It's 13 degrees outside...And I am worried

[erehwon]

It gets down to -25 C here in Bulgaria during winter with snow easily a metre deep, we put extra hay in the hen house/coop and spread some around the ground for when they come out so their little tootsies do not get cold (they refuse to wear slippers!), we have put vaseline on their "exposed bits" previously but was not sure if it actually had any effect. Only one slight case of frostbite but nothing serious that was down to lack of ventilation in the coop which we soon rectified. I think sometimes we worry too much as they are adaptable and hardy birds.

 

[aart]

The first winter is the hardest, until you realize how tough they are.
Leave the combs alone,
vaseline is not going to help(tho might make keeper feel better),
could even make things worse.

 

[CindyinSD]

Ugh im in northern maine I feel you're pain I also made a thread post about cold is here I was told "unless they are chicks no heat needed" ??? Ugh no wayyyy!!!! 75% humidity im in north eastern Alaska up here lol I run 2 heat lights brood lights whatever and umm Gonna continue .. I'm a mess in Maine also but my girls are not uncomfy looking at all so far ( yip I been out 3 times it's 0 degrees here with wind im a mess too..

There’s no sin in giving your girls a bit of warmth in the winter, but there is great danger in it if for some reason you are suddenly unable to give them that warmth. Y’all have some wicked ice storms over there. What happens if the power goes out for a couple of weeks and the temps remain frigid? Are you prepared to run a generator for them? Because if you’re not, they could suffer terribly and even freeze. It’s one thing for the lassies to survive brutal winter weather that would kill you or I when they’ve become acclimated to it. It’s quite another if they’re used to a nice heated coop.

Last winter was so cold for so long that I did finally put a heat lamp in my 10x12’ thin-walled metal shed/coop. I doubt it did anything for the girls but keep them awake and incidentally stimulate laying, but it made me feel a little bit better. It also didn’t hurt them—because objectively, it didn’t do anything to warm their coop.

The things that help our chickens:

1. Raise rose or pea combed birds known to tolerate cold weather well.
2. Give them a spacious coop (10 sq ft per bird minimum—more is better) they will do fine in summer with no more than well/maintained roost space and free range or a large (preferably rotating) run(s) for daytime living. Winter is a whole other thing.
3. Good ventilation that will not subject them to drafts. Vents in gable ends (up high) and/or eave ventilation. Be sure to staple on hardware cloth if predators are a concern. This as important in hot as in cold weather.

I like deep bedding but others do very well with sand, thin shavings, etc. On a well-drained site, I do think a dirt floor, however you choose to bed it, is the best floor. You can create a deep bedding/composting/warming layer with a dirt floor. If digging pests/predators are a problem, galvanized 1/2” hardwire cloth is a great friend, whether as a buried skirt or a whole floor underlayment.

 

[jreardon1918]

Here is another vote for no heat needed. We do use a stock tank heater to keep the water liquid. We occasionally go below 0F. The hens seem to do fine.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I haven't read every post in this thread but I agree with most that has been written here.
You might think 13 F is cold but your chickens don't necessarily think so. You don't go to bed at night wearing a nice down winter coat, but your chickens do.
The best thing you can do for your birds is to forget the temperature and make sure they have unlimited fresh air exchange.

It hit 10F the first of November here. There is about 7 inches of snow on the ground. It has hit -19F and I've never lost a bird to cold - thanks to big ventilation. Closing off a coop in an attempt to keep chickens warm dramatically raises humidity (source of frostbite) and provides an environment for bacterial, viral and fungal infections.

 

[no fly zone]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LX9K1JI/?tag=backy-20

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That requires electricity in the coop.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

The first winter is the hardest, until you realize how tough they are.
Leave the combs alone,
vaseline is not going to help(tho might make keeper feel better),
could even make things worse.

Agreed.

 

[analyticalblonde]

The first winter is the hardest, until you realize how tough they are.
Leave the combs alone,
vaseline is not going to help(tho might make keeper feel better),
could even make things worse.

I thought about that as well...if/should I see any dark bits on the combs, earlobes, wattles...should I bring her in and set her up in my little ICU crate?

 

[aart]

I thought about that as well...if/should I see any dark bits on the combs, earlobes, wattles...should I bring her in and set her up in my little ICU crate?

Nope.
Have had some pretty serious FB here, I just leave it alone and it heals in time.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/frostbite-in-sw-michigan.74597/