Outdoor sleeping?

[MommyGirl]

Hey everyone! Do y’all think it’s ever too cold in Georgia for chickens to sleep outside in a covered run? Lowest temp in past 10 years was 11 degrees but average low is in the 20s.

 

[AidKD]

As long as they have protection from the wind they should be fine.

 

[MommyGirl]

As long as they have protection from the wind they should be fine.

Thank you!

 

[SamLockwood]

As long as they're dry and out of the wind they can take the cold way better than we do.

They're actually at more risk in heat waves than cold weather here.

 

[MommyGirl]

As long as they're dry and out of the wind they can take the cold way better than we do.

They're actually at more risk in hear waves than cold weather here.

Yes I agree I worry so much about them in the summer heat! Thanks for responding

 

[SamLockwood]

Yes I agree I worry so much about them in the summer heat! Thanks for responding

Water's the biggest thing, they cool off by panting and they go through crazy amounts of water when it's over 80 degrees. I think bright colors for the coop and nesting boxes are a must: I painted mine white with a white polycarbonate roof. With the vents wide open in the summer the interior doesn't get noticeably hotter than the outside.

 

[MommyGirl]

Thank you! I’ve learned different things to do to cool them and they love small trays of water to walk in. And I keep cutting more and more vent windows in the coop for ventilation for summer. Lol but in my kind of weather I probably really didn’t have to have a coop I could have done an open air coop but I like that the coop does blocks the wind or blowing rain! But the reason I asked about sleeping outside is because I have 6 new pullets that I introduced to the flock about 12 weeks ago and 4 of them still sleep outside the coop behind the coop in the run. It’s inclosed and covered with plastic to block any wind so really it shouldn’t be any different in temp than the coop so I guess they are fine

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Hey everyone! Do y’all think it’s ever too cold in Georgia for chickens to sleep outside in a covered run? Lowest temp in past 10 years was 11 degrees but average low is in the 20s.

I would always, always, always keep them in a chicken coop or shelter all the time. Even though they are in a covered run that doesn't mean that they are completely safe from predators though either. I would keep them in their chicken coop if at all possible.

 

[MommyGirl]

I would always, always, always keep them in a chicken coop or shelter all the time. Even though they are in a covered run that doesn't mean that they are completely safe from predators though either. I would keep them in their chicken coop if at all possible.

Well if something ever does get in my run it could get in my coop as well cause I have 4 pop doors that stay open all the time. I’m not saying that it can’t ever happen because it definitely could but hasn’t yet anyways. Thank God for that!

 

[NatJ]

I would always, always, always keep them in a chicken coop or shelter all the time.

When you say to keep them in "all the time," do you mean daytime too? Or just at night?

Even though they are in a covered run that doesn't mean that they are completely safe from predators though either. I would keep them in their chicken coop if at all possible.

If predators are the issue, it all comes down to whether the run is predator-proof. Some runs are, some runs are not.