Hey Northerners: What is the absolute coldest air temps your chickens have experienced happily!

[NorthChicken]

That's a beautiful picture NorthChicken!

Thank you!! We are blessed with a beautiful view of the Aroostook River.

 

[Scott H]

I also leave a window uncovered....coop is 8 feet deep with the roost at the back. Uncovered window is in the door with the fresh egg sign under it.....





The key to this setup is to seal up the back by the roost so you have no drafts back there. I have no moisture issues.

 

[humphrey farms]

When it gets cold, you have to feed more. It is cold here tonight, I fed the scratch and cornmeal at just before dark. No added heat, good ventilation, and dry, they will be fine.

Mrs K

Mine eat twice as much during our cold weather (-25) last night than normally. Like you no heat. They survive not always happy but only two more months of extreme weather here in Western Maine. LOL I am counting the days until spring 2014!

 

[humphrey farms]

It is usually in the -20F degree range here, but we are hitting -40F below zero tonight (that is without windchill, BRRR!!!). Days are anywhere from -20F to 10F for a high. I have 6 chickens in a 4x6 coop that is not insulated and I do not use any heat, I just have it stuffed with shavings and hay. They have a covered run sided with clear tarp, and they are always happy to go out to their run every morning. They go about their normal business all day, although I usually see them doing the flamingo with one leg tucked into their bellies when they are standing. Wouldn't say they are very happy about the cold, but haven't seen any frost bite issues. I am looking forward to spring, that is for sure.

I am counting the day until spring too!!!!! I live on LONG LAKE & BRANDY POND in Naples Maine. The lakes look pretty with all the snow covering them. But the wind chill factor YUCK!

 

[bobbi-j]

It is 10:40 am. The current temperature is -15. It was -20 at 8 am. I look out my window, and I have birds at my birdfeeder, sitting on my deck rail, perching in the Christmas tree that I put on the deck after it started dropping needles. I have Chickadees, Downy and Hairy woodpeckers, Nuthatches, and Goldfinches. If these little birds can survive outside in this cold weather with no heat and no insulated house, my chickens will be just fine in their nice dry windproof coop.

 

[Brookliner]

Trying to find a watering system that is easy. Feed is no problem, just have to carry all....

I use gallon plastic milk jugs to fill my waterers. It is easier to carry the milk jugs than the full waterers. I have changed to heated plastic dog bowls. I have been very happy with them. Nothing has frozen yet and we have had -9 degrees. I just take out the water dump what water is left into an empty bucket wipe out the dog bowl and replace with new water. So much easier than last year when I was using cookie tin heaters with the red and clear plastic waterers.

 

[lalaland]

I use gallon plastic milk jugs to fill my waterers. It is easier to carry the milk jugs than the full waterers. I have changed to heated plastic dog bowls. I have been very happy with them. Nothing has frozen yet and we have had -9 degrees. I just take out the water dump what water is left into an empty bucket wipe out the dog bowl and replace with new water. So much easier than last year when I was using cookie tin heaters with the red and clear plastic waterers.

ok, go one step further, and use a liner bowl/bucket inside the dog bowl. I use plastic ice cream buckets, and it is so much easier to lift the bucket and empty it then to wrestle with the stiff cords on the heated bowl. I also use the milk jugs, and yes. soooo much easier.

 

[lazy gardener]

I set the milk jug full of water inside the heated dog bowl. That gives the "moat" effect to keep the birds from stepping into the water or dipping their wattles into the water. I use snow to wipe out the bowl when it needs a good cleaning. LaLa: with a bowl sitting inside the heated bowl, the bowl doesn't over heat? Does the heat transfer to the inner bowl well even though the inner bowl does not exactly match the contours of the heated bowl, or do you keep a bit of water in the HB for the other bowl to sit in?

 

[fasschicks]

I have to say, as always, after reading everyone's comments regarding the extreme temperatures, I feel much better about this cold snap that is coming tomorrow and Monday to the Midwest. I have 6 girls in an uninsulated coop, they get 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours at dark of supplemental light from a heat lamp. I was ready to get rid of the heat lamp, but didn't want to take it away from them right before the coldest snap of the winter. they do come out of the coop everyday, and seem unaffected by the cold.

I was asking my husband if there was anything else I could do to prepare the birds for -20 to -30 degree temperatures (-50 windchill), his only smart @$$ answer was "a good marinade". :/

But again after reading your responses, I feel much better that the girls will do just fine. thanks for this great post. it is really helpful to us newbies. At least now I know next year I will not use the heat lamp at all.

Fass

 

[NorthChicken]

I was asking my husband if there was anything else I could do to prepare the birds for -20 to -30 degree temperatures (-50 windchill), his only smart @$$ answer was "a good marinade".

But again after reading your responses, I feel much better that the girls will do just fine. thanks for this great post. it is really helpful to us newbies. At least now I know next year I will not use the heat lamp at all.

Fass

Sounds like my husband!!

We woke up with -35F below zero this morning. The girls were NOT happy, all puffed up and refused to come off their roost, so I just kept them in their coop and then when it warmed up to -10, they decided to finally come down into the run for some warm water and breakfast. They then immediately went back to roosting in the run.

It is scary when you start seeing these temps, but my 6 girls have done absolutely fine in my uninsulated, unheated coop. No frostbite (we have plenty of ventilation), just unhappy looks about the nasty cold!!