Polar Vortex Prep

[SmiYa0126]

@Wyorp Rock @aart would you have some suggestions?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

We have a forecasted -35c coming later this week. I have a very tiny flock of two pullets at the moment, in a coop with plenty of ventilation. They coldest they've been has been -20c for a night or two,

What's your coop like?

I'm not quite so sure about using handwarmers on the roost. I'd use caution if you did, the packs are usually fairly thin and if pecked and explored, the contents may spill. You know chickens, they will eat things they shouldn't.

-35C is very cold. I'd provide them with extra straw or bedding in their coop, see that you can minimize direct wind with wind blocks, but they do need ventilation up high. Try to keep them in fresh unfrozen water several times a day. In cold temps I don't give hot water, just give room temp or "cool" water.

They may decide to roost for much of the coldest period and if they do, that's o.k. They will come down when you bring water/food. My youngest group was around 16 weeks old when we had that Vortex thing here in NC in Dec. but we only got to like -6F with -24F wind. They mainly hung out in the coop for a couple of days roosting but came outside to eat/drink fine. The older hens huddled around outside and then went in from time to time to harass the youngsters just because they could

Frostbite, you may expect it, especially on large combs. That cold, just exposure is going to happen sometimes. Feet is what I worry about most. If they are roosting and covering feet, then probably they may be fine. A towel may slip/slide on the roost depending on how it's made.

@aart any tips?

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

What's your coop like?

thanks for the good advice in your post. My coop is 5x3.5, see below with a 17x4 covered run attached. (ignore the pallet, it's just sitting there against a garden bed and not part of the coop!) There is a lot of ventilation in the coop but for the winter I have covered up anything (other than what they need above roost) with cloth and plastic to cut any winds. They have a good size covered run that has plastic on the south and east sides for wind protection, filled with fresh leaves and woodchips often. Heated dog dish for water and I feed them soaked feed in the morning for the day, with afternoon snacks before bed. I just have two birds right now, and one has a really large comb, she's the one I am most worried about. She has had a very tiny bit of frostbite on the tip of her comb last time it went down to -20 but this is even colder. Is bag balm something I should do?

photo of coop from a few months ago, it's got about a foot of snow on everything now permanently

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

I'm not quite so sure about using handwarmers on the roost. I'd use caution if you did, the packs are usually fairly thin and if pecked and explored, the contents may spill. You know chickens, they will eat things they shouldn't.

I was thinking of having them on the roost but below a towel wrap, so that they aren't accessible?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

No, I would not put any ointment, vaseline, bag balm, etc. on the combs and wattles.
You would trap in moisture, ointments will somewhat freeze as well.
Best to leave the combs/wattles alone. If they do get frostbitten, then still leave combs/wattles alone.

Up to you about the handwarmers, but it's not something I would do.

 

[aart]

@aart any tips?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

That's a tough coop to ventilate without drafts, being so short.
Might help to see the inside of the coop showing the roosts and where the venting is.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

definitely. It's dark now so I can't take a pic but basically the roost is beside a window on the higher side, closed window of course, and there is 2sft of ventilation above their heads along the roofline. The whole roofline is ventilated but I've closed it all off for winter except for what they need above their heads. I did have an issue with snow blowing in this year and remedied it by covering up a lower vented area with cotton tea towel which stopped the drafts. Ive got deep bedding in there as well which they often snuggle/dig into in the mornings before they go outside.

 

[Mrs. K]

What is important is the space above the chickens head when the chicken is on the roost. One needs about 15 inches or at least a foot. This keeps them away from the cold ceiling. Warm moist air from their breath rises, if they are close to the ceiling, the moisture will condense and can fall back on to the bird. You don't want that. One stops that by having ventilation moving the wet air out.

Do not worry warm, worry dry. The drier you can keep it, the more comfortable they will be.

And know that those large pointed combs often do get frostbite - but it really does not seem to phase them.

MRs K

 

[Bhubbard]

Mine did okay in -33f with 50 mph winds … I had a few even come out of coop and roost in bushes next to coop if they can stay dry and out of wind they will make their own decisions

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

What is important is the space above the chickens head when the chicken is on the roost. One needs about 15 inches or at least a foot. This keeps them away from the cold ceiling. Warm moist air from their breath rises, if they are close to the ceiling, the moisture will condense and can fall back on to the bird. You don't want that. One stops that by having ventilation moving the wet air out.

Do not worry warm, worry dry. The drier you can keep it, the more comfortable they will be.

And know that those large pointed combs often do get frostbite - but it really does not seem to phase them.

MRs K

there's definitely a foot above their heads, and ventilation there along the roof. I definitely don't want condensation, that would be awful! The forecast is looking like very dry 10%POP and generally the coop is near identical to humidity outside. I was thinking of hanging a heating pad on the wall closest to their roost. Do you think this is a good idea or do you think they'll feel more cold when it auto shuts off after 2hrs? I could alternatively get a planting heat mat