How cold is TOO cold for a chicken?

[Beekissed]

You wanna talk about COLD hardy? Last night when I went out to shut my coop door for the night it was 1 degree F. This morning when I went out to open the door and feed it was -9 F. I apparently didn't see one of my 15 week old white plymouth rock hens curled up in the snow last night. She came happily clucking over to me this morning after staying out side all night in -5 F - -10 F. That is what I call a tough bird. I never heat my coop and we have had several cold snaps into the negative teens. This is my first incidence of accidentally not getting all my birds in for the night in these temps. Amazing how tough they are.

Hooray for the WRs! My fave breed! They certainly are cold hardy and it's been my experience that they will lay through the coldest winters when everyone else has shut down the egg chutes. Good feedback on that cold tolerance for chickens!

 

[A HappyHenLover]

I'm in Southern Wisconsin. We had -15 F. today with a windchill of -35F. I have a heater in my 15 x 25 house but with 90 birds, they're alright. My egg production is staying consistent through the winter. Last year, they dropped big time, but I also began to give them keifer and fermented grain this year.

To jermoatc:
Tough bird. I had that happen once. The hens were out on pasture and I must have not looked to see if any hens were left out. Came out in the morning to find a hen walking around. It was 16 F. I was so mad at myself for leaving her out but she was just fine.

 

[luckylee]

I am in middle Georgia and last night it got down to 12* with a feels like of 0* and it got down to 19* in the coop with a heat lamp... It is not insulated but draft free.. Tonight will be that cold again and then it will start warming up... The thing I am having trouble with is the water is freezing up.. I just put a 125 W bulb under it in a cement block and it seems to be keeping it thawed so far.. I have 12 RIR's and they are a hearty breed is there anything I should look for with their health during this cold spell...?

 

[made in USA]

It was -8 last weekend and 12 inches of blowing snow. No heater at all. I surrounded their enclosure with a tarp to keep wind & blowing snow off them. As long as they are dry there fine. I just left them with pleanty hay inside and out. I have noticed they avoid the snow at all costs. I have 2 Rhode Island Reds, 1 bantam, 1 Operington, 1 barred Plymouth rock. Average temps here for January 30's for high 10's for a low in NO problem for these breeds.

 

[cute chicks here]

I worry about my 2 chickens being cold too, We have what amounts to a large wood box and totally covered dog crate with deep wood chips up on a bench with a covered run built around it. They go up in the box at night. I have plastic on the wire pen surrounding it to keep wind out.I built a cookie tin water heater and also hang a 75 watt bulb over the waterer. It doesn't freeze even below zero.The cookie tin has a hole drilled in the side with a bulb inside. I sit the waterer on top of the lid. I am really impressed how well it works.

 

[Beekissed]

It was 10 below in the coop this morning and that was with a heat lamp going in the night. All birds comfy and healthy, though, and some decided to come into lay for the first time today...one of the coldest days of the year. Go figure.

 

[KintersGirl]

I am in SW Louisiana. My henhouse is not heated. We have had chickens for two years now and none have succumbed to the cold. This winter has been colder than normal. One of my PR hens, Sally May, used to be picked on so bad by the SLW I had (no longer have) that she was almost bald until this winter. she has already been through one winter, unchanged. Then this winter, she grew all her head feathers back! She's so pretty now. She is my flock's drama queen. Anyway I couldn't believe it, but it happened. I think the chickens adjust to the temps. The turkeys and ducks sleep out in the pen. Well the ducks try to sleep in the duck pool in the yard, but I have to shut them in the fully enclosed pen at night due to predators.

 

[trinoc]

I've been a chicken "farmer" for about 3 weeks...since we bought a house that came w/ 13 hens and a rooster. I'm certainly loving this experience but this winter weather is throwing a curveball at me. I'm worried about the flock. I feel like I shouldn't be. My head says they're fine. They go in their coop quite a bit during the day but they do spend some time out pecking about. My biggest concern, I guess, is that they are so new to me that I wouldn't recognize stressed behavior if I saw it. They're still laying pretty well. This week temps have been in the single digits and I'm getting anywhere from 5-8 eggs a day.
Edited to actually get to my question - What would stressed chickens do differently than happy chicks? Also, being in TN, this arctic blast is way colder than they're used to. Can I assume that if they're still foraging around outside some and laying that they're ok or is it impossible for southern birds to acclimate quickly to this kind of temperature extreme? Wanted to add that their coop is well-ventilated but draft free and dry. thanks!

 

[Beekissed]

I've been a chicken "farmer" for about 3 weeks...since we bought a house that came w/ 13 hens and a rooster. I'm certainly loving this experience but this winter weather is throwing a curveball at me. I'm worried about the flock. I feel like I shouldn't be. My head says they're fine. They go in their coop quite a bit during the day but they do spend some time out pecking about. My biggest concern, I guess, is that they are so new to me that I wouldn't recognize stressed behavior if I saw it. They're still laying pretty well. This week temps have been in the single digits and I'm getting anywhere from 5-8 eggs a day.


Edited to actually get to my question -

What would stressed chickens do differently than happy chicks?

Also, being in TN, this arctic blast is way colder than they're used to. Can I assume that if they're still foraging around outside some and laying that they're ok or is it impossible for southern birds to acclimate quickly to this kind of temperature extreme?

Wanted to add that their coop is well-ventilated but draft free and dry.

thanks!

It sounds like they are doing just fine! A cold chicken will spend a lot of time in the bedding lying down and fluffed up, in a nest box, or on the roost trying to warm her feet, sometimes standing on one leg in the corner of the coop. Check for combs and wattles that are turning darker on the edges...that could be a little frostbite.

When they are moving, eating and drinking with a bright eye and perky movements, you have no worries.

 

[trinoc]

Thanks for the reassurance! I have not actually looked in their coop when they're in there during the day. I will make a point to have me or my daughter do that tomorrow just to see what's up in there. We have seen the rooster fluffed up and in a little hole outside a couple of times but he sort of seems to just be enjoying the sunny spot. Not worrisome behavior I hope?