How Cold of Weather Can Chickens Stand Outside of Coop?

[Duck Love88]

I know this is a chicken thread but I have a few Khaki Campbells that I have read are cold hearty birds however tomorrow will be -14 and even colder with wind chill. They have 2 coops they can get into out of the weather one of which has a heat lamp that I use only when the temps drop below 0º F They have a heated water trough and seem to do just fine when the temps drop.

 

[Faraday40]

I have been super worried about my hens, and I live in MD. I don't like the cold, and I just have to keep reminding myself that they naturally run hotter than humans. I have cold hardy breeds, but none of the ladies have wanted to be outside of the coop for the last few days. They will only come out if I stand out there with them until they are ready to go back inside. So of course that is what I do! lol. I'm afraid of them pooping in their food, so I haven't put that in the coop with them, and the water stays outside of course. I run fresh water out there a few times per day. The predators are getting more desperate of course (I have lost two this winter season already, within 2 weeks of eachother), so they are strictly in the run and coop, no free ranging right now....

Yes, I understand & there's nothing wrong with locking the girls up for their own safety. Try to give them things to do to boredom away & they should be fine. (Give them stuff to peck at, so they won't peck at each other.) We lost our Spitzhauben to a hawk right before Christmas in 2016 and DD's spoiled silkie was killed by a hawk Dec 8, 2017. I'm still crying over that one!
RIP my sweet chickens:


Cooper's hawks are worse than the giant red-tailed hawks. Those smaller hawks will patiently wait for weeks in your backyard. They'll swoop within a few feet of me and have no fear of humans. They will also attack a chicken while it's hiding under a bush or inside a doghouse. (That's how we recently lost our sweet silkie. The chicken took cover. The hawk landed & then walked right up for the kill. It had to be very desperate & hungry.) Because of this I can only let my birds out when the dog is outside. It's too cold for the dogs right now, so my flock has been locked up for a while.

 

[Melissa Anderson]

I have Easter eggers and golden comets.
I was getting freaked out here in Cincinnati Ohio with temps dipping below zero. I bought the largest dog crate I could find and on sale to boot.
I setup my 9 chickens in it, in my laundry room.
I feel better now and it's easier to feed and water them.

 

[Hoosiercluck]

I have a cold weather question, while on Christmas vacation the temperature took a nose dive and I did not put vaseline on my RIR comb or my leghorn hen before we left. My son was watching the chicks, but I did not tell him to do the treatment. Now home, I see some white tipping and darkened areas on both chickens. What can I expect? comb lose? and if so, will it repair itself in spring or be forever damaged?
Otherwise, all chickens seem fine.

 

[gocgo]

I'd also consider staying with darker colored breeds as they will soak in the winter sun more.

 

[josh117]

So far, so good here in Philadelphia. Lows at night in the single digits, but our four girls seem happy each morning. Replacing their frozen water 3-4 times a day, and preparing a warm mash of feed with some corn and mealworms mixed in seems to be a huge hit! They haven't eaten their pellets in the past week. No supplemental heat, but the coup is well ventilated, dry and not drafty. A handful of scratch each afternoon, and a flock block for something to do, and they seem fine, albeit a tad restless. Next week will warm up and we can let them free range a bit (always supervised, though! - We can't have our pets end up as hawk lunch.)

 

[Pottery Chick]

I have my mix of Violet and Buff Orpingtons, BFC Moran Roosters and Wheaten Moran Hen, Wyndot, Benevelder, Aracana, Easter Egger, Olive Egger, Cream Crested Legbar and Austerlorp free ranging when its sunny, not wet out down to 14 degrees. Even lower if its not really windy or wet during the day. High winds or sleet/snowing I keep them in.

 

[Faraday40]

I have a cold weather question, while on Christmas vacation the temperature took a nose dive and I did not put vaseline on my RIR comb or my leghorn hen before we left. My son was watching the chicks, but I did not tell him to do the treatment. Now home, I see some white tipping and darkened areas on both chickens. What can I expect? comb lose? and if so, will it repair itself in spring or be forever damaged?
Otherwise, all chickens seem fine.

It sounds like they might have a little frostbite (or frost-nip). Try not to mess with the combs & they should heal by themselves. When temps go below -10'F & colder, there's not a lot you can do. With real frostbite, the white tips turn black in a few days. Leave them alone & the tissue underneath will heal a little. In a couple weeks, the black will fall off & some rounded pink scar tissue will remain. Your chickens' new combs will be a little shorter & rounder. If you try messing with the combs, the moisture from the ointments may increase the chance of additional frostbite and the handling may cause the area to bleed.

Spoiler: frostbite pics

Jan 21, 2016
I noticed white tips on comb & edge of wattles. Then the the turned black after 1-2 days.

Feb 6, 2016

Feb 9, 2016 The black tips fell off & pinkish scar tissue was underneath

Feb 17, 2016
The new comb was slightly more rounded than it was in fall, but after a month, he looked much better.

 

[crazy rooster34]

i have cinnamon queens and leghorns and they will happily go around trying to find bugs is 0 or lower temps

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

It has gotten -18F here in Maine. Some of my birds are doing better than others. I almost lost my 3 almost 4 year old rooster. I moved the five of my Bantams into a small cage in their coop and covered it with my old comforter. I put in a white birch branch in across their cage near the top of it. Then I've been bringing in hot oatmeal in to them. Also I've been going out during the day to renew their water. Since I've put the cage in they've been warmer and doing a whole lot better. Even the Bantam rooster has been doing better.