HELP! Hen is molting in the middle of a cold snap

[teignch1cken]

Out of our five hens, one of them is molting late. She’s still in the process of losing feathers and has minimal new growth. We’re experiencing a cold snap right now; it’s -1 degree Fahrenheit and won’t get above freezing until two days from now (with night time lows still below freezing).
When I opened their coop this morning to bring them water I saw that she was shivering. So I have brought her inside and have given her warm water with apple cider vinegar (approx 1 tablespoon to 3 quarts of water—too much?) which she is happily drinking.
Is there something else I can do to keep her warm? I’ll have to put her back outside as I can’t keep her inside all day with no one here to watch over her. I’ll shut up the coop, maybe put down some extra clean bedding. What else? Thanks in advance for friendly advice.

 

[NatJ]

If she was only inside for 15 minutes, just put her back out. If you had kept her inside for some days, she would need more transitioning.

If her crop isn't already full, offer her some food. (If it's first thing in the morning, she may not have eaten "breakfast" yet. She may also have been too busy shivering to eat. If her crop is nicely full, then don't worry about it.)

Maybe a little chicken food made wet/soupy with water: they often consider that a treat, and it's got all the right nutrients. Having enough to eat can help her stay warm.

edit to add: no need to keep her inside to offer food-- that can happen in the coop, if it needs any special attention at all.

 

[LizzzyJo]

Be careful not to just put her directly back outside now that she’s been in heat. That transition should be taken slowly so as to not make her colder. She will be fine in the coop in the cold. Does she have sisters out there? Your heart is in the right place, but try to keep her outside so that she doesn’t have to transition from hot to cold.

 

[NatJ]

Do you have a heat lamp! Keep the hens inside your coop. It will be warmer in there.

Opposing view: give the hens a choice whether to be in or out. If they want to go out, it won't hurt them.

 

[teignch1cken]

Be careful not to just put her directly back outside now that she’s been in heat. That transition should be taken slowly so as to not make her colder. She will be fine in the coop in the cold. Does she have sisters out there? Your heart is in the right place, but try to keep her outside so that she doesn’t have to transition from hot to cold.

That’s a great point, I hadn’t considered that. Thank you. I’ve had her in our house for about fifteen minutes. What’s the best way to transition her back out? Yes she’s got the other four hens who she’s friends with to hopefully keep her warm. And the coop is quite small. The nesting area is warmest.

 

[aart]

If she was only inside for 15 minutes, just put her back out.

Ditto Dat!

Nix on the heat lamp....also the ACV.

@BantyChooks taught me about 'cold reset'. I bring bird into the slightly warmer garage for just a couple-few hours. Makes sure she eats, give her a dose of electrolytes, see what's coming out the other end, and just observe. Then take them back out to coop, has 'saved' a few here, it's pretty amazing how they bounce back.

I've started soaking rolled oats in a Sav-a-Chick electrolytes/vitamins solution.
This avoids the 'wattle dippage' of an open waterer.
Gives them a boost and gets them hydrated.
1/8 teaspoon to 1 cup of warm water, mix until dissolved.
Add solution to 1 cup of rolled oats, stir well on occasion until all liquid is absorbed, might need to add more oats. Takes an hour or two, then give it to the birds.

Have done this every other day during the last polar vortex, and I believe it's really helped them, they all stayed mobile. Gives me a good chance to assess mobility, any bird that doesn't go for the oats gets watched very carefully and may be brought to a warmer place for a couple hours to 'reset'.

 

[LizzzyJo]

15 minutes isn’t bad at all, go ahead and pop her back out. Consider heat lamps carefully before installing. People love them or hate them. Look it up on here to see both compelling arguments. For what it’s worth I’m in the Great Lakes region with polar vortexes and my girls were warm without a lamp in -20 real temp last year. If you start a lamp you can’t stop it (even if the electricity goes out) or the girls will die during the cold night due to transition shock. Some people have great ways to back this up so it won’t happen. I don’t have that kind of setup.

 

[teignch1cken]

Thanks everyone. I won’t be able to do a heat lamp because power connection is too far from the coop and I don’t want to risk the fire hazard. I gave them a fresh layer of wood shavings and straw just for good measure. My molting hen seemed to be okay, she stopped shivering once inside, drank water and ate the grain I gave her. So all normal behavior which makes me feel better.
when I brought her back out I ultimately left the coop door closed but I think they will all be okay for the day, and as for tomorrow’s cold weather I’ll be ready!
I’m so grateful for this forum and all the quick responses.

 

[Diana_burns04]

Do you have a heat lamp! Keep the hens inside your coop. It will be warmer in there.

 

[teignch1cken]

Just and update and some clarifying questions:

my molting chicken is still shivering, it’s the end of the day. How long can she go being that cold and shivery, without getting sick? Is feeding oats and electrolytes enough? I’m considering a heat lamp just until the cold snap breaks and then taking the steps to transition all the chickens back to no heat lamp. I don’t know how long it will take for her to really get her feathers in enough to stay warm.