Molting chickens + -30 windchills…

[GAchickiemama]

How big is the coop?
Heat lamps are very dangerous but even more dangerous in small coops where the chickens can or are more likely to bump into them.

Wind chill and standing air temp are quite different things.
As long as they can be out of the strong winds they should be able to weather cold air temps even while molting.

If they are indeed less than a year old they aren't molting. Do you have a bully in the flock or a rooster?

Thank you for your reply. There’s no doubt they are molting. I was surprised at first when the first one went through it, but now all but one are molting in one way or another. Most are just losing some feathers, but three of them look pretty scraggly. And new feathers have grown in on the others. No marks or pecking behaviors that I have noticed, no bullying. I had read they shouldn’t molt their first year but they are and I have 4 different breeds.

 

[GAchickiemama]

Welcome to BYC. Do you have any pictures of the inside of your coop? My chickens have always survived with temperatures near zero or below for the short time in winter that it gets that low here. They need some ventilation at the top of the coop to release humid air from breathing, but they need to have no direct wind blowing on them during such low temps. Do they roost? Are they wide roosts? Make sure they have plenty of dry bedding, and they need to have thawed water all day long. You can use electric heated dog water bowls or bring water out to them a couple of times a day. If you have a basement or warm garage, you can move them temporarily but make sure the temps are not too warm for them.

Here is a pic from when we were still building it. We use deep litter with hemp, there are two roosting bars as well. I’m going to go out now and make sure they have food for tomorrow but I’ll have to take water out in the morning bc the big waterer that’s heated won’t fit in the coop.

 

[Eggcessive]

I have a small coop with a similar layout. In winter cold, I have 2 opposite vents in the top of the coop (over your head in the picture.) I close the two windows. In the summer, all windows are open, and I have a wide 12 inch deep window opposite the two windows for plenty of summer ventilation. My pop door is open during the day, but if temps are near zero, I leave them inside.

 

[GAchickiemama]

Thanks for your help, everyone. I went ahead and put their big water and heated base in the coop with a bunch of food and treats they can wake up to tomorrow. Hopefully I won’t have to open the door at all. Good luck to everyone who’s facing the bitter cold!

 

[Cat Ballou]

Hand warmers are not a good idea loose or in paper bags. Chickens will make very short work of paper and I don't think hand warmers are edible.

Well, yeah, if you give them newspaper or thin sheets. I was going to use heavy kraft lunchsack-type bags and staple them shut but forgot to get them from work. I didn’t want to pay for a 50- or 100-pack at Walmart so I got heavy duty reusable sandwich bags that look like they are made of silicone and used them. I’d be surprised if my chickens are strong and smart enough to get through these things.

 

[NatJ]

I went ahead and put their big water and heated base in the coop with a bunch of food and treats they can wake up to tomorrow. Hopefully I won’t have to open the door at all.

Do you have a way to check the water without opening the door?

Personally, I would check at least once to make sure the heated waterer really is staying thawed, hasn't sprung a leak, etc. (I've been surprised several times by waterers that worked fine for months, and then one day they didn't.)