Keeping warm in winter

[Agape1]

I have read that the “cozy flat screen“ heaters are super safe for chickens warm if needed, they can be put right into the coop. I have bantam Cochins and silkies. We wrap our run in clear greenhouse plastic. Leave a bit not wrapped for ventilation.Then I fill my coop with tons of straw along with the wood chips under the straw. Probably don’t need to do this , but we also throw a large heavy wool blanket over the coop as well for added warmth (we make sure it doesn’t cover the door area so it doesnt stop them from being able to come out down ramp) , we read how others do this. I figured oh well y not try it , certainly will keep them warmer then if it wasn’t on there lol ! We are getting snow and it’s as low as 32-29 degrees last couple days, and windy chill factor, makes it feel colder. They r doing fine ! They Still want to come out of their run and free range , even though they have their nicely plastic wrapped run lol !

 

[Glennda]

The only time I let birds sleep in the nest box is when they're broody or when they're molting.

Some of the girls are smart enough to snuggle between friends who still have plenty of feathers.

 

[Quadzilla32]

I check my ventilation with the same reader in the coop. I is usually close to the same humidity as outside or a little bit less humid than outside.
I agree that the comb does get dirty. I have no idea if Vaseline works but I thought I'd try it on the very coldest nights.
So you think it's ok if it gets below zero even? I guess their size makes me feel they are vulnerable.

Where in the springs are you? im in fountain and this is my first winter with chickens. I made sure there is no drafts and plenty of ventilation for them and the birds seem fine. I was nervous with it dropping down so much but from all my readings it seems chickens can handle it.

What type of chickens do you have and how many, size of coop?

 

[srcannello]

Where in the springs are you? im in fountain and this is my first winter with chickens. I made sure there is no drafts and plenty of ventilation for them and the birds seem fine. I was nervous with it dropping down so much but from all my readings it seems chickens can handle it.

What type of chickens do you have and how many, size of coop?

I'm in the stetson hills area. My first year too. I have an Isa Brown, Australorp and olive egger. I did cover any open areas around doors. I am nervous for tonight but they seem fine from the cold the last 24 hours.
What breed are your chickens

 

[Mary Mitchell]

Hi All,

My chickens are cold right now. Two of them are molting and are like, totally bare butt and wing. They look awful. Its 29f out and we are having an unusually early snow storm with 2ft of snow. I keep their water unthawed and constant food, as well as bedding. But the chickens who are molting are shivering. It is only supposed to get colder.

I did a no-no and put a heat lamp in one corner. It is in an open area of the coop (I have a closed portion too) so it isn't warming the whole coop up, they can stand under it or not. I know this isn't ideal, but any other suggestions? Is it really bad that I did this?

They don't like to go in the closed up area during the day because its dark in there, they like to stand out in their "day room" which is basically a 3 sided structure with perch. Spoiled things!!

I use the ceramic ones. They are 150 watt. I do have their coop insolated and closed up at night. I used thick clear plastic tarps to cover the run. I connected them to toggle fastners. Worked out well but this year we closed it all in with wood siding so I could go out and sit with them. They have a tractor that they can go out into during the day.that still has the clear tarp around it so they are cover and get sun on sunny days.My girls are very spoiled and my pets. I do like the ceramic bulbs alot. They are on in their coop on cold days too. My husband ran electricity to the coop when we built it.

 

[FlockVillemaire]

More or less.
Taking your example of the Husky. Like other creatures that inhabit sub zero environments the Huskies fur is constructed differently to dogs that have evolved in more temperate climates. Chicken feathering hasn't done this.
I read for example that cold hardy chickens grow extra feathers for the winter. That's an interesting biological trick given each feather needs a follicle to grow from. I wonder how the chicken manages that.
There is lots of stuff on comb types. While it may be true that particular comb types are less prone to frosbite, it has nothing at all to do with the overall ability of the chicken to not feel cold.
I've read cold hardy chickens have more feathers. I've yet to see any evidence that this is true.

What does make more sense is chickens that are bred in cold environments learn how to adapt to the conditions. This is learn't behaviour, not a biological change.

There are many myths about chickens that have been repeated without investigation to their validity.

There is a chicken breed in Tibet that has evolved a different lung function to cope with high altitude.

I have a Norwegian friend who likes to hike through the winter with his Chihuahua! This Chihuahua has BIOLOGICALLY ADAPTED with a very heavy coat and is now way too hot in even the Norwegian Summer!!! Chickens also have some biological adaptability, but molting might disrupt those adaptations and even learned behaviors. My March baby chick Blue Copper Marans had her beautiful dark blue head feathers go all pale in September after our last nasty-high heat wave. Then, in her very first November at just 7 months old, she is molting her head completely.
Just her head.
But she goes around shivering in NorCal's 50 degree Fahrenheit days. I hope she puts her head under a still well feathered wing while she sleeps in our 35 degree and dropping nights, too high for me to easily check. Thankfully they are growing back in pretty quickly.
I can't imagine the cold stress of a full body molt.

 

[lizr55]

Hi All,

My chickens are cold right now. Two of them are molting and are like, totally bare butt and wing. They look awful. Its 29f out and we are having an unusually early snow storm with 2ft of snow. I keep their water unthawed and constant food, as well as bedding. But the chickens who are molting are shivering. It is only supposed to get colder.

I did a no-no and put a heat lamp in one corner. It is in an open area of the coop (I have a closed portion too) so it isn't warming the whole coop up, they can stand under it or not. I know this isn't ideal, but any other suggestions? Is it really bad that I did this?

They don't like to go in the closed up area during the day because its dark in there, they like to stand out in their "day room" which is basically a 3 sided structure with perch. Spoiled things!!

I just moved back to Texas from Montana. We have 12 hens and they have a huge chicken coop with a closed in area for their nesting boxes. It is in high 40s now but wind chill is lower. I give them cooked oatmeal in the winter and they love it. no milk sugar of course just steel cut oats. It will keep them warm. We also put tarps on 4 sides of their coop and it keeps out the wind and rain pretty much. Two of mine are molding and 6 have on aprons since a few are getting pecked but we cannot figure out who the mean chicken is. 6 are pecked free. So warm oatmeal is safe ; I read about it last year. I would be worried about a heater inside the coop. But if you think it is safe then try it. Like I said, Texas can be very cold due to the humidity here but my chickens were fine all last winter and they are safe and dry. My chickens are all spoiled and have names. We have 17 acres but we let them out twice daily and they stay around the front pasture and near the garden and near the house. We finished a new landscaping job in August so I am careful where they go but sometimes they do dig in beds which is not good. but they need to be out for a while daily. They have not been attacked and I have not seen any predator birds around here. They stay pretty close to one another . Today it is lightly raining so not coming out today. They also have a large coop yard with a fence around it and it is part of their coop. So they have lots of room to roam. Good luck,

 

[NatJ]

I give them cooked oatmeal in the winter and they love it. no milk sugar of course just steel cut oats. It will keep them warm.

As an alternative to oatmeal, try chicken food (pellets or crumbles) with warm water added.
They will probably love it just as much.
It is quicker for you to prepare, usually cheaper, and best of all it is nutritionally better for chickens than oatmeal (more protein, more vitamins and minerals.)

I'm not saying oatmeal is bad, just saying that a warm mash from chicken food is even better.

 

[Wendy Bee]

We had several 18-ish month old chickens go through a molt recently, but they feathered back in before cold weather arrived. Then this one year-old hen, a Welsummer, decided she wanted to be like the cool chickens and POOF! She dropped soooo many feathers, right before it dropped into the 20s .

Our run is wrapped for winter, so no wind, but she was shivering in the corner one day, so I took a chicken saddle I had on hand and sewed a fleece lining on the inside of it. It was a trick getting it on her, but she doesn't shiver now, and her bottom and chest are filling in nicely with pin feathers. I figure another week or two and I can free her of her jacket.

One note - I will not let her out if it's wet outside. If her covering were to get wet in the cold weather, it would likely suck any heat right out of her!

I cut the fleece to cover her shoulders a bit, and extended it beyond the back ruffle, then cut a slit for her tail feathers. Really rough looking, but I was going for quick function, not fashion .

 

[Shadrach]

I have a Norwegian friend who likes to hike through the winter with his Chihuahua! This Chihuahua has BIOLOGICALLY ADAPTED with a very heavy coat and is now way too hot in even the Norwegian Summer!!! Chickens also have some biological adaptability, but molting might disrupt those adaptations and even learned behaviors. My March baby chick Blue Copper Marans had her beautiful dark blue head feathers go all pale in September after our last nasty-high heat wave. Then, in her very first November at just 7 months old, she is molting her head completely.
Just her head.
But she goes around shivering in NorCal's 50 degree Fahrenheit days. I hope she puts her head under a still well feathered wing while she sleeps in our 35 degree and dropping nights, too high for me to easily check. Thankfully they are growing back in pretty quickly.
I can't imagine the cold stress of a full body molt.

I would be very interested for a link to a study of any cold hardy chickens that have undergone biological changes if you have a link.