how cold can a chicken stand??

[rlutzer1]

I live in New jersey and it has gone down to the single digits...I have 2 hens and I am worried about them.....this week, their eggs which I get 2 a day...actually froze....what do you do with a frozen egg....can you still eat it?

 

[PeepsAreForMe]

rlutzer1 - I'm in Jersey too, Burlington County. My roo has a little frostbite on his comb. I was worried about them all week since it was down around 10 at night. I checked them every morning. Today I put a heat lamp in their coop and they seem to appreciate it!

 

[JerseyHen]

I am in northern NJ. Single digits here at night most of the week. I have a flock of 30 in an unheated, uninsulated, unlit coop that has a ton of ventilation. Everyone is fine. I put some vaseline on some of the floppy chicken combs to help prevent frostbite, but since most problems with frostbite are caused by condensation it seems I am in the clear. Here is the idea: chickens do a lot of respiration (which puts out water vapor), chicken poop is also a source of moisture in the coop, water dispensers are also a source of humidity (if you allow them in your coop). If all of this moisture is trapped in the coop it can increase the moisture on the combs and wattles and encourage frostbite (that is why a lot of folks put vaseline on combs and wattles). If you don't button up your coop, all of that moisture will go out the vents. Heating a coop adds to the condensation issues (and carries a risk of fire, and makes it difficult for them to adapt to the freezing air outside the coop, and is a disaster if the power goes out and they are not hardened off the light).

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop

http://smallfarm.about.com/od/chickens/tp/Top-10-Tips-For-Keeping-Chickens-In-Winter.htm

I also have a single rooster in a 3x4 tractor with a 4x10 run (uninsulated, unheated, unlit, permanently open 1x2 pop door and eave vents). He is in there because he is not nice to the rest of the flock, but I have not rehomed him yet. He is also fine so far.

It gets chilly in SanFrancisco, but it rarely gets below freezing there. I would be far more concerned about the heat you will have there in a few months.

As to moving the coop... I have some that find the tractors without issue and others that cannot find the fixed coops. Just keep an eye on them and do a headcount for a while.

As to the rain... mine love the rain in the summer. I think they are nuts, but apparently it doesn't phase them. The silkies I have are dumb enough to drown themselves in a puddle though. Mine hate the snow though. They give me the stink eye when I let them out in the snow, as if I am the one responsible for it.

 

[Warrenite]

No problem where you are. Chickens can easily be fine at temperatures below zero. Mine even roost in a pine tree at those temperatures preferring that to their coop. They would generally not show distress unless temps. get below -20 F. Wind chill tonight is predicted at -20 here in Rhode Island and I get a brutal wind off the bay so I put them in the basement for a couple of days. They'll be out and about by Friday when the lows will return to 15 F.

 

[Happy Dad]

Quote:
Calling for -4 here tonight. My chooks say break out the sun tan lotion when it hits 50

 

[Lindseymae]

I have a question. It's going to be around -8 here the next couple days with -20 -30 wind chills. My girls are in an non insulated non heated coop. We strategically placed the coop up against the barn to act as a wind break. By the posts I've seen on here it seems like they should be fine but I've still been worried. And my last question, when it warms up is it safe for the chickens to walk around on snow for an extended period of time if they have the option to go back into the coop if they want?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

I have a question. It's going to be around -8 here the next couple days with -20 -30 wind chills. My girls are in an non insulated non heated coop. We strategically placed the coop up against the barn to act as a wind break. By the posts I've seen on here it seems like they should be fine but I've still been worried. And my last question, when it warms up is it safe for the chickens to walk around on snow for an extended period of time if they have the option to go back into the coop if they want?

Chickens have more sense than most give them credit for - your coop sounds like it provides excellent shelter, as long as it is available to them they will be fine and will decide for themselves how much outside time is enough.

 

[Lindseymae]

Chickens have more sense than most give them credit for - your coop sounds like it provides excellent shelter, as long as it is available to them they will be fine and will decide for themselves how much outside time is enough.

That is very helpful, thank you so much!

 

[kyexotics]

So if the temp is around 54-45 Farenheit, its all right for chickens? Plus when it rains do they stay in too or would they go out? Plus would it really disturb them if i move the living quarters around so it wont get them too cold or wet outside??

My babies have been enjoying, I mean enduring NEGATIVE numbers here in KY!...

If it's going to be <20f, we don't open the coops for all birds, only ducks and our Polish/Sultan coop, for birds that aren't suppose to like cold, they don't mind...

Biggest problem is water...You can either use the electrical means of heating them or something other method...This year we bought 1/4" roll of insulation and cut out "tents" with holes cut out at the bottom so they can get to water, these keep them from totally freezing to where for ONE day, it can just be broken up, the 2nd day of these temps, nothing resists freezing, so we change the water everyday...But here was a "prototype"(all working ones are in use and it's too cold to go out there at moment and I"m in pj's, aint happenin), the final product doesn't have the plate there, all insulation...

We did find placing them on 3 styrofoam plates also helped...If it doesn't go negative, these keep the water from freezing for 2 or more days...If it's negative out, we have to change it daily...Oh well, labor of love! At least that's what we tell ourselves when it's 4f with 20mph winds and ducks that just don't want to go away on our schedule... ;-)

For our ducks, we lay hay out in areas, they seem to lift their feet less when on it...Ducks seem to be good temperature managers though, we don't worry about them...