Need Extreme Cold Weather Reassurance...and some Frostbite advice

[spiritpots]

...and here we go...
Currently -16F outside, and -3F inside the coop. Chickens are bedded down for the night. I hope to NOT find frozen chicken in the outdoor freezer in the morning.

Here they are snuggled up near each other.
View attachment 1657491

Your girls look just like my four... all snuggled together nicely! I live east of St. Paul and this is my first Minnesota winter with chickens so this extreme cold spell does have me concerned, too. I don't heat their coop but it has a lot of ventilation so is nice and dry. I've covered the north and west run walls with plastic to block the wind and even with the really strong winds we had today they all spent the entire day in the run pecking around like usual. I generally leave the pop door open at night but have been closing it the last few days. I'm not sure if I really need to but it makes me feel better to close it!

 

[Noreaster Egger]

I use this over my run and let it hang over the sides to deter ground predators even more than the fencing alone (easy to get tangled up in it). I haven’t had a bird of prey attack since I put it up 2 years ago. I’ve seen hawks fly relatively low over it before, but they just keep on going.

https://bestchoiceproducts.com/prod...MIpeWf7caU4AIVja_ICh3irg8KEAQYASABEgJIU_D_BwE

 

[vantain]

They survived the night! Yay!
The coop, surprisingly, bottomed out at -13F, whereas the outside temperature is currently -30F. The run is covered in plastic, so I opened the pop door to let them choose where to spend their day. Three are out in the -30 run, and one chose to stay inside.

I gave them warm mash inside, but their heated waterer is out in the run.

I’m a bit concerned about the one who stayed inside, because she doesn’t appear to be as active as the others, and did not spend as much time eating as the rest of them. Her breathing is also a bit laborered this morning. She’s normally one of the top birds.

 

[aart]

I’m a bit concerned about the one who stayed inside, because she doesn’t appear to be as active as the others, and did not spend as much time eating as the rest of them. Her breathing is also a bit laborered this morning. She’s normally one of the top birds.

If she won't go for treats...bring her in a bit warmer place for a couple hours and get some electrolytes in her.

 

[spiritpots]

My girls did great, too! When I peeked into the coop the temp was around -18 and all four were still perched and waking up. They went right out into the run like usual. I was even surprised to see that the electric waterer kept their water thawed! I can't count how many times I have said "Thank you!" out loud this morning! Tonight will be repeat of last night but then +40 on Saturday!

 

[vantain]

My girls did great, too! When I peeked into the coop the temp was around -18 and all four were still perched and waking up. They went right out into the run like usual. I was even surprised to see that the electric waterer kept their water thawed! I can't count how many times I have said "Thank you!" out loud this morning! Tonight will be repeat of last night but then +40 on Saturday!

Yes..my waterer was surprisingly still fluid as well. I love that thing.

 

[vantain]

If she won't go for treats...bring her in a bit warmer place for a couple hours and get some electrolytes in her.

I checked on her again , and offered up some meal worms. She gobbled those down like crazy, so I think her appetite is fine. I'm thinking she just prefers the slightly warmer coop, and is now sitting in the spot with the sun shining on it. I'm keeping an eye on her, and will probably offer her some scrambled eggs a little later this morning.

 

[dalasgalas]

Here are a few pictures of the coop. The window you are referring to is not in the run. In the first picture, it is the one in the porch area of the coop. I closed things down a bit in preparation for last night's snow storm.
View attachment 1655944 View attachment 1655948 View attachment 1655950

OMG that chicken shack is nicer than my house! Nice set up!

 

[aart]

I checked on her again , and offered up some meal worms. She gobbled those down like crazy, so I think her appetite is fine. I'm thinking she just prefers the slightly warmer coop, and is now sitting in the spot with the sun shining on it. I'm keeping an eye on her, and will probably offer her some scrambled eggs a little later this morning.

That's good, as long as they can move I leave them be....it's the ones that don't move all day that worry me.
You have sun?!(she said with longing)...it's a blizzard here for the 3rd day.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

My girls did great, too! When I peeked into the coop the temp was around -18 and all four were still perched and waking up. They went right out into the run like usual. I was even surprised to see that the electric waterer kept their water thawed! I can't count how many times I have said "Thank you!" out loud this morning! Tonight will be repeat of last night but then +40 on Saturday!

What kind of heated waterer are you using? Last year I bought 2 of the heated dog water bowls as they seemed the best fit for my chickens. I only use them when the temps are freezing or lower. I have one inside my coop and one in their run where it's protected from rain or snow.

* * * C A U T I O N * * *

When I recently unplugged the dish to clean it and noticed that the heating element had a burned a hole on the underside of the dish. I immediately checked the one inside the coop and the same thing happened, although the hole was a bit smaller. I thanked the gods for not having burned down my coop. The cords have been cut off both bowls and I now take warmish water out and fill them.

Note: I had noticed that on the coldest days thick ice was still forming in the bowl edges where previously it stayed fairly well thawed. This probably should have been a sign that it wasn't functioning normally.

Keep a close eye on any electrical appliance you use in a coop. I was very timid about getting anything after reading about coop fires here on BYC. I really thought these bowls were a safe way of keeping their water from freezing. Not so now!