Overwintering chickens in Cold Climates???

[girlsride2]

Can anyone give me advice on overwintering chickens? I live in Western Wisconsin and want to do it right without losing any of my beloved hens!

HELP!

 

[CUDA]

Check this article out about caring for your chickens over the winter months HERE . Good luck!

 

[ChickenSmitten]

Nice article, my DH still doesn't believe they don't need heat and I built the coop with styrofoam insulating panels sandwiched between two layers of plywood! I will forward the article to him.
I did stack straw bales around their covered outdoor area (North and West sides to block wind and snow.)

 

[CUDA]

You can see more on this, in the article I have in the upcoming backyard poultry magazine too.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Well, in the toolbar up above there is a search function. There have been a LOT of posts/threads lately about winterizing coops and just how cold is too cold?

Here's one...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=71542

Here's another.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=97134

Search in the topic heading for the words "cold" "winterizing" "insulation"...etc.

I can tell you that at this very moment my enitire flock is outside in the dark.... at 8:25am... and it is 6.1°F. (-14.4°C for you Canadians and Aussies).

Yes... 6.1°F... that is not a typo. I had 7 girls sleeping outside all night... their choice. I cannot say it enough... if you let them acclimate to the changing temps without supplementing heat, they are FINE. Your hardest task will be keeping the water from freezing.

 

[CityChook]

Tori - Thanks for the excellent links. I read both. It's obvious that we all just want what's best for our feathered friends (and, at least for me, our checkbooks too) and your words of encouragement are appreciated. With the MN temps dropping daily and the realization that many months of snow and bitter cold are right around the corner, it made me feel MUCH better to know that your birds are thriving even with the chill. Thank you.

 

[joebryant]

If/when I see dead, wild birds falling out of trees during the winter's worst weather, THEN I'll worry about my hens in my coops.

 

[LynneP]

I've written on my homepage, too, link below. Have a great winter with your chicks!