How cold is TOO cold for a chicken?

[Mrs MIA]

Just have to watch out for frostbite on the combs and wattles (and feet) when it's that cold in the coop... but the do just fine.

 

[Carol.in.WV]

I have 3 Japanese bantams that roost way high up in our apple tree. We have spent countless hours trying to catch this trio. The chicken catalog says they are not hardy in cold weather. These 3 have roosted without protection in 10 degree F and probably below. In 6-8" of snow. In sleet and freezing rain (last night, among others). Every morning I expect to see their little bodies but they are busy running around as usual. During the day they will get in out of the weather but at night... no. Probably they survive because they have become accustomed to it over time. So I guess that chickens are tougher than we think they are. We will keep trying to get these guy out of the weather... One thing we do is make sure they have plenty to eat including crimped corn to heat them from the inside out. The boy doesn't even have frostbite on his comb.

 

[buffyandhersisters]

We're in Northern California and my husband is asking if the chickens are warm enough. They have a nice coop but it does have a bottom opening for the poop to exit. I'm from Canada originally and never heard of keeping chickens warm. We're having record lows this week; 20 degrees this morning. Feels extra cold because we're not used to it. Do people actually insulate the chicken coop???

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

I live in south FL so cold has never been a problem here, but it is going to have a wind chill of about 27 tonight.
I have insulated their coop but do I need a heat lamp?

 

[Gonzo]

I was using a heat lamp, but I picked up a really nice utility heater at the Home Depot for my coop for around $18.00. I has a temp control. I use it when it gets below freezing. I have about 28 chickens in a 10x10 coop, and when we checked them out before we went to bed, the coop was cozy warm! My DH said it was warmer in the coop than in our house! Needless to say I fixed that! I try to keep it around 40 degrees in there for them. They're rotten!

 

[Grapefruit Moon]

Not to be morbid or sick, but

Has anyone ever found one or more chickens that they suspected died from freezing temps in their coop?

With 3 feet of snow and more coming daily they just sit in lined up at the window looking out. I think they might be wondering what happened to the brown and gray earth that was there a while ago.

 

[Joyryder]

My DH built me 2 raised coops with a covered deck in between because I told him that chickens don't like snow. They can also go under neath the whole set up. They never stay inside even when its brutally windy. Our lowest temp so far was 7 deg, and they still came out. Some of them charged the door when I open it, others lagged behind waiting for it to get a little warmer. I have to push my orps into the coop at night, so I can close the door. They hang out on the ramp and the deck, until I decide its time to go in. My EEs are in when dusk comes. I don't use a heater, but I do have winter hardy breeds.

 

[Chicken Chaperone]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

And as long as they have a chance to acclimate to the changes slowly, there shouldn't be any problems. It's when they go from 70°F to 30°F overnight that you might have some issues.

..and aye, there's the rub... we *did* have temps in the 70's just a handful of days ago and now we're looking at sub-freezing for 2 days. Gotta love Texas, and thank heavens I do!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
..and aye, there's the rub... we *did* have temps in the 70's just a handful of days ago and now we're looking at sub-freezing for 2 days. Gotta love Texas, and thank heavens I do!

Then yes, I wold definitely add some heat!

I'm sorry y'all are going through this... I hear from people all over the South that are at sub-freezing temps, and it's raining here...

I took a couple of birds to a "Chicken University" talk as show and tell a couple of nights ago... the building was heated to about 70°F inside, and after about a half hour my poor orpington rooster started panting and trying to lie on his side to cool off. He was too hot!! All the birds seem happiest at about 25°F right now.

 

[tiki244]

I keep my coop warm enough so the water does not freeze. In an insulated coop of 12' X 16' that takes one red heater light bulb running day and night. I think that is as cold as I would want them to be. They also have about a foot of straw and pine shavings on the floor. I havent had any problems with combs or anything else. There has been only a few nights when the wind chill is 30 below F outside that I had to thaw out the water, but otherwise the temp has been good inside the coop.