Girls are roosting outside just when it starts getting cold? Help!

[Bantam bell Wood]

The first snow fell in southern Maine yesterday and when I went to close the coop up, all four girls were sleeping on the roost in the run. I figured it was due to confusion, having never seen snow before, having part of the run wrapped in tarp, etc. I put all four sleeping beauties in the coop and made sure they were all up on the roost.

Tonight, no new snow, but all four girls again are sleeping on the outdoor rooster. No tarp wrap, nothing different except white stuff on the ground outdoors.

I’m worried bc tomorrow afternoon and Friday the temperatures plunge well below zero if there’s even the breath of a breeze.

Any ideas about why this is happening?

Should I just wrap the run and call it the extended winter coop? The roost in the coop is a 1x4.

I don’t have any current pictures of the outside run, but can say that the roost is only 2, maybe 2 1/2 inches wide. I haven’t gotten that modified yet.

Hoping for some shared wisdom and guidance.

Thank you.

 

[Anon112]

If they are well blocked from any wind, they should be okay.

 

[Bantam bell Wood]

If they are well blocked from any wind, they should be okay.

I can leave them OUTDOORS in the run if I wrap in a way to prevent wind (and of course provide safe air flow)?

 

[Bantam bell Wood]

If they are well blocked from any wind, they should be okay.

I don’t understand why they are interested in the outdoors, just when the temperature is dipping below freezing.

 

[Bantam bell Wood]

If they are well blocked from any wind, they should be okay.

PS. Thank you for sound advice. I appreciate the insight. I’m a first time chicken keeper, slowly gaining confidence. I hope wherever you are, you’re enjoying the cold weather and long nights as much as me.

 

[Anon112]

PS. Thank you for sound advice. I appreciate the insight. I’m a first time chicken keeper, slowly gaining confidence. I hope wherever you are, you’re enjoying the cold weather and long nights as much as me.

Chickens are pretty hardy in the cold, but they are vulnerable to frostbite if the wind blows on them. If you can put up tarps or otherwise block the wind from blowing on them, they should be okay.

My hens slept in the coop I got for them for about a few weeks, then started sleeping on the roof of it. They've done so for the last 8 years. (Okay, at this point I have so many chickens that the coop is too small for them all).

But it is important to make sure they are well sheltered. This last winter I thought I'd done a good job, but I had clearly not because one of my roosters got really bad frostbite on his comb. My current project is a big roosting box where I can mount panels in the winter to block the wind, and then have it be more open air in the spring and summer months.

If you are worried or it is very cold I suppose you can make them go in the coop. You'll also want to keep an eye on their toes, combs, wattles, etc for signs of frostbite.

Admittedly I don't live where it gets as cold as Maine. Perhaps someone else who lives in colder temps can give you better advice.

 

[Anon112]

Also, definitely keep asking questions! I can't tell you how much time, energy, emotional distress, etc I would have been spared if I'd just asked questions before trying to figure things out for myself.

 

[FrostRanger]

They might be feeling a bit cramped in the coop, that looks a bit small for 4 birds, also it might not have adadequate ventilation. Poor ventilation can lead to frostbite far quicker than the cold as the moisture from their breath will condense on their combs and freeze. As long as they have adequate ventilation and protection from direct drafts they can take far colder temps than you'd think

 

[Bantam bell Wood]

Chickens are pretty hardy in the cold, but they are vulnerable to frostbite if the wind blows on them. If you can put up tarps or otherwise block the wind from blowing on them, they should be okay.

My hens slept in the coop I got for them for about a few weeks, then started sleeping on the roof of it. They've done so for the last 8 years. (Okay, at this point I have so many chickens that the coop is too small for them all).

But it is important to make sure they are well sheltered. This last winter I thought I'd done a good job, but I had clearly not because one of my roosters got really bad frostbite on his comb. My current project is a big roosting box where I can mount panels in the winter to block the wind, and then have it be more open air in the spring and summer months.

If you are worried or it is very cold I suppose you can make them go in the coop. You'll also want to keep an eye on their toes, combs, wattles, etc for signs of frostbite.

Admittedly I don't live where it gets as cold as Maine. Perhaps someone else who lives in colder temps can give you better advice.

Thank you again. I have four 20+ weeks old bantam pullets, so the coop is plenty big and the current run is acceptable for sure. I am working on the larger run with what sounds like similar views on open air when possible and more enclosure during winter.

The expected temperatures tomorrow night are 7° with a windchills of -8°, Friday morning the windchills are nil, but temperatures don’t get back into the 20s until afternoon and hover there until Saturday afternoon. Generally, in Maine temperatures hover in the teens and twenties for most of November, December, January, February, and March. Temperatures plunge in January and February frequently. The coldest windchills I’ve dealt with when I lived up north were the -45s. Those are brutal.

I’ll probably put the girls in tomorrow night if they try to roost outdoors, but keep your advice in mind for the average cold until I figure out what they’re doing.

How cold does it get where you are?

 

[Bantam bell Wood]

They might be feeling a bit cramped in the coop, that looks a bit small for 4 birds, also it might not have adadequate ventilation. Poor ventilation can lead to frostbite far quicker than the cold as the moisture from their breath will condense on their combs and freeze. As long as they have adequate ventilation and protection from direct drafts they can take far colder temps than you'd think

Thank you for the wisdom and advice! The pullets are bantams and when all four are on the roost they only fill it half way. I “think” the ventilation adequate. I don’t have any pictures of the vents, but there is one on either side of the coop and they’re about 4 inches square?

I took this picture of them roosting in the coop earlier this week.

Thank you for reiterating that they can stand the cold.