Please calm me down, my northern friends

[maine chicks]

1. Draft free
2. Fresh water-even if you have to change it a couple times a day
3. plenty of food and extra scratch/corn

They should be fine-they are wearing down coats right? You can really make their day-bring them some warm cooked oatmeal in the morning. I make a little extra and take some out to the birds.

 

[kmoranjr1]

I think sometimes people get a little paranoid about the cold. Think about all the wild turkeys outside, they would love a nice draft free space , pine shavings, food and water at their disposal. Just yesterday I saw a bunch of geese and ducks sleeping out in the open on a frozen pond. They didnt seem to mind at all. We need to realize that our chickens are a lot tougher that most people give them credit for

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

Quote:
Yes, but these are little southern chickens. We aren't used to such things.

 

[WisconsinGardenChick]

Quote:
Mine are northern chickens, and I've tried to raise them to be hardy Wisconsin girls. But I'm still worried sick about them. It's my first winter with chickens. If I let those birdies freeze to death, I'd never forgive myself.

I'm grateful for your thread - I need all the reassurance I can get.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
Reading through this thread, it sounds like some of you make the decision for the chickens. I've been letting mine decide for themselves, but it's HARD. Today the high is 6F. It was 20F in their coop, but do you think those bird brains would go in there??? After we hauled out hot water bottles to keep it that warm? Nooooo....

I asked about this a few weeks ago, and someone said maybe the ammonia build-up in my coop was deterring them; but that can't be the case. I remove all the droppings from the tray under their perch and spot clean daily. I have the cleanest coop I've ever seen!

It has windows and lots of light too, so why do they stay out?

And, biggest question to all of you, Should I make them stay in when I think it's too cold out?

Many thanks for any responses. My first winter with chickens and I can't seem to stop worrying...

No need to make them.
The only times we do make ours stay in, is when its way below zero. As in under 10 below.
Mainly because we do have issues at those temps.

 

[DAS]

It was -17F in Superior, WI this morning. We are now sitting at 1F. The pop doors on my coops are always open. If the chickens want to come out then they will. We never totally lock them up. Everyone is doing fine.

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I do worry about them when it gets too cold as some hens that were left for us in a previous house happened to be missing some of their toes. I was told that it was due to an open pop door in the winter and a very small coop for 4 hens. They spent a lot of time outdoors and that resulted in loss of toes.

 

[CoopCrazy]

I went to work at 6:30 this am It was 3 degrees out windchill-3 and my girls were all out scratching away.. I think they are pretty hardy lil ones...

 

[Slywoody]

It was -33 F here yesterday morning and my buffs and 1 lone Serama ( Tiny Dancer) are doing fine out there. The girls are still laying strong. I have no heat out there either. I use straw on the floor and the coop is insulated and i have excellent ventilation.
I'm beginning to think it's a misnomer to think that seramas can't handle the cold. If Tiny Dancer makes it thru this winter, all my other Seramas, which i have in the house now, will be outside next winter. He's been outside since July and i think that's the key. Just let them slowly get acclimated to the cold. I wouldn't take a bird out of the house at this point and leave it out in the cold tho.

 

[feathersnuggles]

Quote:
I'd be worried about a "too small" coop in winter creating too much moisture when the hens are inside. Combine inside moist air with outdoor freezing temps and you have a recipe for frostbite. Ouch.