Live in a Very Cold Winter area? Post link to your personal page here!

[Catalina]

Ugh! Everything is frozen!!!

Their food was frozen. Their water was frozen.
I had to change everything out this morning AND I blew a breaker trying to add another heat lamp to the coop.
So they can either be kinda cold with the lamp they have already OR cold and in the dark! Ugh!

It's Noon, sunny and -15F. There isn't any wind either, so I don't know what I'll do with them tonight when the temp. drops and the wind picks up.

 

[LynneP]

Whew, most of us are getting hit with extreme cold! The western storm is over the Northeast now and is merging with an Atlantic low so we're bracing for over a foot of wet snow and freezing rain. Drainage checked, errands run, laundry done. Then Arctic blast. Had to remove an ice ridge, very difficult work with hubby to ensure drainage and access to our barn driveway. Big problem with be 3 days of aftermath, extreme cold. Concerned, but feeling confident with generator at standby.

About that waterer- I agree it must be malfunctioning, mine (Farm Innovators) has been at equally low temps and functioned well. Instructions mention keeping it indoors away from windy conditions though. I have mine in barn aisleway for the cats. I LOVE the dog bowls in the coop, easiest thing in the world if you can find one.

This is our starting point, bracing for all that stuff in winter storm #15.








Catalina, I hear you! I know you're working hard to get things under control. How are the birds?

 

[Catalina]

Quote:
LynneP- Good Luck with the storm! Just snuggle in - it sounds like you have everything ready.

My chickens seem to be happy. They wanted to go outside today, so I let them out for a while, but made them come back inside after an hour and a half.
I always thought they would know when to come inside, but Honey stayed outside too long one day in December and frostbit the tip of her comb, so now I watch them on the really cold days.

 

[CityChook]

I'm think'n of you, Catalina. Hang in there. I had to run an extension cord this a.m. to hook up a second heat light because I was afraid of blowing a fuse (coop is wired to the garage) and not being able to get my car out this morning... grrrr.

I have a winter care page in case anyone is looking for more information:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=8650-winter-chickens

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Hey....who forgot to pay the heat bill? Dang it's COLD!

 

[Catalina]

CityChook nice page!

 

[Reinbeau]

Yep, Thursday and Friday nights are both supposed to be below zero around here, with a wind that'll bring the windchill down to less than -20 below. Great stuff, huh?

 

[cicene mete]

I know, where I am in Western Massachusetts (you know, where the weather is mild just like it is Alabama), we are expecting -10°F with a windchill of -30°F. Our heated water isn't cutting it at all, and on top of that, my chickens sleep in an uninsulated barn. They have three heat lamps, but I'm still worried that it will be way too cold for them. Any suggestions?

PS, this weather sucks!

 

[patandchickens]

We got down to -33 C last night (unexpectedly -- forecast low was only -22)... that's, what, -27 F.

Too darn cold, that's for sure. Everybody's ok AFAIK, but still.

Supposed to be colder for the next 2 nights. Grrr.


Pat, having burned a typing finger pretty good in stupidly touching the brake rotor to see if it was *really* hot, even though it was steaming vigorously and smelling all burny. Dumb!

 

[vermontgal]

We are forecast for -15F on Thurs night. At most I'll use the 100W ceramic emitter. I'm now saving the 250 watt heat lamp for the -25 or -30 temps.

Cicene mete, three heat lamps are more than enough. When I put a 250w heat lamp in my coop, it was over 45 F inside when it was -12 outside. That was ridiculous (tropical) so I bought the smaller emitter. I wish Farm Innovators made a thermocube that was ON at 10 and OFF at 15.

Mid morning today it is 4F outside, but 35F in the coop, thanks to solar heating. Last night, it got to -3F, but was 15 in the coop.

My ideal overnight coop temperature is between 10F and 20F.

If you have a well constructed, draft-free and insulated coop, you should be find to outdoor temps of -10F, provided your coop is sized to fit your number of birds.

Pat, hope your finger feels better. My waterer is not freezing at the base, but the water further up in the waterer is freezing. I am just about to work on a solution like you describe with the upside-down bucket. I am actually thinking of insulating the inside of a flower pot to fit down over the waterer container. Thanks also for the warning that the forecasts might be warmer than actual!