How cold can chickens handle in this coop?

[chickadee007]

Need some advice. Here's my coop. No ventilation at top so I always keep a window open (4 nesting boxes are in the back).
2 birds (brahma & sultan) sleep in a nesting box in the back (because the roost is slightly higher than the roosting bars inside - now I know why this isn't the best coop) and my cream legbar perches herself up in the rafters (she's 6 months old and can fit).

I live in Ohio and have had my flock of 3 for 6 months. They have been doing well in this coop so far, it has gotten down in the 20's
at night. Tonight is supposed to get down into the teens. How cold can they handle it before I need to roll them into my garage?

Brahma is 8 months old and cuddles my Sultan Roo (also 8 months) under her wing. My 6 month old cream legbar just lost her
cuddle buddy last week but she perches up high so she's probably good.

I usually close one window and leave one open, because there is no other way to get air exchange. I have closed both windows before but I don't like to. Their breath has created condensation inside so I stopped doing that.

Any opinions on the temperature they are ok to outside?

 

[QueenMisha]

My coop has a window open 24/7 through rain, snow, sun and everything in between. Been in the mid twenties lately and the birds are fine. I wouldn't worry about it too much; you might try putting the side with the window up against a building and other wind break to prevent most wind chill. Mine is up against a very big tree.

 

[chickadee007]

Thank you. I'm sitting here stressing over this. I have a thermometer in the coop and I keep watching it drop. It's down to 21 degrees.
Any idea when it is too cold? zero degrees maybe?

 

[enola]

Cold is not the enemy, moisture trapped in the coop from not enough ventilation will cause frost bite.

 

[chixcoop]

Don't stress! THEY WILL BE FINE! If they have had a litte experience with cold temps, (ie. if you did not just bring them from inside your house at 70F to outside at night immediately) they will be used to the cold. I violated this though because, the first time I brought my chicks outside they went from being in my house for 7 weeks at 70F, then I brought them outisde for 4 hours, it was about 55F, then by dusk it was 40F, and night was 35F. In the future I probably would have given them more time to adjust, however the 4 hours seemed to be good. I had my chicks outside at 7 weeks old at 30F. I have 7, so they all huddled together. It is amazing how much body heat they will make. That also brings up another point: chickens will generate heat, lots of it! I read on another thread that one hen generates as much heat as a 100 wat bulb, so multiple chickens in a small coop like yours will be fine. My chicks are 9 weeks, and it is going to be 7F tonight! The feathers are what keep them warm. This is my second time raising chicks, but the first time is was a control freak about the heat. I had the heat lamp on when they were 9 weeks old IN MY HOUSE! Then, when I moved them into the coop, I was unsure if they were going to make it, even though it was only spring, and they had a lamp. Yours will be fine, they're older then the 4 I have who are experiencing cold temps. PM me to tell me how they do! Remember: heat builds up in a small coop, they have feathers and most importantly each other!

 

[chickadee007]

Thank you-I can go to sleep now

 

[John Henry Jr]

Thanks for your wise thoughtful comment, I appreciate that. The responsibility rests solely on my shoulder for this overfeeding. My darling is a Care Giving Lady and she wants NOTHING or NOBODY to do without and feeds them liberally....She gets up WAY BEFORE I do and goes out to let them out and feeds them. When she does, her Spirit of Generosity takes over and these Fine Feathered Friends get the SMORGASBORD of delight! We've talked about the large quantity of food (Four bags of Feeding Pellets and Two Bags of Corn) which is R I D I C U L O U S ! So instead of locking horns, I came on board here and ASKED! Also I checked with the Feed Stores and inquired, and to other Chicken Farmers, and came to the conclusion that they are getting too much in their diet.
So, yes, I'm cutting the corn out with slight exception of the Duckies, but very little quantity. They need Protein and also Brewers Yeast, I'm told, to maintain a healthy diet. They are, also, free to roam and scavenge. So I'm going to do exactly as you suggested, friend, and use the feeder (I already use it) but it's been in the Duck Pen instead of the chicken coop. I've been putting the chicken feed under a large canopy on top of plastic tops to keep it dry. As the chickens roam about they come and feed, and the ducks also. And, yes, there's a lot of waste going onto the ground. I'm pretty new at this and my Darling grew up on a Dairy Farm, a Country Gal from Penderlea, North Carolina.
I'll also check them for parasites/worms to be sure that isn't a major contributor. These six hens are laying a whole pile of big Jumbo Brown eggs daily and one of the Female Ducks also laying an egg a day (yummy) The rest of the ducks will be laying shortly as they age a little, four females and four males.
So once again thanks for the advice and thoughtfulness. I'm going to toughen up a little and take over the feeding routine. (She won't mind, believe me)
Hey, the lady brings me coffee in BED every morning and administers my Diabetes Injections/meds with a "Kiss Good Morning" so who's going to argue with her?! My Mama didn't raise NO FOOLS! .