Opinions of cold climate chicken keepers needed

[GldnValleyHens]

My current air temperature is -25, and wind chill is bringing it down into the -40s!! I am freaking out, because I am stuck down in Costa Rica on vacation, and can’t be there to help my birds. I’m preparing for the worst, but hoping they survive. There are people coming to care for all my animals, but they don’t do anything but give them water and feed.
I’m especially worried about my Silkie, my Polish hen, and my bantams. They have a heat lamp in their coop with the ramp open.
I told my care taker to lock up the ducks at night, hopefully they survive this as well.

 

[Cyprus]

Wow that's amazing they can survive -33F. This is my first winter with my chickens and I am so worry for Tomorrow . I live in Indiana and the wind chills is expected 45 Below Zero. I have my 2 Orph and 3 larps in a 8X12 shed with plenty bedding as I am doing the Deep litter method and they also have a heating lamp with a controller thermostat. Would they make it? Does anyone has any advice?

thanks

They will be more than fine.
We are getting down to -50F tonight. Still not giving extra heat.

Thing is, animals such as birds don't even feel cold until about 0F (+/-) Their cold receptors are much more resilient than ours.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

They will be more than fine.
We are getting down to -50F tonight. Still not giving extra heat.

Thing is, animals such as birds don't even feel cold until about 0F (+/-) Their cold receptors are much more resilient than ours.

-50, oh my gosh. If it gets that cold at my place in Illinois, ( which it very well might) God help us. Forget cold chickens and ducks, the flipping pipes are going to burst!
The thing with that severe severe cold, you can’t breathe. Your nose freezes inside. Any part of the body that is remotely moist or exposed will freeze solid in a matter of minutes.

 

[Pollitos6]

They will be more than fine.
We are getting down to -50F tonight. Still not giving extra heat.

Thing is, animals such as birds don't even feel cold until about 0F (+/-) Their cold receptors are much more resilient than ours.

I feel better. Thank you

 

[Cyprus]

-50, oh my gosh. If it gets that cold at my place in Illinois, ( which it very well might) God help us. Forget cold chickens and ducks, the flipping pipes are going to burst!
The thing with that severe severe cold, you can’t breathe. Your nose freezes inside. Any part of the body that is remotely moist or exposed will freeze solid in a matter of minutes.

Well I can't bring the birds inside so

 

[WindingRoad]

-50, oh my gosh. If it gets that cold at my place in Illinois, ( which it very well might) God help us. Forget cold chickens and ducks, the flipping pipes are going to burst!
The thing with that severe severe cold, you can’t breathe. Your nose freezes inside. Any part of the body that is remotely moist or exposed will freeze solid in a matter of minutes.

I leave my under sink doors open and run your water at just a trickle and nothing will freeze. Chickens body temp averages around 106F ours a mere 98.6F. If your coop is ventilated they will be fine.

 

[Chickenaddition]

To all you northern chicken keepers I am just sending you my hopes that everyone stays safe and that your chickens do well during these rough winter days and nights. I am but a weak southern warm lover... so I have no advice but to stay warm and survive.

 

[path.otto]

To all you northern chicken keepers I am just sending you my hopes that everyone stays safe and that your chickens do well during these rough winter days and nights. I am but a weak southern warm lover... so I have no advice but to stay warm and survive.

Thanks! You may have bigger issues than we do with hot weather though - not so weak!

 

[RustyBucketFarmGirl]

Please post some pics. What kind of bedding are you using?? And where in Ohio are you located?

NE Ohio. Don’t have a ton of coop pics . The one is a pic of the inside when we first moved them out. The best boxes are now in that spot on a raised platform.

We use pine shavings.

 

[lrach73]

The cold blast is here! I'm in Kansas, so we are not expected to be as good as those of you further north. Our low will be -4 (actual air temperature). We do put some supplemental heat in the coop. Currently, it is 12F outside, the coop is 21F. It stays right around 8/9 degrees above the air temperature, so I'm guessing it will get down into single digits before the night is over. I've coated combs in petroleum jelly, no drafts and if they really need to, they can move closer to the heat source (though not right against it). Fingers crossed!