new here :) hi and winter questions??

[chickenlady73]

hi everyone,
new chicken mom here, I've had 3 Rhode Island reds for about 6 months now, starting small.. I've been warned that my addiction will grow.. i had read SO much conflicting info about what is best going into winter that I am TOTALLY confused! I am in Chicago, hoping to hear from somewhere near me, with similar weather, thoughts on freezing water, to heat or not to heat? what type of bedding do you use in your coops? do you give them access to the run everyday in the cold temps? down to what temp?? HELP?? obviously this is my first winter.. I'm a mess.... go easy on me

 

[N F C]

Don't worry, you'll do fine! Here's a link to take you to your state thread so you can talk to 'local' members:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/37/illinois

Thanks for joining us!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[trailrider330]

hi everyone,
new chicken mom here, I've had 3 Rhode Island reds for about 6 months now, starting small.. I've been warned that my addiction will grow.. i had read SO much conflicting info about what is best going into winter that I am TOTALLY confused! I am in Chicago, hoping to hear from somewhere near me, with similar weather, I am along Lake Michigan about 3 hours northeast of you.

to heat or not to heat? Chickens are actually quite cold hardy, especially if you have breeds that are made to be cold hardy. In addition, chickens also tolerate excessive cold much better than they do excessive heat. Plus, if you heat a coop, it generally means you have to block all vents to keep the heat in. Ventilation is very important so for that reason alone, I would never heat a coop. You may want to read up on winter ventilation to help you decide for yourself.

do you give them access to the run everyday in the cold temps? My chickens free-range so I open up the door every day for them. It is up to them if they go out or not. If they do not go out, at least their coop is big enough that they each have about 10 square feet of space. Most of our weather comes from the west and their coop door is on the east so the coop tends to block the worst of the weather for them

down to what temp?? HELP?? obviously this is my first winter.. I'm a mess.... go easy on me

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[drumstick diva]

Trailrider gave you very good advice. You have to remember chickens are wearing down jackets. A flock of them in a coop give off a lot of heat, which is why you need adequate ventilation near the top of your ceiling. It's also good to use 2 x 4's as roosting posts. Have the 4" side up. Chickens are not gripping birds like robins or sparrows. They prefer to have their feet spread flat on a roost and lay down over them to keep them warm. Some people like to nail towels to the roost posts, to help keep their feet warm.

You will have to provide fresh drinking water - which means either a heated water bowl, or frequent trips to break the ice for them. Otherwise they can do well on their own.

You may also want to join the Illinois thread and get advice from folks who have gotten their chickens through winter many times before. Welcome to Backyard chickens.