How Cold Is Too Cold?

[Cyprus]

How is everyone else holding up?
I'm getting another waterer soon because I don't have enough.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Today is a bit warmer, and it's gonna get in the 40's tomorrow they are saying. It will be a nice respite before turning colder again. I personally don't really feel the cold until it gets below zero. I have yet to pull out my thicker undercoat.

 

[Blooie]

63 here today.

 

[bruceha2000]

But they can surprise us. I know that some owners in the far north keep their birds without heat. How? Do you suffer losses? And, additionally, for everyone, when is it too cold for younger birds?

Cyprus

I have had 3 batches of chickens go through winter. Got 12 in 2012, 7 more in 2015, 6 in 2017. Never have heated the coop, never had any loss from the cold (no roosters either). No frostbite even on the 2 Anconas (2012). They had huge combs the first winter then spring summer and fall. They shrank back during their first adult moult and came back much smaller. Must be something in them said "NO to big combs". My girls sometimes make "day nests" in the run (alley of the drafty old barn) to hang out in when it is cold.

How young are "younger" birds? If not fully feathered, they need supplemental heat. After that, they should be fine. They will fluff up just like the older girls.

Breeds in those 3 batches:
Ancona
Barnvelder
Black Australorp
Cubalaya
Easter Egger
Exchequer Leghorn
Faverolles
Partridge Chantecler
Welsummer
White Rock

 

[Cyprus]

I have had 3 batches of chickens go through winter. Got 12 in 2012, 7 more in 2015, 6 in 2017. Never have heated the coop, never had any loss from the cold (no roosters either). No frostbite even on the 2 Anconas (2012). They had huge combs the first winter then spring summer and fall. They shrank back during their first adult moult and came back much smaller. Must be something in them said "NO to big combs". My girls sometimes make "day nests" in the run (alley of the drafty old barn) to hang out in when it is cold.

How young are "younger" birds? If not fully feathered, they need supplemental heat. After that, they should be fine. They will fluff up just like the older girls.

Breeds in those 3 batches:
Ancona
Barnvelder
Black Australorp
Cubalaya
Easter Egger
Exchequer Leghorn
Faverolles
Partridge Chantecler
Welsummer
White Rock

Young is between 2-5 months

 

[RodNTN]

I have chickens of various ages, my oldest is 11 and my youngest are 7 months. The coldest we get here is usually just a bit below 0. I have many different breeds, some are very cold hardy, but they all hate the snow. Even if there is just a slight dusting of snow, they'll just look up at me and expect me to take them to the porch Apparently I've never learned my lesson because I still carry them one by one to the porch every winter

I don't insulate my coop, I just make sure their bedding is a bit deeper, I feed them corn in the evenings, and I plug up the heated waterer; that's all there is to it

 

[bruceha2000]

Apparently I've never learned my lesson because I still carry them one by one to the porch every winter

Maybe it is time for a covered tunnel between the coop and the porch!

 

[Cyprus]

This winter, I am only going to use a barn heater for the sake of my bantams.

 

[bruceha2000]

Why would bantams need heat? I ASSUME they have feathers just like large fowl. Chickadees are really small and they live here all winter without a heater.

 

[Cyprus]

Why would bantams need heat? I ASSUME they have feathers just like large fowl. Chickadees are really small and they live here all winter without a heater.

My banty rooster's comb gets frostbitten easily.