NY chicken lover!!!!

[dcba flock]

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 ? 


We have 6 hens, all about 7 months old: 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Barred Plymouth Rock, & 1 Black Australorp. I've done a significant amount of research, and they all seem to be fairly cold hardy, and have done fine so far (lowest overnight temp we have seen was 17F). By "done fine", I mean they are still spending all of their time outside, scratching around the run, don't huddle together or seem to shiver or anything, etc. 

Their sleeping area in their coop/run combo is 5 ft x 3ft, raised off the ground, and has about a 3-4" layer of pine shavings. It's made of wood, and I think I've done the best I can of eliminating drafts without wiping out ventilation. Surrounding the coop, I also have a carport-type structure with tarp-like panels I can lower to block additional wind on 3 of the 4 sides; this also keeps the coop itself and part of their run dry. While the coop obviously has it's own roof, I wanted to preserve it's life as much as possible, so don't want to test its waterproof-ness too much. All in all, they have about 200 sq. ft. of run space that's kept dry, and another 300 that's covered only with aviary netting and they are allowed in only during the day. 

I have a heated waterer to keep them in liquid water all day. Here's my question: everything I have read says that the fire risk and risk of power outage should outweigh my desire to supplement with any heat ... and I am probably 90% of the way there feeling comfortable with this .. but I'd like to hear from some other upstate NYers as well: what are your thoughts ? Should they be fine down to 5 below ? How much lower have you gone with your flocks without suffering any ill effects ? 

Let me know if there's other info that would help, and thanks for your patience with my amateur questions. 

Yes they will be fine my last flock was in WI it gets far colder there as in weeks below freezing my mom still has some of my original birds that are now almost 5...

 

[boskelli1571]

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.

So - each chicken puts out the equivalent of a 10w light bulb and when they all huddle together they keep quite warm. I do not recommend a heat lamp or similar the amount of coop fires we read about is far too many.
As long as they are dry and out of drafts they will be fine.

 

[boskelli1571]

Here's an unhappy hen

Why are u bathing a hen Devona ????

 

[cutipatooti]

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 ? 


We have 6 hens, all about 7 months old: 2 Easter Eggers, 1 Silver Laced Wyandotte, 1 Buff Orpington, 1 Barred Plymouth Rock, & 1 Black Australorp. I've done a significant amount of research, and they all seem to be fairly cold hardy, and have done fine so far (lowest overnight temp we have seen was 17F). By "done fine", I mean they are still spending all of their time outside, scratching around the run, don't huddle together or seem to shiver or anything, etc. 

Their sleeping area in their coop/run combo is 5 ft x 3ft, raised off the ground, and has about a 3-4" layer of pine shavings. It's made of wood, and I think I've done the best I can of eliminating drafts without wiping out ventilation. Surrounding the coop, I also have a carport-type structure with tarp-like panels I can lower to block additional wind on 3 of the 4 sides; this also keeps the coop itself and part of their run dry. While the coop obviously has it's own roof, I wanted to preserve it's life as much as possible, so don't want to test its waterproof-ness too much. All in all, they have about 200 sq. ft. of run space that's kept dry, and another 300 that's covered only with aviary netting and they are allowed in only during the day. 

I have a heated waterer to keep them in liquid water all day. Here's my question: everything I have read says that the fire risk and risk of power outage should outweigh my desire to supplement with any heat ... and I am probably 90% of the way there feeling comfortable with this .. but I'd like to hear from some other upstate NYers as well: what are your thoughts ? Should they be fine down to 5 below ? How much lower have you gone with your flocks without suffering any ill effects ? 

Let me know if there's other info that would help, and thanks for your patience with my amateur questions. 

Sounds like a nice setup. You don't "need" any additional heating. Some people do use additional heating but it really isn't necessary and probably does more harm then good. I have had single chickens survive all winter in all weather and storms in trees, no coop with 3 feet of snow on the ground. I would make sure that they seem healthy going into winter. Check to make sure they aren't skinny or loosing weight as that would be a sign of illness and that could make them susceptible to the cold. I like to add a bit of protein to their feed in the winter since they use more energy keeping warm in winter. Some people feed a bit of cracked corn in the winter as digesting it produces some heat. At least that's what I've been told.

 

[cutipatooti]

Oh and just be aware that roosters can get frostbite on their waddles from water running down them when they drink.

 

[Beer can]

@E-I-E-I-Bro when we get 25-30 below windchill below zero actual temp I shut the pop door, all winter usually open. I've had leghorns, polish, silkies, all not known for cold hardiness and done fine in our weather with no supplemental heat ever.
Any frostbite they get will be the roosters tips of the combs and not a big deal, heals up unnoticeable.
Worst like cutipatooti said wattles from dipping them in the water in freezing temps, mine never had it but I've seen some awful pics.

 

[Devona]

No, chicken girl, just a regular, run of the mill red sexlink. I was bathing them in flea and tick shampoo because I saw the two red sex links had body mites and leg mites. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone by giving them that bath, and I bathed all seven chickens that day. I figured that they all probably have the mites to some degree, since they all roost together.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well!! I have a very odd predicament for a poultry owner. I have over 80 birds and not 1 egg to speak of. Those that are old enough to lay are fatherless and the ones who should start to lay have decided it's too cold. The rest are just too young. I didn't even realize I was low on eggs until I got an order for 3 dozen. Well they got theirs but now it looks like I'm making pancakes for breakfast not omelets. I guess that works though I somehow have way more pancake mix than I need.

There are many reasons hens don't lay. Winter is tough. I got one egg for all the girls. The shortage of daylight hours is one. Nutrition is another. Stress is another. Any change in the coop can upset chickens. Even a change as little as adding a feeder or newbie. Crowding is another. Fortunately I don't depend on egg sales so I'm good. My EE's laid one egg in the last few weeks. My marans haven't laid in quite a while. I discovered a hen had made a nest in the hay bales and was laying eggs there.

I noticed a new Del squat when he rooster came near. I will have to keep an eye on her. I added the marans to the coop so that might cause some change.

I've consolidated two coops so now I only have three.

 

[Chicken girl 15]

I've luckily never dealt with mites of any sort yet. I know my day is coming though. It's actually safe to use flea soap on birds? I figured dawn dish soap.

 

[Pyxis]

um I would use a heat lamp and if u could put some plastic sheeting over your coop

Do not do this. Heat lamps are dangerous and are the most common cause of a coop burning down. Also, if power is lost and the birds are plunged into sudden cold without having been able to acclimate to it, they WILL die.

I'm right on the VT/NY border, we are cold and snowy. I've had poultry for 8 years. I've never had to use heat for them and they've always done just fine. In fact, they handle cold better than they handle heat. Remember, they have a down jacket.

Plastic sheeting to keep drafts out is fine, but do not cover ventilation or you will cause frostbite.