Opinions of cold climate chicken keepers needed

[WNYgardener]

I'm reposting from the Ohio thread, I want to get everyone's opinions. We're supposed to have -25 or more runs chill tonight. my birds have been hardened against the cold, and they have been fine so far in the cold temperatures. I don't have a heat source in the coop, and won't put one in there. I'm struggling with adding more bedding and keeping them in their coop, versus trying to bring them in the garage and stress them as well. Will they be actually warmer in their smaller coop with extra bedding, or do I put them into the garage with a heater? I feel like they have a better chance of staying warm if they're in a smaller space versus the garage. I have no way of bringing the whole coop inside. Half of the run is wrapped in a tarp, and the coop is pretty sturdy although not insulated. They are good about going inside when it's very cold, so I'm not worried about that. I always leave the chicken door open for a little bit of extra ventilation, and they like to come and go. I'm just afraid that bringing them into the garage might be more stressful and not actually better for them.

For tonight they should be ok. Tomorrow night is going to be colder. If you cannot add any heat source, the best option would be to minimize the draft inside the coop. If you can wrap something like tarp around the coup it will help reduce the speed of the cold air rushing in. With that I would say birds will be ok up to 0 F (inside the coop temp). Mine have survived that temp this year in two previous occasions. But they are going to have some heat tomorrow. I must also admit I am guilty of feeding them eggs on super cold days.

 

[belindaschicks]

@No More Empty Nest I just noticed you're in SE Wisconsin. So am I! What town/city are you in? You can PM me if you wish.

In SE wisconsin too. Wishing all our chickens a good night

 

[OhZark Biddies]

Yo, I'm back with a nighttime thermal photo....

This is so interesting! I’ve seen a lot of “pseudoscientific navel gazing” about all sorts of things concerning chickens, which can be fun too, but this is like real science and stuff...pretty cool. Thanks for sharing!

 

[centrarchid]

Yo, I'm back with a nighttime thermal photo. This shows how hot they make the wooden roosting bar they sit on. Interesting seeing the difference between the chickens with the combs and wattles, and the fluffy insulating face on the ameraucana! (excuse the husband's spelling of the bird. He did not know. )

This shows the heat dumping through feet that to me is an issue when birds are standing on cold and highly heat conductive surfaces.

 

[No More Empty Nest]

Here we go everyone. -13 actual temp right now. Not concerned about wind chill because they're not in the wind. Supposed to get to -20 tonight. Good luck to all.

Do you know what variety you have? Yellow groove and bisettii might make it (as well as some others). If you still have a chance, mulch heavily. That will help a lot. Also, if there is thick snow cover that will probably save it due to insulation factor of snow.

I'm not sure off hand. It's a clumping variety. And they are under a lot of snow, so that's good.

I live in SE WI as well. Near Lake Geneva

I'm in Milwaukee

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! My daughter had to bring one of her chickens into the air conditioning last summer when it was in the 90s. She got very lethargic but perked up after she cooled down.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Here we go everyone. -13 actual temp right now. Not concerned about wind chill because they're not in the wind. Supposed to get to -20 tonight. Good luck to all.

I'm not sure off hand. It's a clumping variety. And they are under a lot of snow, so that's good.

I'm in Milwaukee


Thanks! My daughter had to bring one of her chickens into the air conditioning last summer when it was in the 90s. She got very lethargic but perked up after she cooled down.

We get 90F to 100F temps in the summer here. I give my birds watermelon and ice water and they manage. These are my big RIR's. Their run is shaded they do some panting but never noticed any lethargy. But right now we just got about 4 inches of fluffy snow and the temps are supposed to drop to 0F overnight. Not nearly as bad as in the mid-west. The last time we were in the deep freeze of sub-zero, my chickens were all fine. Best wishes to all of you in the deep freeze now.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

Well I can't bring the birds inside so

I can’t bring mine inside either, unless I let them wander and crap all over my garage. It’s time like these I wish I had a barn haha

 

[Cyprus]

I can’t bring mine inside either, unless I let them wander and crap all over my garage. It’s time like these I wish I had a barn haha

I have a barn. But it has no electricity.

 

[Cyprus]

We're sitting at -48F right now

 

[Chickenaddition]

We're sitting at -48F right now

Holy cow!!!