How Cold of Weather Can Chickens Stand Outside of Coop?

[cowboyclayt]

I have RIR's, brown leghorns, a rhode island white, cinnamon queen, and black links. It's getting down to below 0* F sometimes so I wanted to know what to do, or if I should do anything.

Thanks!

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

I can’t comment on your specific breeds of chickens, but as long as you have tons of draft free ventilation you don’t need to do anything at all really. I am above the 45 parallel (NORTH) and we had -22 on Sunday morning. My Easter Eggers and Wyandottes were perfectly comfortable and greeted me at the coop door for their food just like always. My EE pullet even gave me a double yolker. The heated waterer was iced over, however.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Don't bother with supplying heat. They're good so long as water doesn't sit in there with them (check out some articles on ventilation) and there are no huge drafts (ventilation gone wrong.) I believe it was 2014--the weather here got into the negative thirties in Farenheit, and the most that happened was our big production red rooster lost all the points of his comb to frostbite. We also have leghorns, production reds, australorps, etc.

 

[mannytj11]

what about smaller breeds like japanese bantams can they handle cold

 

[sylviethecochin]

Some bantams are hardier than others. I have no experience with Japanese, but my OEG bantams, Cochins, and Polish crosses are all perfectly fine down through the negative teens.

 

[21hens-incharge]

what about smaller breeds like japanese bantams can they handle cold

Some can. Some cannot. It is risky with the Japanese bantams in cold.
I had them and lost a few to a week of highs only hitting 0.
They need deep shavings and possibly a radiant heat source near the roost.

 

[SueT]

We had -7 this morning and my chickens all went outside and happily scratched around most of the day in the cold wind. It got up to a balmy 10º . I did bring them warmed up feed a few times. I have 4 br. leghorns, a couple other standard hens, and 3 bantams: a Sebright, a D'Uccle, and a Cochin. Of course the Cochin is wearing a snowsuit....lol.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Wowsie! The sebright doing well surprises me. I would have thought being super small with close feathering they would have been delicate.

Love that snowsuit!

I have a little hen 7+ years old looking very stylish in all black.

 

[SueT]

Wowsie! The sebright doing well surprises me. I would have thought being super small with close feathering they would have been delicate.

Love that snowsuit!

I have a little hen 7+ years old looking very stylish in all black.


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The Sebright has spent more time inside than the others and i do worry about her on these coldest days/nights. But I read in the "Sebright Thread" about ones that did okay in much worse:

I only have one Sebright. She made it through 2 northern Midwest winters just fine. I was told that bantams do better here when in a heated coop, but I fear the fire risk and decided not to heat my (insulated) coop. It gets down to -20'F several times in Jan-Feb, and we've also had several -40'F nights here. On all those below zero nights, I made sure she was snuggled next to a big, fat, fluffy orpington. My Sebright is fine & has very good survival skills. She knows how to stay clean, dry, & warm in winter

 

[The Moonshiner]

OP is asking about temps when chickens are out in the elements not inside coop.
I'm also curious what others say.