I'm worried about my hens in this weather! -20

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Seems like a lot of people are having cold snaps lately. I hope everyone's hens are doing ok in this. Were expecting -20 degrees here on Thursday (real temps not windchill) and I'm so worried about them. It's been nuts here the past month either 0 or - digits and the hens have NOT been impressed! They have not been out of the hen house for most of the month. They are looking just terrible. Bored and picking feathers. Although I got some nice tips to try and that seems to be helping

-20 will be the coldest so far that they have had to endure. I just hope they are ok. Can you tell it's my first winter with chickens!! My bantams are the lucky ones...they have a heated shed that stays around 60-75 in there with the wood stove going all the time. Heck it's warmer in there most time then it is in out house! LOL My dad sits in there with them on his chair next to the wood stove just watching them. They are in there until we get their bantam coop done and outside. It's just waiting for a paint job and it is ready to go. We built it inside our heated garage and now we have to pull the huge thing out! Should be fun!

 

[AllChookUp]

Hi, Hangin Wit my Peeps.

Same cold here in MN. I've been trying to give them warm things to eat, and stuff to keep them busy.

You said you got some nice tips to try and that seems to be helping. Can you share what they are, or point me to the thread?

Thanks, and good luck!!

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

Mine are coming into the house at night. And it isnt even as cold as you guys are getting. But the thought of me going out there some morning to feed and finding one of the girls frozen to death is just too much.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Here is the thread where I got some really nice ideas

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=119070

 

[jvls1942]

I just have to mention this.. I have noticed that the people who seem to worry the most about their chickens freezing to death live in the regions where it seldom gets below 20 degrees..

 

[AllChookUp]

Funny, most of these posts came from MN & WI.

Or do you consider ours a "tropical" climate?

 

[SoccerMomof7]

Okay well I have been keeping my girls in the coop, pretty much if I wouldn't let the kids out I wouldn't let the girls out. My DH insist that they will get sick!

But I have been getting better I have been letting the girls out the last couple of weeks and the temps have been anywhere from 20-50 degrees. We are suppose to be getting some snow tomorrow and I am so scared, I don't want to let the girls out but it is so nice to finally be getting eggs again! I don't know what to do!

 

[PortageGirl]

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Actually, there's quite a few from definately cold climates, but really when I see some from places where it rarely gets below freeezing, I too chuckle a little. It's amazing that farmers have ever been able to keep chickens alive above the Mason Dixon line!! I'm not trying to be mean, it's just a little amusing is all.... I live on the North Coast.... near Lake Erie!! and yes, it's going negative this week here too. Brrrrrrrrrrrr

 

[tomcio]

Don't worry about them. They'll do just fine.

My coup (indide) has been between -10C to 5C Since mid-December, and the chickies don't even blink.

It's been between -30C-0C outside for a while, they still go out. They are 3 months old too! Even the coturnix don't mind. So long as there is no drafts they are happy as pie.

 

[thechickenchick]

I have to admit I was worried sick to, as this is also my first winter. We have had temps w/o windchill down to 35 below in the past month. We had a heat lamp on facing the roosts and a homemade water"heater" to keep the water thawed out. Due to the insulation and workmanship (thanks to DH) of our coop, the lowest it got in there was 19 above. They all did just fine. I also have 3 bantam housed in there. I fed them more scratch during that time, especially at bedtime. I was very skeptical and worried that I would have chicken sicles in the morning. But they didn't even seem to notice the cold. I would not want it to get any colder than that in there. However my FIL tells me that in the "old" days we never worried about that and they were fine!