How cold is TOO cold for a chicken?

[jennykpna]

My chickens are doing pretty well. We have tons of snow in Mass 2015. We plastic covered the run, close the door to the coop at night, and bring them snacks on a daily basis. There have been waves of 'stages' the chickens have gone from not laying to laying well. My plymouth rock stopped laying a few weeks ago, but the leghorns began laying for the first time simce November. The red is consistent laying still, thankful for that. It's actually kind of warm today, relatively.

 

[cajun larry]

I'm just wonderin I'm just gettin started here I'm in east Oklahoma next to fort smith ark and its been really cold with snow and ice but I think it will be nicer since I'll just be gettin my ladies in about 1-2mos. Just thinkin bout next winter ty for all da help from all of y'all Cajun Larry

 

[Vermont Mama]

Hi all!

Can you help me?

We brought two hens inside our house (a silkie and a barred rock) from their coop which is in our barn b/c one molted completely when the forecast was set to be -20 (and she was shivering under the heat lamp in her normal coop). It was advised that we do so.

They have been inside (in our basement which averages 60 degrees) for about a month. They are outside in the sun today (58 degrees but windy) and are fine.

What night temps are safe for them to go back to their coop without freezing ? We have 2 heat lamps for the barn coop. Or should we bring them back in the house for awhile?

Other question: re-introduction to the flock:
We have 4 other hens. One is fine with them today after re-introduction(the cochin). The other 3 (an easter egger and two brahmas) are attacking the silkie so they are separated.

Can I reintroduce the 2 tonight when the others are roosting (assuming it is not too cold to bring them back out to the barn coop) ?
Do I need to set up a physical barrier in the coop?

Thanks so much for your help!

-Vermont Mama

 

[cyndarash]

That is to cold, they should have a heater....just saying...I love my chickens, would never let them freeze

 

[luckylee]

Chickens can take the cold easier than the heat... The only thing you need to worry about if the temps are below freezing is that they don't frost bite on their feet or combs.. I worried about mine the first year that it was single digits and they did fine. You have to have a water heater so they always have fresh water, not frozen... I use a 60 Watt regular bulb in a cement block in the coop for their water...Keeps it thawed... Happy chicken raising... I love my 21 girls as well....

 

[Blooie]

That is to cold, they should have a heater....just saying...I love my chickens, would never let them freeze

Guess I must hate mine then.

Mine are outside in a pen in the run from their first day or so after getting them. No heat lamp. No night light. Just a heating pad, a towel, straw and a cave. That's it. They are thriving. It was about 19 degrees the day this video was taken. Haven't lost a single chick, and they are the healthiest chicks ever.

The key to chicken keeping in cold weather is to keep them dry and out of the wind and/or strong drafts. A 2x4 placed 4 inch side up for roosting gives them the ability to sit on their feet to keep them warm. They tolerate cold very well with proper shelter. They suffer much more from excessive heat than they do from cold. Mine just went through a Wyoming winter and the only thing heated was their waterer to keep it from freezing. I should also mention that a few times it was cold enough that, despite having a stock tank heater in the water bucket, we still had to go out a few times with a heat gun and melt the icicles that formed from the nipples to the floor. That's cold. Didn't lose a single chicken to the cold, and because our coop is so well ventilated we had no frostbitten combs or wattles, either. They spent most of their time either outside or in their run, rather than in the coop. Tougher than they look, those chickens are! But mercy, they do suffer when those temps climb up into the 90s! I spend more time and effort trying to help them stay cool than I do trying to keep them warm.

 

[Beekissed]

I hate/love mine too...though my coop shows 10 * warmer than outside temps due to the composting deep litter, so even -16* is only -6*....even with very big open areas for fresh air all over the coop. The chickens LOVE it!

Some kinds of love can hurt chickens in the long run..... by too much coddling.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

That is to cold, they should have a heater....just saying...I love my chickens, would never let them freeze

I hate/love mine too...though my coop shows 10 * warmer than outside temps due to the composting deep litter, so even -16* is only -6*....even with very big open areas for fresh air all over the coop. The chickens LOVE it!

Some kinds of love can hurt chickens in the long run..... by too much coddling.

- cyndarash, it takes a certain level of understanding of the needs of the animal in question to properly address them, and often a misunderstanding of those needs can lead to someone doing harm (with good intention) or providing an environment that is inappropriate for the animal.

 

[LoveMy9Peeps]

I'm right there with you.... LOL! I live in central Florida and was wondering about the coming brisk months ahead (40's maybe a few hours in the 30's) but majority of the winter mid 60's and 70's. Needless to say, I think of my little peeps like my other pets and wouldn't think of leaving my dogs out for some of our chilly nights and while that may seem silly to some I really do think our Floridian chicks are like us and get use to these 80's/90's majority of the year and have to wonder if their blood thins out like ours does and they feel it extremely cold at 40 like many of us do (I know you northern folks are laughing like crazy about know.....) but honestly, we get real spoiled real quick by all this sunshine.... I know as I started out an Ohio girl and was transplanted here by my parents.

 

[Beekissed]

Does your body hair change with the season/climate? Mine doesn't....but my dog's does. If they live outside all the time their coats adapt to the changing temperatures, keeping them warm enough to live outside. We just take clothes on and off to do the same thing.

Here's an experiment you can try....dress in a down jacket that extends from your head down to your knees and then sit in a small, heated room all night, right up against someone else dressed in the same attire. You'll find yourself sweating and getting uncomfortable...then walk out into the chilly air when you are all sweaty around the edges and you'll find that is uncomfortable too. That's most likely how a chicken feels when a person suddenly starts heating their coop in the winter months when they've already grown the feathers to adapt to the changing temps.