New chicken owner!

happychx

Hatching
5 Years
Jan 26, 2014
3
0
7
Central Minnesota
Glad to be part of the chicken community! I currently have 3 blue Cochins, 3 Rhode Island reds, 3 red star, 3 black star, 3 Plymouth Rock, 2 silver polish and 2 golden polish. It has been quite the winter season here in central mn. It will be -24 tomorrow! Wish me luck! Also, any tips for making my chickens more cozy during sub degree temps will be greatly appreciated!
 
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WELCOME TO BYC

IF ITS NOT TOO COLD THEY MIGHT SNUGGLE TO KEEP WARM
 
Thanks for the welcome! Yes, I sure hope they snuggle lots tonight. I currently have the 4 polish in a separate coop due to my suspicion that the other chickens were pecking on their furry heads. I'm still not sure why the polish lost most feathers on their heads . Maybe pecking? Maybe molting? Maybe frostbite?
 
Hi there,
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and welcome to BYC!

I like to tack an old towel to the roost bar so they can keep their feet warm. Warm feet mean warmer birds. And if it gets more than 25 degrees colder than their average over night lows, I will add some heat either with a red lamp or a panel heater. Just make SURE your lamps are permanently attached to the wall. Don't rely on the clamp incase it falls.

Great to have you aboard and enjoy BYC!
 
Hello :frow and Welcome To BYC! Hope your chickens stay warm, sounds like you have plenty for body heat. Ya, the polish probably were getting their crests plucked by the other birds, it is pretty common, even if the other birds don't normally feather pluck. If they all have it and don't seem to be molting otherwise, would vote on the other birds being the culprits. Do double check for lice/mites in the crests, sometimes they are hard to see. A lot of people with polish/silkies do trim the crests back, especially around the face in the winter so they stay dry when they drink, it can be a problem if the crests get wet and freeze.
 
Welcome to BYC!
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We're glad to have you. Most chickens handle cold weather quite well. Just make sure that their coop is draft free and that they have some deep bedding. Putting some petroleum jelly on the combs/wattles can also help prevent frostbite, but if your birds are hens, they may not need this done.
 
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Glad you joined us! As long as your coop is clean and draft free, your birds should be fine. Vaseline can be applied to large combs/wattles to help prevent frostbite, but most of your breeds don't usually have huge combs, and won't really need this. You can also feed them some grain/scratch before nightfall to provide them with energy to last the night.
 

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