Is a heat source needed?

[ZoomiesMom72]

 

[Emelyn]

View attachment 2883684

You can reuse/buy a heat lamp for them.

 

[DobieLover]

Why do you think she's cold?
It sounds like she is having some other issue preventing her from wanting to roost.
Adding heat to the coop is not the answer to whatever is her issue.

 

[ZoomiesMom72]

Why do you think she's cold?
It sounds like she is having some other issue preventing her from wanting to roost.
Adding heat to the coop is not the answer to whatever is her issue.

Her comb has a blue tint in the morning and goes away by noonish.I treated her for 7 days with amoxiclav .ahe stays near my heater on my porch during the days .Just learning

 

[ZoomiesMom72]

Her comb has a blue tint in the morning and goes away by noonish.I treated her for 7 days with amoxiclav .ahe stays near my heater on my porch during the days .Just learning

I have also notice her legs becoming beige and her face not so vibrant. Her sister.which appears younger still has yellow legs .Can this be a sign of old age?

 

[DobieLover]

Her comb has a blue tint in the morning and goes away by noonish.I treated her for 7 days with amoxiclav .ahe stays near my heater on my porch during the days .Just learning

Have you felt between her legs for fluid build up? Or firmness in general?
Have you checked her crop function: full at night, empty in the morning?
What do her poops look like?
When did she last lay an egg?

 

[saysfaa]

I like the door .

How high is your roost and is the floor resilient? What breed of chickens?

Winter is hard on the elderly of many species. Cold is one part of that but less so for chickens if their feathers are in good shape. Since they so rarely need heat and I'm very risk averse to fire hazards in such a dusty place (and I bed mostly with dried maple leaves), I don't have much of a direct answer to your question. If I were to add heat, it would be some sort of thermal mass put in each night, probably helped with insulation.

Indirect answer but maybe helpful - another reason winter is hard on chickens is less time to eat because days ate shorter. Your light might be off setting that if the food is in the light. Having several food dishes can help if the other chickens aren't letting her eat enough. Also, having food out all day, well balanced food, and fresh clean water always available.

You might try the light in the morning rather than evening. The gradually dimming light of dusk is more important than the gradually lightening of dawn.

 

[saysfaa]

I have also notice her legs becoming beige and her face not so vibrant. Her sister.which appears younger still has yellow legs .Can this be a sign of old age?

Paler legs and less vibrant face is probably from not laying. In and of itself is not a sign of problems. Not laying may be a sign of problems or may be just natural aging - especially if she was a really productive egg layer.

 

[ZoomiesMom72]

Her comb has a blue tint in the morning and goes away by noonish.I treated her for 7 days with amoxiclav .ahe stays near my heater on my porch during the days .Just learning

thank you.very much!

 

[ZoomiesMom72]

I like the door .

How high is your roost and is the floor resilient? What breed of chickens?

Winter is hard on the elderly of many species. Cold is one part of that but less so for chickens if their feathers are in good shape. Since they so rarely need heat and I'm very risk averse to fire hazards in such a dusty place (and I bed mostly with dried maple leaves), I don't have much of a direct answer to your question. If I were to add heat, it would be some sort of thermal mass put in each night, probably helped with insulation.

Indirect answer but maybe helpful - another reason winter is hard on chickens is less time to eat because days ate shorter. Your light might be off setting that if the food is in the light. Having several food dishes can help if the other chickens aren't letting her eat enough. Also, having food out all day, well balanced food, and fresh clean water always available.

You might try the light in the morning rather than evening. The gradually dimming light of dusk is more important than the gradually lightening of dawn.

Thank you very much