One of my hens is molting and it's going to get really cold tomorrow (it's 13 right now), low tomorrow is 4. I'm not worried about my full feathered wynadottes, they seem entirely unaffected by the cold, but my easter egger is down a bunch of feathers and the wynadottes begrudgingly let her cuddle with them. I could put up the heat lamp from when they were in the brooder, but I don't want them to lose their cold tolerance. I'm tempted to make my easter egger a fleece sweater, but I don't want the others picking on her anymore than they already do, and I'm not sure if it really would make a huge difference?
She's already regrown her head and neck feathers probably to 80%, but she's working on the shoulders and body fluff. I'd say she currently has about 60% of her body feathers. (she looks so skinny in comparison!)
I could bring her in for the night in a cat carrier as well, but would that also make her not acclimated, and get picked on more?
The coop is this style : http://www.thegardencoop.com/ (the big one)
with no insulation panels, but it's pretty snug in there. I ran out to get eggs the other night when it was 20, and they weren't frozen yet. (and had probably been laid that morning) The bottom is all wrapped in plastic. Their water is heated (hopefully it can cope with this cold snap as well!, this is its first test of real cold)
She's already regrown her head and neck feathers probably to 80%, but she's working on the shoulders and body fluff. I'd say she currently has about 60% of her body feathers. (she looks so skinny in comparison!)
I could bring her in for the night in a cat carrier as well, but would that also make her not acclimated, and get picked on more?
The coop is this style : http://www.thegardencoop.com/ (the big one)
with no insulation panels, but it's pretty snug in there. I ran out to get eggs the other night when it was 20, and they weren't frozen yet. (and had probably been laid that morning) The bottom is all wrapped in plastic. Their water is heated (hopefully it can cope with this cold snap as well!, this is its first test of real cold)