Molting in dead of winter help!!

[Kriscam]

I have 4 of 6 moltings right now in the coldest temperatures we have seen in Michigan this winter! Of course, it's their first molt and they are getting frostbitten combs
I am working on making sure their coop isn't letting out moisture, completely unsure if I should shut the coop door. Small coop life ugh. They seem to be fine aside from the combs all of them are RIR hybreds. Got em from a feed store if that says anything for ya lol

Don't you want moisture to vent out of your coop? I read that excess moisture plus cold temperatures causes frostbite.

 

[Kriscam]

Since her chest feathers still look good... I think she is probably fine...

I've put K&H heating pads underneath the pine shavings on the floor of my small coop. It keeps the temperature about six degrees higher than in the run, and they can warm their feet. One of my hens loves to just lay on it in the mornings before she leaves the coop. It's an alternative to heat lamps which can pose a fire hazard.

 

[Mrs. K]

Any heat source can cause a fire. I would be leery of a heat source under wood chips!

 

[Alaskan]

Any heat source can cause a fire. I would be leery of a heat source under wood chips!

I agree that any heat source can cause a fire...... but I do think the heating pads, especially the ones made for pets, are pretty safe.

I have never had a broken bit on any of my heating pads... and I have never had a spot that made enough heat to be a fire risk.

I think with heating pads the biggest fire risk is if you bend them, and at the plugs.

I duct tape my plugs to keep dust from creeping in.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

All 3 of my chickens are molting. And I live in Wisconsin. They seem to be doing fine with snow and negative weather. And I have no extra heating.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I have one in molt. She looks a mess, feathers in every nook and cranny in run! I just make sure she gets her share of protein treats ( she's lowest in coop order)

 

[Ada06]

Don't you want moisture to vent out of your coop? I read that excess moisture plus cold temperatures causes frostbite.

Lol yeah...
I am hopeful that that was a mistype, not me being stupid

 

[Navahogirl]

I have 1 chicken molting currently, it’s the dead of winter. She is half bald and shivering. What do I do for her?! I don’t want her to suffer?

We have a mildly insulated and adequately ventilated coop. Our run is roofed and currently wrapped in plastic to keep out snow and some wind. They are normally free range except for really horrible weather days I keep them inside. We do not add lighting and we do not supplement heat.

We live in Wisconsin and we will not hit above 30 this week with lows in the negatives. This is my first year keeping chickens and I wasn’t expecting any molting. I had one molt in November (hatched in February) and one is molting now (hatched in April). The other 10 that were hatched in June are fully feathered and still laying.

I brought mine inside house & put in puppy pen- had this happen to a chicken last year & she literally froze to death

 

[CrystalAnon]

I brought mine inside house & put in puppy pen- had this happen to a chicken last year & she literally froze to death

How cold was it? My poor smaller breed chicken is going through a full molt… she was shivering at 41 degrees this morning! I’ve been strapping a hand warmer only under her roosting spot, to help her get some radiant heat. Going to be right around freezing at night for the next week. Then upper 40’s which won’t be bad, even if she still has a few bald spots. I really don't want to bring her in. She likes being warm, but does not enjoy being away from the flock & she’s already stressed from the molt.
She does just great in the summer, when my larger breeds are panting.