ITS negative 7 here and im scared!

[EggSTOREYdinary]

That’s right -7! We live in Omaha Nebraska and this is our first winter with our flock. At what point is cold too cold? I’ve read they can with stand some pretty brutal conditions... but at this point we are giving the North Pole a run for their money! Should I bring them
In the garage? They are full grown (hatch day is in March)

 

[BantyChooks]

No. Calm down, they will be fine.

What defines 'too cold' varies but -7 is not too cold for anything but Seramas. If they get lethargic, uninterested in food, and won't move, then you can think about heat. For most birds this point is about -40 though sustained temps below 0 can wear them down.

-7 F is about my daytime high temperature for the next week. Upper MN had -31 this morning. Guess what? Chickens aren't dropping dead. They are tough.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

No, they are fine. We were down to -13 last night, we will get down lower yet this winter. With a proper roomy coop they are fine. The question should be whether your coop can handle the temperature, your chickens will be fine.

 

[TattooedChicks]

It’s gotten pretty cold here as well. My birds are doing great with an old blanket I’ve used to make a cave of sorts around their preferred roost bar. I put all the birds in it at lights out and it keeps their body heat together. So long as they can stay dry and draft free, they can keep themselves pretty warm.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

They should be okay from what most everyone says. As long as they are able to get in the coop, out of drafts and have sufficient roosts and good ventilation.

This is my first winter with my chickens too, so I tend to worry about them a lot. I have put an extra thick layer of straw on the floor of the coop -- not only to help protect their feet from the cold floor, but to cushion their jumping down from the roosts. I also went a got a bag of scratch and am giving them just a little bit with their normal feed and have given them some very small amounts of homemade bird suet.

 

[Chelseyb123]

Its -5°f here in maine. My flock is fine roosting closely. I did have to bring my big red in only because hes getting frostbite an the temp makes me uncomfortable since hes gotten this. If he didnt hed be out with the rest. This is my first winter as well. Dry coop with good vents and everyone roosting they should be fine. Dont stress yourself!

 

[IvanK]

Hi! Well...it's -42 with the wind chill here and I'm fighting to keep my barn just at or above freezing with some space heaters! It's super cold yes but my gals are doing great. That being said, when it's a little milder, I do let my flock outside as low as -10 and some are even happy to spend most of the day outdoors as long as it's not windy.
If your chickens are a cold hardy breed and sheltered from the wind, they should be just fine under all that plumage. To take extra care, you might want to feed them a higher energy diet before bed time and you can easily install a heat lamp for extra warmth if you have nearby electrical access (probably not necessary though) . Of course make sure they still have access to unfrozen water as often as possible. I think you'll be alright

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I installed Lexan on the windows so sunlight enters the coop as it rises. I thought I had enough ventilation until I noticed a slight moisture pattern on the Lexan. It combined with dust to make it visible.

If you don't use Lexan or glass, you may not discover what I've discovered. So do be sure you have lots of good ventilation. I've read that excess moisture just from their breathing can contribute to frost bite.

And roost bars need to be wide enough so they can tuck their feet under their feathers.

 

[Chelseyb123]

And you should use something elese to use other than straw it molds like hay an is more for cows an horses. I use wood chips. I plan to change to sand but look into other options for a litter method and also your chickens will try an eat it.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

And you should use something elese to use other than straw it molds like hay an is more for cows an horses. I use wood chips. I plan to change to sand but look into other options for a litter method and also your chickens will try an eat it.

I use hay in winter. It doesn't mold until spring when we start to thaw out, and for them most part it composites instead of molds.

Shavings aren't warm enough by themselves in winter here. I use a shavings and hay combo to bulk up the bedding and to give them winter forage.