Leghorns in below freezing temps

[LJ33]

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!

I was in Spokane about 14 years, but I also spent 7yrs outside Yakima just before Chinook pass (we got snow like you do) and teen age years in Tri Cities. Moved to Wisconsin 4 years ago for my job. In the SE part of the state we get insane cold, but not usually this much snow stacked up at once.

I put Vaseline on their combs. My barred Rocks and Sexlinks molted over the winter, so I also add electrolytes to their water and some extra protein. They are so spoiled lol

 

[Ughmargo]

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.

I think that may be my problem. When I was building my coop i didn't know much about keeping chickens. I was just beginning to learn and i still am learning but i realize now i shouldve put a roost in their coop. Once it gets a little closer towards spring i plan on building a new coop in a different location for them, because last summer i learned having shade for them is super important, and i am trying to think of ideas to include a roost inside. We made it through the freezing temperatures just fine i think though. All 6 of my girls sleep outside all night long while my roo sleeps inside perched in the coop doorway so ge can watch his girls while enjoying the heat lamp all to himself. My girls are so big and fluffy with feathera right now i think they are handling it well. I was just an over worried flock mama, but after the last few weeks i think they are okay, and obviously happy because i still get 6 eggs a day. I am having a hard time trying to figure out the interior of my coop for the rebuild though I am still searching the internet for ideas. Thank you for all of your advice i appreciate it and it has helped me learn alot! Thanks again.

 

[Stephanie8806]

I think that may be my problem. When I was building my coop i didn't know much about keeping chickens. I was just beginning to learn and i still am learning but i realize now i shouldve put a roost in their coop. Once it gets a little closer towards spring i plan on building a new coop in a different location for them, because last summer i learned having shade for them is super important, and i am trying to think of ideas to include a roost inside. We made it through the freezing temperatures just fine i think though. All 6 of my girls sleep outside all night long while my roo sleeps inside perched in the coop doorway so ge can watch his girls while enjoying the heat lamp all to himself. My girls are so big and fluffy with feathera right now i think they are handling it well. I was just an over worried flock mama, but after the last few weeks i think they are okay, and obviously happy because i still get 6 eggs a day. I am having a hard time trying to figure out the interior of my coop for the rebuild though I am still searching the internet for ideas. Thank you for all of your advice i appreciate it and it has helped me learn alot! Thanks again.

You’re welcome! I get not wanting to do too much if you’re planning a coop rebuild, but a roosting bar can actually be a really easy and cheap addition. Like, $10 cheap, less to none of you have a little scrap wood lying around. A roost bar doesn’t have to be very high, and as long as you put a 2x4 fat side up on some legs that is a couple inches above the bedding level, they should take to it!

On the other hand, if they’re happy roosting where they are and seem to be healthy and tolerating the colder weather well, then I’m sure they’re fine... I would think, though, that the longer they are made to roost outside, the harder it may be to get them to move into a coop. But again, as long as they have somewhere outside to roost that is protected from inclement weather, they’ll likely be fine!

Good luck on all fronts! Glad your leghorns did well in the cold spell!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

There is a section right here on BYC dedicated to coops and builds. Click the button at the top with the two little speech bubbles and it will take you to all the different topics here. Have fun!