Is -20 too cold?

[sparkles2307]

I have my brids inside, but I feel bad for them not getting enough fresh air, so I have taken to leaving the pop door open between the coop and the indoor run (is an old corncrib with slotted sides so they get shelter with good air flow) and when I get home they are usually all inside tucked in for bed, but DH is freaking out at me that I am freezing them... they have a heat lamp in the inner coop where they roost, and the pop door is a good 10 ft, thru another doorway, from the heat lamp so I dont see a lot of heat loss thru there...so is -20 (for a nighttime LOW, +20 is our daytime high right now) too cold for this kind of management?

 

[CARS]

No. I get sub zero temps quite often and I don't even add a heat lamp.

From what I gather, keeping the coop dry is the key to them surviving the cold. Humid air + cold = frostbite

 

[scooter147]

Put a thermometer in the coop and sneak out before bedtime and just see what the temp is.

I have had chickens in those temps but not for long periods of time maybe a day or two. The biggest issue for me during those times was frost bit combs and wattles.

 

[FlashPointFarm]

Animals use a lot of calories to keep themselves warm. I don't think the heat lamp is necessary, as we have -40 temps sometimes and I don't lose any birds. I don't run any heat lamps, I just keep them under lights from 5pm-9pm.

My hens lay better in the cold weather when I throw treats around. It gets them up and moving and they take in more calories. I use black oil sunflower seeds, wild bird seed, and of course any table scraps.

 

[teach1rusl]

Well I do baby my hens, so - 20 sounds really cold to me. On the other hand, 20 doesn't sound horrible. Can you just shut them up at night, but leave it open all day??? I do open my pop door every morning, even if it's still in the single digits (although I do have a heat bulb on in the coop on those days) so that they have the option to go out and for fresh air. But the door is closed up each night.

 

[sherrydeanne]

I wouldn't have the heat on during the day, honestly. No, you're not freezing them. Are they getting down from the roost and heat and going out? If so, they're fine. I mean, yes, chickens are dumb but they're not suicidal (ok, some are LOL).