high teens to twentyesh. With some snowing and sleet. She was under the coop but no walls to protect her. I have never had this happen before and I hate it.

 

[Smiller1090]

Since you have heat in the coop I would say no but that’s me. I don’t heat my coop because everything I have read has said if you heat and lose power that’s when they get cold, sick and die. We’ve been in the teens and single digits during the day and lows in the singles and negatives for over 2 weeks and it never stays this cold this long here in Indiana. I haven’t lost any. I just blocked the wind to the run and make sure they have food and water. On the negative mornings I take warm oatmeal or scrambled eggs out to them. I also give them cracked corn and molasses for energy to stay warm. Hope this cold ends soon.

 

[vpatt]

Thanks for the response...But no I don't have heat in the coop. That's why I wondered if it would be more harmful to take her back and forth from cold to warm to cold. I'm thinking that she was picking at food was a good sign and she is in the coop now....
Sigh

 

[Sydney65]

Thanks for the response...But no I don't have heat in the coop. That's why I wondered if it would be more harmful to take her back and forth from cold to warm to cold. I'm thinking that she was picking at food was a good sign and she is in the coop now....
Sigh

Do you have an enclosed garage? Seems like a good trade off between extremes, out of wind but not too warm.