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

[lalaland]

yeah, I have nustock on hand. It is an incredible product. Used it on my hen who was pinned to the ground by a hawk - had a deep puncture wound under one wing and a 2 inch big gash under the other. Slapped nustock on once! and everythng healed up fast. It is sulphur, pine tar, and a carrier oil. Can make your own...

I might be able to get some baytril from my vet. we'll see.

 

[Bert2368]

I got back after midnight last night, it was -5F with almost no wind.

Stopped by to look at the coop around 1:00am- One of the dorking cockerals was sitting on the outdoor roost. I shined my light on him, he woke up and looked at me. Opened the coop door for him, he stayed right where he was, put his head down and went back to sleep!

This morning he went back in for food and water, came out for a while and then went in and stayed when it started snowing.

I'd say they are acclimated now.

 

[lalaland]

hmm, not sure where you are in central minnesota, but do you hear owls? I have too many around to let any roost outside. just saying....

 

[Bert2368]

I have owls, large hawks, even bald eagles. Also weasels, ferral cats and dogs, mink, otter, raccoons, bobcat, coyote, bear and WOLVES.

My coop is inside a 30' x 60' run with 8' tall heavy plastic mesh fence, 2' wide hardware cloth dug 6" into the ground at the base and 2" mesh nylon net of the type sold for game bird farms over the top of the whole area.

I have not lost 1 chicken to a predator yet. I found a few dig marks from skunks and coons trying to get under the hardware cloth right after we let the chickens into the run. I took a shopping bag 1/2 full of dried hot pepper pith and seeds I scraped out of scotch bonnet, habanerro and ghost peppers I had pickled and made hot sauce from the year before, crunched it up and sprinkled the stuff around the perimeter. No more digging...

Here's a photo from when I was installing the automatic door. You can see the gate, fence and mesh in the background-

 

[DuluthHomestead]

I found a few dig marks from skunks and coons trying to get under the hardware cloth right after we let the chickens into the run. I took a shopping bag 1/2 full of dried hot pepper pith and seeds I scraped out of scotch bonnet, habanerro and ghost peppers I had pickled and made hot sauce from the year before, crunched it up and sprinkled the stuff around the perimeter. No more digging...

That sounds brilliant. Does the pepper bother the chickens at all? I seem to remember hearing that birds can't taste spicy things, but I imagine the pepper dust would hurt if they got it in their eyes.

 

[Bert2368]

It was a little breezy while I spread the pepper processing residue around the perimeter of the run. The chickens followed me inside the wire, and on one side quite a few seeds were blown through the fence. The chickens ATE whatever seeds they could reach, and they're the hottest part of the peppers.

They sell big bags of cayenne pepper at our local hardware store to mix with the birdseed in your feeders. Squirels and bears are affected by pepper, birds are not.

I LOVE peppers. Had over 90 pepper plants in my garden last year-

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

I'm in Canada and they took 20°F no problem. It depends on living conditions and type of shelter they have.

 

[lalaland]

I have owls, large hawks, even bald eagles. Also weasels, ferral cats and dogs, mink, otter, raccoons, bobcat, coyote, bear and WOLVES.

My coop is inside a 30' x 60' run with 8' tall heavy plastic mesh fence, 2' wide hardware cloth dug 6" into the ground at the base and 2" mesh nylon net of the type sold for game bird farms over the top of the whole area.

I have not lost 1 chicken to a predator yet. I found a few dig marks from skunks and coons trying to get under the hardware cloth right after we let the chickens into the run. I took a shopping bag 1/2 full of dried hot pepper pith and seeds I scraped out of scotch bonnet, habanerro and ghost peppers I had pickled and made hot sauce from the year before, crunched it up and sprinkled the stuff around the perimeter. No more digging...

Here's a photo from when I was installing the automatic door. You can see the gate, fence and mesh in the background-

lol, I thought your post about your roo that was roosting outside meant he was outside and unprotected. I share your predators ( am in eastern central mn), saw a wolf a few days ago just blowing through the snow. But haven't seen a bobcat on my land, but have heard of sightings about a mile away. no big kitty prints though in the snow!

Thats one thing I love about the snow, it is almost as good as a game camera letting you know what has been around the coop/run.

pretty coop!

 

[mithious]

I started a thread asking for ventilation help....I made a DIY water heater finally, but am having issues....would anyone please go read it and maybe help with what you all do? or ideas that I could incorporate?

I would be very grateful for any answers. The only one I got so far, was someone thinking I was heating their coop???? Which I would NOT do because we lose electric way too much...just trying to save myself from the hourly thaw and refill fount....having some bad frozen condensation issues, even with everything open, windows, vents, since adding the DIY water heater...I did my best to describe my set up and issues in the thread on this topic...it should be near the top of the threads still?

Thanks!!!!

 

[mlowen]

Do you do anything to keep their water thawed. If not, how often do you get water for them?

I bring out warm water each morning before I go to work. I have a black rubber 8 quart pan and a gallon iced tea jug sitting in it. When I collect eggs & check on them after work/dark, there has been a smidge of liquid water in there except when it's been in the single digits or below all day. They are laying & "talking" and scratching in the run & seem to be just fine--no heat, lots of ventilation.