New member from Alaska

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Amy M-H

In the Brooder
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Jan 2, 2026
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Hi everyone! I started following BYC last Jan (2025) and got my chicks in April. It's been a growing year for me. I have 11 hens and a roo (by accident) but he's great for the flock. I live in Anchorage, where temps have been in the negatives since the second week of Dec, off and on. My girls and roo have frostbite on their combs so I quit letting them out in their run about a week ago and are their coop full time.
I have a radiant heater in the coop, heated water bowl (it's 2-6* outside) and it is 22* in the coop.
My concern is the humidity. It's 55% outside but 82% in the coop. When i open the windows I worry more about frostbite because their roosting bars are near one of their favorite windows. My lower two windows are cracked, not sure what to do.
Is the temp more important? Or low humidity in the coop more important?

Thanks for your help! And be kind...I'm new at this...first winter.
 
Hello Amy, and welcome to BYC! :frow Glad you joined.

You need to get the humidity down. Having an open water source in the coop is a recipe for frostbite. They should not be getting frostbite in 22° weather. They should not be getting frostbite in 0° weather. Chickens are well adapted to survive the cold weather provided they have enough ventilation to remove the moist air. It sounds like it's trapped in there with them. Between their own respirations and the water source you don't have nearly enough ventilation.
What breeds do you have? Do they have single combs?
 
Hiya Amy, and welcome to BYC! :frow

We're in Wisconsin and battle cold plus high humidity. Our first year, 10 years ago, I'm shocked our chickens didn't die from it as it was so humid in the coop the windows bled. We researched what to do and bought horse bedding pellets for the floor. Those absorb the poop and are a huge help to keep the humidity down, plus no odors. We also made a 5-gallon DIY nipple bucket, so no open water in the coop. Our coops are heated to 40°F. We put an exhaust fan in one of the windows and a vent in the human door.
Many days it's 80%+ humidity, so more ventilation was pointless; we needed to blow out, not in. Our coops stay mid 60%.

We're glad you're here!
 
Welcome to BYC, Amy. I'm sorry for your troubles. They would be better off with the windows open so the humidity won't be so high. You should give them access to the run. They will stay in if its uncomfortable.
 

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