ITS negative 7 here and im scared!

[Chelseyb123]

Really? Everything ive read makes me want to stay away. Plus maine has crazy weather some times it really nice an than really cold an frozen. I personally wont use it. But will deep litter with other materials.

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.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

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.

Mold would be caused from wet or damp conditions. I actually have a mix of pine chips and straw. I don't have any dampness in the coop except from them pooping -- I clean that up daily, including shuffling through the straw. The benefit from having a good layer of straw on the floor is, in my opinion, preferred over a bare wood floor. Sand would still make for a cold floor. My chickens don't eat straw.

 

[Diannastarr]

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)

well when i lived in CT. it went down to 14 below or more , and my flock had a draft free hen house, but every day when the sun was shining they went out , and could go back in to lay eggs , and the water lines to the hen house were broken so i had to feed them snow as a source of water , they ate snow all winter long , and it never harmed them , so i would say keep them in a draft free shelter until the sun is out and they can go out then, but make sure they have a space were they wont get lost in a snow drift , so leave them an area thats shoveled off for them. and they will be just fine no worries

 

[EggSTOREYdinary]

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.

Thanks so much for your response! I needed a fellow chicken lover/flock owner to tell me it’s okay! Since it’s my first winter, I just wanted to make sure they’d be okay. I walked into target today and nearly died -better safe than sorry? Thanks again!

 

[EggSTOREYdinary]

well when i lived in CT. it went down to 14 below or more , and my flock had a draft free hen house, but every day when the sun was shining they went out , and could go back in to lay eggs , and the water lines to the hen house were broken so i had to feed them snow as a source of water , they ate snow all winter long , and it never harmed them , so i would say keep them in a draft free shelter until the sun is out and they can go out then, but make sure they have a space were they wont get lost in a snow drift , so leave them an area thats shoveled off for them. and they will be just fine no worries

They are all still laying daily and I bring them in for bag balm, rub downs! They have a great coop (my husband built it so I’m might be bias thank you so much for your input I’m a beginner so I appreciate any and all feedback

 

[EggSTOREYdinary]

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

 

[EggSTOREYdinary]

I really appreciated your reply!! They have a great set up ( I might be bias but I loved your message. I’m
Still a beginner So I panic sometimes Thanks for your kindness and response!

 

[Gallina:)]

Thanks to everyone who has reassured us "newbies".This is my first winter in single digits as well as my first flock.I have 4 from a July hatch and 4 from September.I know they should be fine but I was still worried.
After reading and acknowledging the reality of 50 years ago I feel silly of course they will be fine!!
I guess I shouldn't mother hen them soo much.Lol.

P.s. no eggs yet

 

[Diannastarr]

I really appreciated your reply!! They have a great set up ( I might be bias but I loved your message. I’m
Still a beginner So I panic sometimes Thanks for your kindness and response!

good going you will do fine, no worries

 

[Cindy in PA]

I have to concur with everyone else, they should be fine. We had a week of -20 nights back in 1994 after a blizzard, my first winter with chickens & I was too dumb to worry! They all did fine.