my hens was so cold this morning

[ChickieBooBoo]

Are you sure your hens were too cold? Sometimes my hens will fluff up their feathers on the roost and appear to be in distress or sick when they are really just keeping themselves warm. Unless you have bantams or live in Northern Canada or Alaska, your birds will be fine without any heat.

 

[rancher hicks]

This is the front of the hoop coop and now the inside coop part is covered with colorful felt and the run front is covered with a clear plastic painters drop cloth. No heat and they seem ok with that. It was in the single digits night before last. If I fill the waterer with hot water in the morning , it's still drinkable by evening time. I think the plastic brings in the heat and it holds for the evening. Last night the temp inside was 20*. I will watch to see how it goes cuz Lord mercy it can get colder here. Good garden o' peas, if it's warmer out the run gets like a sauna, so I do have some ventilation holes in the drop cloth.

 

[JackE]

Quote:
Your chickens are SHOWING you that they don't need any added heat. They chose to spend their days OUTSIDE in the freezing cold. If they were chilly, wouldn't you think they would stay in all day huddled around their heated mat?
Jack

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

Quote:
Your chickens are SHOWING you that they don't need any added heat. They chose to spend their days OUTSIDE in the freezing cold. If they were chilly, wouldn't you think they would stay in all day huddled around their heated mat?
Jack

x2

 

[goldnchocolate]

I live in Massachusetts and I've always kept a heat lamp on for the girls, in the winter, but this year I am not. We've had a relatively warm winter so far but since reading about open front coops, I'm seeing "the light"

When you stop to think about it, the little tiny wild birds don't have heat lamps to keep them warm throughout the winter and yet they do alright. My chickens don't even mind walking around in the snow, as long as I shovel a path for them...lol...or make a path by flattening the snow with my boots--they just don't like fluffy snow and refuse to walk through it.

Quote:
I really like your hoop coop. Do you have pictures of the coop that is attached to it? Is it also a hoop coop?

 

[JodyJo]

Do not add heat....I live in Colorado and we have gotten to -29*...NO added heat, the chickens do fine!
they puff up to keep warm, to prevent heat loss. Put your hands under one of your hens...warm and toasty!
Remember they are covered in down. You will do more harm than good adding heat to your coop.

here are 2 of my girls outside in minus 0 weather...not bothered by it at all...they enjoy the cold MUCH more
than heat...they can not cool off in the summer, but do this to keep warm in the winter.

 

[gritsar]

Add heat and have a power failure and your hens will be ill-equipped to handle the cold. Best to let them acclimate to your climate, IMO.

 

[moetrout]

Quote:
This is spot on! I am wondering how can you tell your chickens are cold? What are the signs of a cold chicken? This is my third winter, no heat and no insulation in the coup. Mine are out most everyday. The only thing they don't like is walkin through the snow. It could be 20 below and if there is no snow they will be out all day long foraging.

 

[mandelyn]

The only upset birds I have this winter are the ducks standing on their frozen pool wondering where the heck the water went.

First winter I haven't added heat, and they're just fine. All I did was put plastic over some of the windows to keep the wind out and reduce drafts. No light either, and I'm getting 5 eggs a day from 6 chickens on a typical day. I used to always heat them with a light... turns out, I don't have to for eggs or warmth.

If you heat them too much, they'll spend more time indoors trying to stay warm if they were heated enough to not grow their warmer feathers. Like a house dog tossed out in January.. they'll get cold if they're not allowed to naturally grow their own protection.

Unless they're not of a breed that is cold hardy... some types are more suitable to warmer weather.

 

[krcote]

Quote:
This is a very strange claim. There is no "cut-off". Chickens often experience below zero degrees F temps with no heat added, including my own.