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

[Scrambles55]

@ 0615 this morning, it was 4 degrees out with a windchill of -8. Brrrrrrrrr..... I checked on the girls and they were in the pen at the feeder. My EE was on the outside roost. I think that this morning I will make some warm feed (scrambled eggs and oats) and spread fresh pine bedding so that they can scratch around. The ground is frozen solid!

 

[Scrambles55]

Thank you!!

Screambles55

They are all over the web.

Sorry but I can't quote you from my mobile.

Thanks and I'll PM you a web page full of emotions.

 

[Bogtown Chick]

LaLa: I hope your night went good. We were -18 this morning. At -20 to -30. I'm just keeping them in the coop. They aren't going outside anyways and as bobbi-j said closing the pop door keeps the cold air from drifting in any more. If they're staying in you may as well close it. Since they come out at about 0 degrees that's when the pop door opens. 0 or higher. I always offered them the run for a while--when I was getting to know my birds last winter...but now I know they'd just as soon stay in and out of the element a bit.

So -18 air temp this morning. -8 in the coop. Not much of a difference for us and our number of birds in the coop we have. They didn't like the temps though. most of the girls just stayed roosted even with scratch and BOSS offerings this morning. I sat with them for 15-20 minutes in the DH's carharts.
The ones that did come down and eat a little....went over to the SE corner of the coop and huddled together like when they were chicks. and nestle down in the straw and pine shavings.

When I go home for lunch I'll open the pop door and let them out as it will be above zero then

 

[YourEggs]

-8 degrees here in Calhan, CO. No wind thankfully! I will let them out for a stroll and then put them up for the day. They prefer their coop even in the warmer weather.

 

[Callous]

It’s about 27 degrees here and our first skiff of snow, when I let the ladies out of the coop they would not venture beyond the trapped in area. The white stuff seems to baffle them a little.

 

[fishnet1971]

I'm in NW Oregon. I've had my chickens for about 20 months, so this is only their second winter we're coming up on. The low for today was 17 and I think that's about the coldest they have been in. Other than standing on one foot to warm the other up while foraging, they seemed pretty happy today. I'm thinking they would really like me to knit them some wool bonnets. Especially my Speckled Sussex Roo.

Oh that is precious

 

[chickiegrrl]

It was close to -10 this morning. I brought the girls' food and water down to the coop and I heard them hop off the roost, they all came out in the run to see what was going on. After I was done they all went up to the coop until about 7:30. They've been in the run ever since. They roost and cover their feet for a while, then they hop down and eat and scratch. When they get cold, they hop back on the roost. But so far nobody has gone back into the coop to stay. The coop stayed above zero overnight! When I checked this morning, it was +8F in there. I feel so sorry for them, they're all puffy and they don't look happy, but they are dealing with it. I don't have food/water in the coop, so they do have to be out to eat and drink.

I would love to make those little hats for the girls. I'm still working on hen shawls, though.

 

[lalaland]

I worry about my poop little girls and guys. I don't use any heat as from the advice I've read on here. Its my first winter with chickens. I do give them a warmed mash of feed, corn, oats, greens and some vegetable baby food on the cold mornings. Which is almost every one in erie haha. My poor girl Orville is in a kennel in the garage alone recovering from bumblefoot. Will she be Okay alone in there? We are expecting 20 degree temps this weekend.

curious about why Orville is by herself - I usually don't segrate hens with bumblefoot. She'll b happier with the others, but maybe there is some special reason you have her alone. She will be ok, but lonely!

LaLa: I hope your night went good. We were -18 this morning. At -20 to -30. I'm just keeping them in the coop. They aren't going outside anyways and as bobbi-j said closing the pop door keeps the cold air from drifting in any more. If they're staying in you may as well close it. Since they come out at about 0 degrees that's when the pop door opens. 0 or higher. I always offered them the run for a while--when I was getting to know my birds last winter...but now I know they'd just as soon stay in and out of the element a bit.

So -18 air temp this morning. -8 in the coop. Not much of a difference for us and our number of birds in the coop we have. They didn't like the temps though. most of the girls just stayed roosted even with scratch and BOSS offerings this morning. I sat with them for 15-20 minutes in the DH's carharts.
The ones that did come down and eat a little....went over to the SE corner of the coop and huddled together like when they were chicks. and nestle down in the straw and pine shavings.

When I go home for lunch I'll open the pop door and let them out as it will be above zero then

I'm kicking myself because when I left at 4:30 am, I decided to leave the coop door shut. And now all this sun! It was below 0 in the coop this morning. It will warm up nicely with the sun though.
I left it shut because of the -25 windchills predicted. They probably wouldn't have gone out anyway.

Nice that y ou can go home for lunch and check and adjust!

It was close to -10 this morning. I brought the girls' food and water down to the coop and I heard them hop off the roost, they all came out in the run to see what was going on. After I was done they all went up to the coop until about 7:30. They've been in the run ever since. They roost and cover their feet for a while, then they hop down and eat and scratch. When they get cold, they hop back on the roost. But so far nobody has gone back into the coop to stay. The coop stayed above zero overnight! When I checked this morning, it was +8F in there. I feel so sorry for them, they're all puffy and they don't look happy, but they are dealing with it. I don't have food/water in the coop, so they do have to be out to eat and drink.

I would love to make those little hats for the girls. I'm still working on hen shawls, though.

nice to have girls that will go out! this is the first time I've had to shoo girls out, not sure why, but things have changed since the new chicks last spring. Hate them being inside pooping all day, it gets nasty so much gfaster even though its deep litter.

 

[Scrambles55]

Well...it is currently 4 degrees at our place. I went out to give the girls some leftover pancakes and eggs. They went crazy over it! When they finished the treat... Smoke (my BSL) started to sqwack to be let out of the pen. I opened the little chicken door and she ran out, followed by the RIR and my EE. Straight under the toy hauler. That seems to be the favorite spot. It is sunny out here in North Idaho, but freakin cold. The girls don't seem to be bother by it too much.

 

[beverly evans]

Well, this morning when I went out to feed it was -25. The girls were up and moving around in the coop, I doubt they will go out in the run though. I don't have a heat lamp on them. I am just having a hard time keeping the water from freezing up. And I am not a northerner, I'm in Southern Utah!

Check "Beekissed" on the fermented feeds threads. She'll tell you how to keep your water from freezing. She's in West Virginia. Good luck!