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Hobby_Farmer

In the Brooder
Feb 26, 2025
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Hi my name is Alisha. We've had chickens for quite a while now. We've had fairly good luck raising chickens until this last year. We have had 2 coupe fires in less than a year. We were about to give up on having chickens, but the chicken that survived our last fire just a week ago has us second thinking that. I'm not sure if our 8 year old daughter whom I swear is a chicken whisperer would even let us.

I don't exactly know what it is about chickens that just bring peace, but I feel more relaxed when I'm around them.

Along with chickens we have 3 horses, 2 cats and 3 small dogs. We love being outdoors, more in the summer than winter, and doing things as a family.

I'm looking for advice or thoughts on our surviving chicken. At first it looked like she had just minor wounds to a scarey discovery under her wings. The coupe fire was just 6 days ago. She is still eating food and drinking water with electrolytes. I have been cleaning her with Hibiclense every night and applying triple antibiotic ointment. Wounds on her head look like they're getting better. I'm just worried that the look of her wings mean her prognosis isn't good and I don't want to keep her alive if the outcome isn't going to be good. I don't want to keep her alive if the outcome isn't good. We don't have a vet near us that will see chickens or even give us any advice on what to do. So I'm hoping someone can help.

Thanks
 

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Hiya, and welcome to BYC! :frow

So sorry! :hugs

It sounds to me like you're doing all the right things for her. We have an Emergency Forum you could post in if you wish to get some more advice.

Not judging here or asking any personal questions, but just putting this out there. We heat our coops to 40F; one is a thin, oil-filled radiant heater made by NewAir, which is on a shelf out of chicken's reach, and the other is in a larger building and is an electric wall-mounted wired-in heater. In the outside growout pens, the hutches all have Cozy Coop (flat panel) heaters in them. Those don't get hot, and chickens sleep against them at night when they're cold. They shut off if tipped over.

The brooders both have electrical boxes in them and the heat lamps in each is a black ceramic bulb with UL approved hoods made for that wattage. They are chained to the top of the brooders, which at this time, are both in our house. One at least will be moved out to the newer coop in the spring.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.

I'm so sorry for your losses.

I keep a flock here in NY where we've hit lows of -23F. I do not heat my coop but do have lots of ventilation. To the tune of over 20 sq ft of permanently open ventilation. I only keep normally feathered birds that can fluff their feathers to trap heat. I don't advise heating coops not only because of the risk of fires but because if there is a power loss the birds that have not been properly acclimated to their environment would suddenly be plunged into very cold temperatures and the stress could kill them.

I suggest you design a different coop and select only breeds that can do well in cold temperatures going forward.

Best of luck nursing your survivor back to health.
 

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