How cold is to cold?

[bitsbite]

I live in Park City, UT at 7000 feet we have temperature ranges from about 80 degrees in the summer to -15 in the winter and have never lost a chicken because of the cold. If it dips below 15 degrees I will leave a heat lamp on in the coop but that is about it. I also have a heated base under their water supply.

 

[chics in the sun]

Yes, but I am talking more about going from 87 degrees one day to 37 degrees TWO DAYS LATER, not temp differences from one season to the next. It doesn't give bodies much time to acclamate - a few of the posters on the other thread swore they have lost live stock (cattle and chickens), not because of it being extreemly cold, but because of the extreem temperature changes within a few days that are hard on them. And me.

 

[bitsbite]

Understand that. We can have temperature changes from 40 daytime to zero night time and haven't had any problems. My biggest problem this time of year is keep the snow to a level I can get in the DOOR!

 

[Mrs MIA]

I think I posted this on FaceBook, rather than BYC, but yes... if you have been at a consistent 80*F for a long time, then find out you're going to drop below freezing overnight, then yes... add a little heat until the storm passes. But dropping to 40*F is not going to kill your birds unless they're already not healthy, or if they're tiny, old, or molting. Just don't try to keep them at 80*F... keep them in the 35-40*F range, and they really will be fine.

 

[chics in the sun]

Another intersting factor they talked about on the other thread was humidity levels. It's still so humid here - we went camping this weekend and my pillow was wet by evening, just from the air. No rain, blocked from the wind. Just damp and cold. I know they don't need heat, and they will be fine. It is just something to think about. I'll show you my coop so you see what I mean when I am worried about the predicted 29 degrees and 30mph wind gusts tonight:

I do have vinyl 'curtains' on the sides (and actually there is another addtion on the right that I don't have a picuture of, but you get the idea)
And here is skinny Mama leghorn, puffing up as big as she can get and keeping her favorite baby warm - at 8 weeks they are nearly as big as she is:

 

[Mrs MIA]

Awww... sweeties!

If there's a way you can snug up their coop for the night, but still leave a little ventilation, they'll weather your cold-snap well. Because you don't have many birds, a little heat when it dips might not be a bad thing, but they will snuggle like that and stay quite cozy inside a snug coop.

 

[chics in the sun]

I have covered it with tarps and sheets, and I'm sure they will be okay. I don't feel too much of a draft in there. OP - what is your coop set-up like?

 

[watsonlane]

We have an 8 x 12 pen. The back half of it is covered in wood and the front is open. Thus the boxes are in the covered area, along with some areas to roost. They seem to like it and get in the very far back corner at night. I guess everyone has survived the coldest night thus far....it was in the teens here lastnight and not much warmer today!