Have you ever had a chicken freeze to death?

[digitS']

Chickens are probably like us, they are gone long before their bodies freeze.

At a body temperature below 90°F, a person will lose the ability to move and become incoherent. Death is just around the corner as the organs begin to fail. At least, that's what I've read.

Chickens have a higher body temperature than people, I believe. Perhaps, they will reach that tipping point at an even higher temperature than we do.

Some time ago, I lived in the country and had a little barn. The chickens had a coop but must have decided that the barn was a better place to stay at night. I had hay stacked in pens on one side and when I moved the hay out there was plenty of clean, loose hay on the floor. I thought it would be okay for them in there since they could get down in all that hay and stay warm.

The daytime temperature was fairly cold and I went into the barn and discovered that my little cochin banty had become entangled in a piece of baling twine. She'd twisted herself up so badly, she was actually hanging upside down. I untangled her and she trundled off looking no worse for wear.

She died that night. I remember that it was down to -10°F. I have the feeling that she would have been okay if she hadn't gotten herself entangled in the twine earlier during the day - too much stress.

Steve

 

[thewarriorchild]

I had gotten some Polish Arucana babies in Aug. We lost 3 of them. I put a heat lamp in and one of the polish has a completely bald scabbed head... did it burn its feathers off? The heat lamp is up higher now but it wasnt really close to begin with and gee whiz wouldnt you notice your head was on fire??

if it was what put it out?? We had a pigeons head picked clean about a month ago and it was missing skin...do I just have a mean chicken? One of the polish has a crooked hat because it looks like the barber just took off half on an angle. It doesnt look burned. It is all very odd. We brought the two of them in and a smaller bird that looked a bit ragged. Her wings were low and she is my daughters favorite. Better safe than sorry and hey what is one more chicken pooping in your home! UGH! In all my winters we have NEVER had this problem! We also lost a pigeon (my daughters favorite)which was perfectly fine and fat?? I am not sure why...death from fumes of burning feathers?? Maybe she got scared to death at the sight??

I just got a bale of hay to lay down another layer and am hoping they hang on. I got some scrath grains to to help keep them strong. I hope they all make it from here on in and maybe it will be warm enough to get these birds out of my house!! I ended up bringing in the baby pigeon, its sibling and Mom to keep them safe.

Sorry that we all lost birds, it stinks and I hope it stops. NJ hasnt been as cold as some of you but there is something different this year it seems to be a wet cold. I had ice crystals on the coop walls before I put in the heat light.

 

[English Chick]

it has forecast a dreadfully cold February here in the Uk, as the temps dipped a couple of weeks ago to -10 and I lost 2 of my girls to the temps as there where draught(s) in the stable block. I have now implemented extra thick deep litter beds so noone accidently get to the concrete flours, every draughthole has been filled, and since two of them went, I have been packing out the stable and shed doors with feed bags everynight just to make sure no more freeze.......hope this works for the temps that are going to hit in Feb...they say the Uk will not have experienced cold like it.....brrrr I HATE winter......

Good luck to everyone in keeping your girls warm.....

 

[HorseFeathers]

We're in Maine, got down to -24 the other day. Since our new coop doesn't have insulation, we put a heat lamp in. Everyone's fine, and only one has frostbite, and not bad (Rita has this HUGE comb that is a little white on the tip).

 

[omelette'smom]

We got to -19 and so far they're doing okay. My rooster (that used to be a hen up until a month ago) is really giving my girls the business and he tore up 2 pretty bad. I couldn't imagine how miserable they are with no backside feathers and these temps. I too put in a heat lamp just for them and quarentined them from Mr. Nasty-Wasty in the day but at night they all huddle for warmth. I think the worst of the arctic temps is over. Come on spring!!

 

[walkswithdog]

One of my bourbon red turkey hens was almost half stripped of feathers when she jumped into the varmint dog yard. She's having a ROUGH winter. Thank God we don't live as far north as you all or she'd probably be gone. I can't have her in, I've got a sick Roo and two dumped puppies in the kitchen already.

I covered more of their pen with plastic and put in a ton of straw for her to get into. I'm hoping she makes it, she's one tough little thing. I tried keeping her in the chicken coop but she bolts out whenever she can, so I gave up.

So far the chickens are doing well with the combination of extra plastic, a kennel pad on the floor and a red heat lamp up at perch level. The water is only frozen in there on the bitterest of days.

The turkey water I just change two or three times a day with hot water, I keep lots of food and scratch in there, she seems to want a lot of scratch. So far so good.

Here I usually have more trouble keeping cool in summer rather than worry about huge cold in winter for long periods. I had a fairly cool summer and this winter is the worst in ten years. This is so NOT global warming...

 

[Sillystunt]

I am really concerned about my chickens. There is a 10-12 freeze tonight here in Florida. I was reading the stories and about to cry.i love my chickens ,so i put them into a dog crate(xlarge) and put them in the Florida room with the dogs,cats and a heater. they don't like it but will have to deal!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
They should be fine, then. How many chickens do you have, and how old are they? Even a 60 or 100w light over them so they can huddle will help keep the chill away, but if they've been outside and are used to the temperatures so far, then all you really need to watch out for is frostbite on the combs.

 

[Sillystunt]

they did fine but wanted to be in their coop tonight. My husband covered any draft areas and we put tons of spanish moss in. they love that stuff! They are 8 months and there are 2. They also sleep with gary our duck
Still kind of nervous cause it's getting cold tonight as well. Being in FL they are not used to it! Now I am freaking myself out and want to move them...my husband is gonna kill me!

 

[Barn Maid Ann]

Quote:
My brother and sister live in the Sarasota/Englewood area. DB told me he had to scrape frost off the car windows! My oh my!

I know when they are used to 50 or 60 at night, 20 can be a shock!
I think if their housing is draft free, they should be fine. They will huddle together, and warm each other, too.