How Cold Is Too Cold?

[bruceha2000]

Frostbite, I think, is more a matter of humidity than just cold. Usually means there isn't enough ventilation in the coop.

 

[aart]

Frostbite, I think, is more a matter of humidity than just cold. Usually means there isn't enough ventilation in the coop.

Or the humidity is just unavoidable...during a thaw here, it gets high...nothing to do about it.

 

[centrarchid]

Frostbite, I think, is more a matter of humidity than just cold. Usually means there isn't enough ventilation in the coop.

Frostbite is not always a function of humidity which I eluded earlier when posing question why the frost bite can occur more often during the day. No one bit on that for some reason.

I have frostbite occur during the day when birds get out into cold wind. The same birds can protect extremities better at night when sleeping with head and feet tucked and otherwise in location protected from the wind.

If birds are cooped up all the time, then humidity becomes more important. High winds can protect from high humidity when it gets real cold. Think about that one, or not.

 

[Mrs. K]

ok, I am thinking ... I think I have a tendency to get frostbite, when it has been very cold, and nothing has thawed for days, everything is frozen solid, inside and out of the coop day and night... but when it is cold like that here, it is dry. The moisture is locked up in ice. Then a chinook comes in, thaws and we get a cold, still night.

That is when I notice frostbite. If it is windy, not so much, so I agree with your last statement, there must be enough air movement, even in a sheltered coop to keep things drier.

Mrs K

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Here it just gets too cold to prevent frostbite on large comb roosters. My bantams do better in their insulated coop, but in the big shed frostbite is inevitable. There's enough air movement, nothing is moist, it's just too cold at -20 degrees. Smaller comb birds do better.

 

[lilmillefleur]

I have a question. We moved our chickens to their winter coop, so “they’ll be warmer,” but in my mind I think it’s better just because it’s drier. Their coop section is in a pretty big barn and only 8 bantams so not a huge bioload but there isn’t much ventilation into the outdoors.
I’m trying to convince my dad to drill some holes or make an opening in the side of the barn, near the bottom by the foundation. (So the grass will seclude it and it won’t look like random holes drilled in the barn).
Is this necessary with such a low bioload and cracks in the doors and maybe leaving the sheep’s old pop door open?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have a question. We moved our chickens to their winter coop, so “they’ll be warmer,” but in my mind I think it’s better just because it’s drier. Their coop section is in a pretty big barn and only 8 bantams so not a huge bioload but there isn’t much ventilation into the outdoors.
I’m trying to convince my dad to drill some holes or make an opening in the side of the barn, near the bottom by the foundation. (So the grass will seclude it and it won’t look like random holes drilled in the barn).
Is this necessary with such a low bioload and cracks in the doors and maybe leaving the sheep’s old pop door open?

Bottom holes will make drafts. Many barns are drafty to begin with. I would wait and see if it has good air exchange or not before putting holes in it personally.

 

[MissChick@dee]

For me the biggest factor is wind. Last winter I had a naked LH that obviously would get cold. She survived.
(was even recovering from a serious wound).
I tarped my run this year. What a difference! I sit out in the run and on a 30 degree day I’m fine...the second I leave the run the wind rips my bones.
Although I didn’t have to tarp the run I’m so happy I did. Everything stays dryer especially the chickens.

 

[centrarchid]

When I used to keep very large groups of chickens (75 to 100) in a single hen house, humidity build up was a problem that was influenced by airflow outside the building. When wind picked up, especially from certain directions, it increased the exchange rate of air in the hen house bringing humidity down. With low wind speeds or other directions, then humidity would build up potentially causing problems. To combat the problem, the hen house was opened up somewhat when it got really cold to allow moisture to be flushed out by increased ventilation.

 

[bruceha2000]

I have a question. We moved our chickens to their winter coop, so “they’ll be warmer,” but in my mind I think it’s better just because it’s drier. Their coop section is in a pretty big barn and only 8 bantams so not a huge bioload but there isn’t much ventilation into the outdoors.
I’m trying to convince my dad to drill some holes or make an opening in the side of the barn, near the bottom by the foundation. (So the grass will seclude it and it won’t look like random holes drilled in the barn).
Is this necessary with such a low bioload and cracks in the doors and maybe leaving the sheep’s old pop door open?

Ventilation includes the air space in the barn. I don't know how big the barn is but if the coop is fairly open, the air in it will exchange with the air in the barn. And as @oldhenlikesdogs said, most barns are far from air tight so there will be air exchange with the outside world as well.