Please calm me down, my northern friends

[wxdude99]

This is a great thread. If you don't feel reassured that your chickens can handle the cold after reading all of these posts, you never will. The all time record low where I live here in Alabama is -3F, so after reading this I know that I have no worries. Thanks to all the northern posters for including specific temps/conditions.

 

[RocketDad]

Most of the coop-heating I've done this winter was to keep RocketMom from waking me up in the middle of the night freaking out, rather than for the chickens' benefit. I will say, though, that their egg production came back up with the heat.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

 

[daisy_dukers]

Well it was -40C here yesterday.....I have one 175W IR bulb going in the insulated 8x12 coop and 25 ISA browns in there....

No problems yet and it has been cold like this for weeks now....

No frozen combs so far, avging 1egg/hen/day.

Water has turned to slush 2 times so far but I was a dummy and had it against the wall. This has been rectified now.

I have a friend who has a similar setup, but no insulation and no heat source and her hens are all fine so far also and she thinks I spoil my chickens. The only diff is she has to haul fresh water every day as her water freezes every day.

I dont think we give the chicken enough credit.

 

[wxdude99]

Frozen combs? Wow. I haven't heard of that before. It must get really cold for that to happen.

 

[Barnrat]

We've been having temps in the low teens with wind chills well below 0. I have 6 hens (3 leghorns, 3 RIRs) in an uninsulated 4' x 8' coop that has about 8" of pine shavings on the floor. I have some straw bales around one outside corner where the wind hits the most. Oh, and they are molting.

I kept them in for a couple of days when the wind was howling, and I put their water in the coop, and they are doing fine. They are a lot hardier than I expected!

 

[CamsCluckinChicks]

This is such a wonderful thread!! I'm in Northern Indiana...windchill is below 0 F almost every night and has been for a couple of weeks. This is my 1st winter with chickens

and I was really concerned about heat. I have an 8x8 coop, walls only insulated and for 17 chickens I have 3 heat lamps in there (the water doesn't freeze). Then I have a 4x6' coop, not insulated, 5 chickens, 1 heat lamp & 1 heated waterer. Lastly, I have 5 Silkie chickens in my insulated garage...they have a heat lamp too. LOL! I've been reading all the posts, and I feel kinda silly for my worries about the chickens freezing.

However, I'm still most comfortable knowing they have some heat...especially the heated waterers. I also think the heat is why my chickens are laying so well. So, I'm going to keep the heat I currently have set up, but I won't worry about buying the flat panel heater's for the coops. LOL!

Thanks!!

Cami
CamsCluckinChicks

 

[LynneP]

I agree about the waterers, just ordered a second electric dog bowl. I found that putting one in a large rubber stock bowl helps too, a little more insulation. Some people are also building insulated boxes over them and having an edge available to the chickens, so that if the cold gets brutal you can delay the thin sheet of ice on top- my hens keep it clear. Others are lowering a light over the bowl. I'm nervous about that, my hens fly around enough that I don;t want the chain hanging that low...there's always something! We're come through a Nor'Easter so it's mild for a few days, if messy with the wet snow. Watching the weather station, may be another coming.

And why do some hens decide to molt in the coldest part of the year- this little girl is quite tatty-

 

[goldeneggtees]

I have a broody who is also molting, as if she wasn't thin enough, now she's losing feathers!!!

Quote:

 

[hcammack]

I am not exactly Northern I am blow the Mason-Dixon but its been a cold and snowy winter here in baltimore! It hasn't gotten above 30 in two weeks my bantam faverolles are still laying and love to run around my coop isn't heated. I do have two electric dog bowls for water. Trust me unless your chickens are left outside or alone or you have a really freakishly cold climate they will be fine.

Henry