Minnesota!

[Chickenchick11]

After all my endless discussions online and fretting, we have succumbed to the heat lamp.  I have only used it a couple of times but will use in on Sunday night.  The roof of my coop is open, but there have been times that no matter how open the hen house is - the humidity is in the 70-80% and frostbite is inevitable . . . so far - very minor - just unsightly.   Humidity should be low, so that will nip frostbite - but since my coop is open, we will plug that heat lamp in (after a close inspection for dust and security).  Even with the lamp on, most of the hen house hovers around 10 degrees when it gets that cold.  But in the end, I sleep better at night.  It's not so drastically warm that they'll be shocked should the power go out. . . I hope.   They also have an open door, so I'm hoping that if - in the event of a fire - they will know to head out the door to safety.  :cd -(fire!)

One of my RIR hens got frostbite awhile ago and now one of my White Rock hens has it. I have plenty of vents in the coop but I still run into frostbite issues, especially when it's -28 outside. Even when I put Vaseline or Corona on their combs and have two heat lamps running.

 

[PoultryBird12]

One of my RIR hens got frostbite awhile ago and now one of my White Rock hens has it.

I have plenty of vents in the coop but I still run into frostbite issues, especially when it's -28 outside. Even when I put Vaseline or Corona on their combs and have two heat lamps running.

I've been afraid that my ducks and chickens will get frostbite... D: We don't have any heat lamps in our coop... but... my dad built this thing that is supposed to keep their water thawed out.. but I never put the water on it.. and just today I saw one of my ducks standing on it keeping her feet warm!! I still hope they don't get frostbite.

 

[duluthralphie]

Hope the New Year brings all good things to my fellow chicken keepers. I have learned to keep only breeds that are not impacted by the cold winter temps that we are subject to. Thus no need for heat lamps or heaters.

I am with you. I do not use any artificial heat at all, They can just snuggle a bit more. I prefer the cold to days like today, I just locked up my coops and even with new chips and all my vents they "feel" moist when I walk in.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

All breeds are "impacted" by temps that cold, unless you have penguins. I don't supplement heat for my LF chickens, but extreme cold is hard on them.

 

[duluthralphie]

All breeds are "impacted" by temps that cold, unless you have penguins. I don't supplement heat for my LF chickens, but extreme cold is hard on them.

You would need to define impacted for me to buy into this. Sure they will eat more and snuggle tighter, but they will not end up with the sickness that moist warmer air brings.

I would prefer they have 70 degrees and 40% humidity, but that ain't happening here in Minnesota very often. The biggest impact the extreme cold has is on me, I have to gather eggs more often so they do not freeze.

 

[lalaland]

Hi Ralphie,

I agree really cold is hard on them, just because I see them hardly moving, and paler than normal. Really cold being 20 or 30 below zero. Egg production drops....but they survive just fine. And blessed are the days when it is sunny even with the cold, because they can warm a bit in the sun. I see them follow the sun through the sunporch I made for them, crowding up where the sun is.

I'm glad the forecasted temps are not quite as bad as they predicted a few days ago!

 

[duluthralphie]

Hi Ralphie,

I agree really cold is hard on them, just because I see them hardly moving, and paler than normal. Really cold being 20 or 30 below zero. Egg production drops....but they survive just fine. And blessed are the days when it is sunny even with the cold, because they can warm a bit in the sun. I see them follow the sun through the sunporch I made for them, crowding up where the sun is.

I'm glad the forecasted temps are not quite as bad as they predicted a few days ago!

I am glad it is not going to be as bad as they forecast! 15 below is so much better 25 below.

My chickens seem to move everyday. The difference I see is on the colder days they do not use the covered run, but wait by the door for me to open it.

I think you need a turkey for a pet......I just happen to have a young tom (or 2) I want to part with,,,(HINT HINT)....

I am getting tired of the young teenage tom games, and having to watch my backside whenever I am around them. I wish I had another covered run to lock them away from the hens.

I got ready for the cold by getting cracked corn yesterday, I have 50 bushel now. I just need to get more laying mash and I am set until July!

How have your chickens been doing? Noticing any less problems?

 

[Bogtown Chick]

I too am glad to see that forecast come up in temps. One day or so subzero like that doesn't really do serious harm to a well adapted chicken. But when it's a week or more, I believe it does stress and tax them a bit. And if I have means to provide my 9 birds in an uninsulated coop a safe bit of relief from extremely cruel cold weather then I see no harm. I never want it above 32 in my coop unless Mother Nature decides it. I like the poo frozen shall we say. Not putting out moisture. I guess that's how I "chicken." I respect other proven methods without heat as well because I know bird numbers and coop designs vary and make for different conditions than what possibly I have for my own flock.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I am glad it is not going to be as bad as they forecast! 15 below is so much better 25 below.

My chickens seem to move everyday. The difference I see is on the colder days they do not use the covered run, but wait by the door for me to open it.

I think you need a turkey for a pet......I just happen to have a young tom (or 2) I want to part with,,,(HINT HINT)....

I am getting tired of the young teenage tom games, and having to watch my backside whenever I am around them. I wish I had another covered run to lock them away from the hens.

I got ready for the cold by getting cracked corn yesterday, I have 50 bushel now. I just need to get more laying mash and I am set until July!

How have your chickens been doing? Noticing any less problems?

Ralphie, you aren't serious about having your feed already for the next 6 months?? Keeping mixed/crumbled/pelletized feed for more than a month invites molds and it starts loosing its nutritional value. I don't feed anything older than a month except maybe the cracked corn that I get from the elevator that I know isn't that fresh since it is harvested in the fall.

 

[duluthralphie]

I have my scratch feed for the next few months. I store it in sealed 55 gallon drums. I free will feed layer mash also.

I am not going to worry about feed value loss. Grains are harvested once a year, They have to be stored somewhere, I believe just because you buy it this month and feed it within 30 days does not make it less than 30 days old.

My birds are out digging in the yard today for whatever they are finding I bet it is over a month old. The cracked corn I got is good and dry. There is no way for moisture to get into the drums stored inside my shed.



I know I am old time, when I grew up on this farm my folks and grand parents raised all their livestock feed and stored it for a year until next harvest. Then we just stored it in grain bins, now the bins are all gone and I am forced to use barrels. Our animals always did well on our once a year harvests. Even the layer mash I buy is made out of grains harvested once a year. The additional minerals and vitamins might absorb or attract a little moisture, but I have not noticed that yet either.

I take my mash out of the bags as soon as I get home from the feed store and put it in my barrels, to keep mice and moisture out, along with a nosey chicken that sneaks into the shed.



OOPS I forgot the table scraps I feed my birds is fresh daily from our left overs.





I am not disagreeing there is a food value loss, I am saying I will live with it. I also found this study showing the nutritional loss at differing temps, It is interesting, If stored below 10C (50f) there is little or no loss. When we hit 50 degrees my birds will get fresh plants and bugs.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814605000300