Fully feathered, but big temp drop

[Erinnlyn]

Hi, with some pretty cold weather coming for many in the U.S. there are soooo many posts asking for advice. I have read complete opposite opinions on how chickens survive it. I just read a post on FB that saying chicks 11 weeks are way too young to handle the negative temps we are about to have. I have 3 10-week-olds out there. Now I'm worried for the sudden temp drop and wind chills. I do not heat the coop, but I have provided them with a K & H heated perch so they can use it as they wish. I've covered all the drafty doors on the coop. I try to keep poop cleaned out(keep bedding dry), and put plastic around the run part. I have really tightly packed flakes of rye grass hay as their base in the coop with pine shavings mixed in. They have two 14-week-olds to cuddle with, so 5 young ones all together. This is my first winter with ones this young, and thought they were all good since fully feathered, but second guessing only now after reading other opinions. I'd die if I came out to find them frozen to death. Please tell me my 10-week-olds will be OK!!!! Those of you in northern states or Canada, what's been your experience with fully feathered, but sub-adult chickens out there? -because I know you have seen a lot colder than negative teens! Thank you! Stay warm all!

 

[DobieLover]

They'll be just fine as long as your coop is DRY, well ventilated and draft free.
Make sure they all go to roost with their crops stuffed full of their normal balanced diet. You can try to offer them a warm mash before roost time to fill up on. Make sure no one has wet wattles, feet or combs after eating it.
As for FB... take it all with a mountain of salt. I have read so much bad advice and outright incorrect information there it's scary.

 

[Erinnlyn]

They'll be just fine as long as your coop is DRY, well ventilated and draft free.
Make sure they all go to roost with their crops stuffed full of their normal balanced diet. You can try to offer them a warm mash before roost time to fill up on. Make sure no one has wet wattles, feet or combs after eating it.
As for FB... take it all with a mountain of salt. I have read so much bad advice and outright incorrect information there it's scary.

Thank you. I'll make sure to have their bedding changed out and food stocked up, and I'm going to move their heated waterer closer to their coop door as I'm sure they won't really want to venture out! Thankfully nobody has much in the way of combs or wattles to worry about. Thank you for the tips!

 

[Rmgheris]

Hi, with some pretty cold weather coming for many in the U.S. there are soooo many posts asking for advice. I have read complete opposite opinions on how chickens survive it. I just read a post on FB that saying chicks 11 weeks are way too young to handle the negative temps we are about to have. I have 3 10-week-olds out there. Now I'm worried for the sudden temp drop and wind chills. I do not heat the coop, but I have provided them with a K & H heated perch so they can use it as they wish. I've covered all the drafty doors on the coop. I try to keep poop cleaned out(keep bedding dry), and put plastic around the run part. I have really tightly packed flakes of rye grass hay as their base in the coop with pine shavings mixed in. They have two 14-week-olds to cuddle with, so 5 young ones all together. This is my first winter with ones this young, and thought they were all good since fully feathered, but second guessing only now after reading other opinions. I'd die if I came out to find them frozen to death. Please tell me my 10-week-olds will be OK!!!! Those of you in northern states or Canada, what's been your experience with fully feathered, but sub-adult chickens out there? -because I know you have seen a lot colder than negative teens! Thank you! Stay warm all!

I used to keep their water in the coop but I finally learned to leave it outside the coop so I don’t have any moisture in there room. I also put extra straw down. Mine are only 9 weeks old. There are chickens that have survived in Alaska’s -50. So crossing my fingers.