Leghorns in below freezing temps

[Ughmargo]

This is my coop i know there are alot of improvements to be made, it was the first time ive ever built anything but i know it isnt ths best ive been making improvements here and there. They have an attached run that they spend 90 percent of their timr in

 

[RUNuts]

Wait until dark. The chickens will roost in their usual spot. Pluck them off that roost and put them where you want them then close the door. Don't chase them and stress yourself.

Make sure you have ventilation. 1 year old is an adult chicken and mine do fine in the cold with a wind block. It'll take them a week or more to get accustomed to the new routine, but patience will pay off.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Wait until dark. The chickens will roost in their usual spot. Pluck them off that roost and put them where you want them then close the door. Don't chase them and stress yourself.

Make sure you have ventilation. 1 year old is an adult chicken and mine do fine in the cold with a wind block. It'll take them a week or more to get accustomed to the new routine, but patience will pay off.

Excellent advice! You can do a lot with chickens once they have settled for the night, as they don't see well in the dark. How is it going? You say their coop is 5x5'. How many chickens are you trying to fit into that space?

 

[Stephanie8806]

I live in a cold climate, and we get well below freezing at night, and most times during the day in the winter. I have one white leghorn in my flock, and she has a giant floppy comb, and she’s doing great. Two of my pullets, a barred rock and an EE(now 10 months old) molted this winter, and they even did fine in below freezing temps, with nearly naked necks and scraggly feathers

If you’ve been giving them heat this whole time, don’t take it away. The shock to the cold weather will not be good... BUT if you haven’t, I don’t suggest it. Your chickens have spent all fall and winter acclimating. They will be just fine. I’d personally suggest trying them on no supplemental heat next year, I bet they’ll do fine!

As long as your coop is ventilated, but the roosting area isn’t drafty, they’ll be okay. Animals are pretty smart. Check them tonight well after dark, but animals can definitely sense pressure changes or a storm or cold weather moving in, and will seek additional shelter. If you have chickens who sometimes roost outside overnight, they may move into the coop in their own.

 

[Stephanie8806]

Excellent advice! You can do a lot with chickens once they have settled for the night, as they don't see well in the dark. How is it going? You say their coop is 5x5'. How many chickens are you trying to fit into that space?

Her original post said 6 leghorns and 1 BCM, so I think 7?

I agree, although it looks sturdy, the coop may be a bit small for 7 chickens. Perhaps they don’t like roosting in such tight quarters? A lot of pecking order bullying can happen on the roosts at night, when jostling for the “best” spot

 

[Stephanie8806]

Sorry to post three times in a row, but in an earlier post you said there’s nesting boxes and “area on the lower level for them to get comfortable”... does your coop not have roosting bars inside? If not, that could be a big problem. Chickens don’t sleep on the ground or in nests... they perch on a roost. The fat side of a 2x4 is perfect. It doesn’t have to be very high, but it’s necessary for how they sleep. If they don’t have roosts in the coop, it would be a big problem for them to be forced in there at night.

 

[LJ33]

I live in a cold climate, and we get well below freezing at night, and most times during the day in the winter. I have one white leghorn in my flock, and she has a giant floppy comb, and she’s doing great. Two of my pullets, a barred rock and an EE(now 10 months old) molted this winter, and they even did fine in below freezing temps, with nearly naked necks and scraggly feathers

In Wisconsin, we are getting an arctic freeze this week/end. Going to be negative teens thru Tuesday (its almost 0 now). Pondering of locking my girls in their coop for a few days instead of letting them out in the run.

When I lived in Washington, I had a huge old barn my chickens were in, so it was not an issue to leave them locked up during winter. Now, I have a 6X4X5 coop w 6 chickens. thoughts?

 

[Stephanie8806]

In Wisconsin, we are getting an arctic freeze this week/end. Going to be negative teens thru Tuesday (its almost 0 now). Pondering of locking my girls in their coop for a few days instead of letting them out in the run.

When I lived in Washington, I had a huge old barn my chickens were in, so it was not an issue to leave them locked up during winter. Now, I have a 6X4X5 coop w 6 chickens. thoughts?

I don’t know. Personally, I think 6x4 is a little tight for 6 chickens for being constantly closed in(even though it adheres to the 4 square feet per chicken minimum) Is your coop well ventilated, but not drafty? As long as they get a little bit of a weather break inside the coop, they should be fine in there. And there’s no harm in opening the coop door in the mornings, to give them the option. You may be surprised to see that they’ll decide to venture out! If it’s too cold, they’ll just stay inside.

 

[LJ33]

I don’t know. Personally, I think 6x4 is a little tight for 6 chickens for being constantly closed in(even though it adheres to the 4 square feet per chicken minimum) Is your coop well ventilated, but not drafty? As long as they get a little bit of a weather break inside the coop, they should be fine in there. And there’s no harm in opening the coop door in the mornings, to give them the option. You may be surprised to see that they’ll decide to venture out! If it’s too cold, they’ll just stay inside.

yeah that is what I was thinking. Its fine for them over night, but not a fan of 24/7 lockdown. it is well ventilated (more than what you can see in this pic) and they have space under the coop, plus a covered porch. we have so much snow, Im running out of room to put it. nothing has melted and it keeps coming. in the last 4 years, this is by far the most snow we have had accumulate at once. Normally we get enough of a break between storms that it melts some.

 

[Stephanie8806]

It looks like we have almost as much as you! Not sure what part of Washington you lived in, I’m high up in the mountains outside the Wenatchee Valley... so we have about 3 feet in most open areas! But I’ve dug a good path out to some big pine trees where the ground stayed pretty protected. Our coop is 8x10 and I’m constantly kicking myself for not making it bigger

I think your setup will be fine! Especially if they’ve been doing well so far and their combs and wattles look healthy!