heat problem

[ChickenCanoe]

A closed up coop is a breeding ground for disease and fungus.
Through respiration, defecation and the presence of water, chickens rapidly raise the humidity in a building unless there is rapid air exchange. I'll be if you put a hygrometer in your coop, it will be at least 40% higher in the coop than the ambient air.
The warmer, moist environment nurtures bacterial, viral and fungal disease. Also, humidity is the true source of frostbite - not cold alone.
Give those tiny respiratory systems what they really need - oxygen, not warmth.

We've been down to 10F so far this fall and it has approached -20F in previous seasons. Never lost a bird to cold. However, most of the buildings have huge openings on opposite sides. One building only has a ridge vent and a smaller window. I keep a box fan on the window sill blowing fresh air in year round.
One summer, highs stayed over 100F and up to 112 for over 2 weeks. I lost a nice Welsummer hen that summer to the heat.
Cold is not your birds' enemy.

 

[aart]

Don't think Poultry Protector will kill an infestation of lice or mites.
Are you sure the bugs are gone?
Best to get some Permethrin.
...and.....

Part the feathers right down to the skin around vent, head/neck and under wings.

Best done well after dark with a strong flashlight/headlight, easier to 'catch' bird and also to check for the mites that live in structure and only come out at night to feed off roosting birds.

Wipe a white paper towel along the underside of roost to look for red smears(smashed well fed mites).

Good post about mite ID by Lady McCamley:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-chicken-has-mites-now-what.1273674/page-2#post-20483008

 

[Cazook]

seconding ventilation... those coops on left look like they have none at all. what is the humidity percentage inside?

 

[imnukensc]

We were planning on getting rid of all of those coops to build a better one to keep them warmer. The problem its been too cold to finish it. We still need to make windows and paint the inside.
View attachment 1971840

You definitely need to add ventilation to that coop. It has none. At 10 degrees F, your chickens aren't cold, but they do need a dry, well ventilated coop.

 

[Zay]

It’s 55% humid in those boxes and they were freshly cleaned out with a deep litter bedding. How can I add more ventilation into them?

 

[imnukensc]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop.47774/?page=2

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I’m so glad you are asking about this now! I don’t have much to add, except cutting windows and covering them with well-attached hardware cloth (1/2 inch) should greatly improve things. You are getting some of the best advice available here. Follow the links but if you have more questions, do ask!

 

[wamtazlady]

Gets down to -22 degrees F around here. Never lost a chicken when the weather was cold. I have a 6 by 8 foot coop that was built for 12 birds. It has 10 square feet of ventilation that is never closed no matter how cold it gets. It also has windows that are open just as soon as the weather permits each spring. A chicken can get frostbite at just below freezing in a humid coop with little to no ventilation. A chicken can do just fine in a well ventilated coop when it is well below 0. This makes me believe that something besides just being cold is killing your chickens.

You want the ventilation up high with the roosts down low. You do not want a breeze to blow on the birds as a breeze would fluff the feathers and cause the chickens to loose the heat they have under their down coats.

 

[Zay]

I've cut some holes into the back of the coops so we'll see how it does. Thanks for all the help