How to keep chickens warm during winter?

[speckled bean]

Nice shawls!

 

[HenOfTheHouse]

I'm having the same problem. But, I can't run electricity to the coop or put in insulation. What should I do?

 

[chicknmania]

I went to the feed mill today in search of food that might provide extra warmth. Corn does, and they eat a lot of corn in winter, but our flock tends to not want to eat much when it's bitter cold...single digits to sub zero, it was minus twelve this morning here when I got up. they just hang out and seem to try to be conserving energy, or don't want to move and get all cold again.... I found though that mealworms have 40 % fat! (I got the freeze dried kind). So I got them mealworms, sunflower seeds, and garden treat poultry treat that has a lot of stuff in it including raisins and dried veggies and millet. Mixed it all together and they did like it. Also got them a flock block for them to pick at when there's nothing to do, it's got calories in it too.

 

[FarmerWife]

Hi,
I know this is an old thread, but I figured maybe someone has the same type of coop we have and could give me some pointers. We live on a pecan orchard so we have to keep the property open so machines can come in and harvest. We have big dogs in our area, and occasionally the mountain lions come down from the hills so we built our coop from sheet metal from the bottom half, people who come here call it a chicken bunker, lol. It's got metal bars welded together at the bottom so nothing can push it's way through the bottom, the top half is metal bars at the corners, and chicken wire. I always worry about the chickens when winter comes, but they always survive. I guess it's just the idea that it's cold outside, we usually get to around 12 degrees at night at our coldest, but we did have one year where we went 6 degrees below zero, everyone made it, but the roo got frostbite on his comb , which I treated , he's fine now. Anyway. We also have ducks and turkeys now, will they also be able to get through the cold alright? I worry about the turkeys with their bald heads , lol. How do some of you provide them a little extra warmth? I usually buy small bales of hay and break them up and have that on the floor of the coop, but I don't know if I should be doing more. Anyone?

 

[CrazyTalk]

There are probably wild turkeys all winter in the woods around you. They don't need warmth, they need to be able to get out of the wind, and stay dry. When you start trying to make coops warmer, you typically make them wetter, and thats bad.

 

[Chicken-boo]

This is my first year with chickens. I thought I was doing everything right, then yesterday I realized 3 of my chickens have frost bite. I got vasaline on them and thankfully they were not black tipped, but I am worried about them being too cold ( I live in Minnesota and have hearty breeds) but still lots of anxiety (I read and the hubby doesn't) so sometimes out methods are counter productive. Also when I clean the coop I realize there is moisture because the cedar chips are frozen down. How much ventilation is too much in -10++ weather? I have a light in there but don't think It helps much. have been thinking about a heater but also don't want them staying in the coop all the time either.