modern game birds and winter temps

[kayri]

I don't know if this post is in the right place

I have 2 black breasted modern game birds along with my 8 other fat and well feathered chickens. I'm not worried about the others in the cold weather, but this is my first winter in RI with the modern games. I think I remember reading conflicting threads, some people say that below 32 is too cold for the game birds others say it is fine. I know they are very hard feathered with not a lot of down. It was in the low 20's last night and barely made it above 30 today with a nasty 30 mph wind.. I noticed that when my game birds came out they almost instantly sat down on the ground, maybe to shield their long legs and feet? Just before dusk today I scooped one of them up to take her into the house to warm up. She was shivering when I first brought her in, couldn't tell if she was scared or cold, but after about 5 min, stopped shivering, was very curious, jumped off my lap and tired to run upstairs. I insulate my 2 small 4x3 and 4x5 coops are with that hard pink styrofoam, covered with tyvek.

I'd be grateful to hear from anyone who has modern games in the north.

Thanks Kay

 

[NYREDS]

Modeerns are a lot hardier than they appear. I've raised them here in upstate NY & they have done fine. I have friends in Northern NY, near the Canadian border, that raise moderns & they do fine there as well. I suspect we're colder than you are. Temps here in the winter often fall to <20 below zero.

 

[kayri]

Thanks, glad to hear it, they look so skinny compared to my other fat full-feathered breeds. Do you have supplemental heat for your birds? or do they do fine without? I have to admit that if it dropped to 20 below zero here, I'd take them all inside. DH hopes that doesn't happen. We usually dip into the single digits only for a few days of the year.

Kay