NY chicken lover!!!!

[Devona]

So if you take the temp of the coop without chickens in it, it may be a bit warmer than your backyard, but remember that when the chickens are in it, it'll be a lot warmer with their body heat.

 

[Devona]

And if you put plastic sheeting over your coop, make sure you leave the ventilation spaces uncovered.

 

[horsekeeper]

HI all - New to raising chickens here, right outside of Albany, NY. With the weather forecast for Thursday night calling for temps about 5 below, I wanted to see if there was some local assurance that I'm correct in not worrying too much about how they will do. Basically: In Upstate NY, do I need supplemental heat ?

As long as you keep them dry and provide deep bedding and a good wide roost to keep them up off the floor they will be fine. Here is a picture of my hutch coop that has an open wire panel on the door. I had a small flock in there last winter and they were fine. They were about the same age as your flock.

 

[Devona]

Nice coop. Mine is much more rustic

That's the only thing I'm a bit worried about - their roost. The tree branch I'm using is only about three inches in diamater, I would've preferred an extra inch, because when they're sitting on it I can still see the tip of their longest toe sticking out from under their bellies. It won't be funny if they all end up missing a piece of the same toe due to frostbite.

 

[Devona]

 

[Devona]

Here's an unhappy hen

 

[Gramma Chick]

Hey guys, it's been awhile but I figured I would share a story as this morning was my first experience with a weasel.my dogs heard the ruckus at 3am of the chickens speaking and woke me up, I got up to find it had snowed a bit a could hear them going nuts out there. So standard procedure I grabbed the ol'.22 and went out to find a white weasel feasting on my amberlink hen who was my first hen to lay. And as quick as I could shot him 7 times, mourned for a bit and went off to bed. Apparently all summer I was lucky and now with this cold weather approaching the predators are looking for a new food source...

Wow ...Quick reaction ...Good Dogs to let you know

 

[E-I-E-I-Bro]

So if you take the temp of the coop without chickens in it, it may be a bit warmer than your backyard, but remember that when the chickens are in it, it'll be a lot warmer with their body heat.

Thanks - I was planning to leave the thermometer in there overnight, so I could gauge the temperature difference first thing in the morning and get a sense of exactly what you describe - how much warmer it is when they've been in there for awhile.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

oh my!! Is that a Mille??

 

[Chicken girl 15]

Thanks - I was planning to leave the thermometer in there overnight, so I could gauge the temperature difference first thing in the morning and get a sense of exactly what you describe - how much warmer it is when they've been in there for awhile.

Yes, ignore the saying "if your cold their cold" .. They are warm.. just keep them dry.