Raising Chickens In Upstate NY.. Temp Questions?

[hisdaughter]

I miss Upstate NY. Grew up in Utica but live in Fl. now. Christmas doesn't feel the same. Good luck with your ladies

 

[featherz]

Quote:
Wow, all sorts of people near me. Join us in the NY thread if not already there. Always good stuff there.

As for ventilation.. My coops had windows and vents, no fans. One of our coops is just something we threw together and all our chickens still made it through the winter without being eaten or freezing so I am proud of it. I went outside when it was -26 thinking I'd see chicksickles but honestly they didn't even seem to notice the cold. My leghorns (didn't think before I ordered those!!) DID get frostbite on the combs, but didn't even lose any points - it all healed without intervention. My roo lost a few points. All the rest of my chickens have pea or rose combs and had no issues.

 

[tanyizzle]

Unrelated question, about how far away from your coop, can you smell your coop? : ) Trying to decide where I want to put it.

 

[minichic]

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Mine is about 20 from the house and I could smell it a bit today with the windows open in the house. However, I just started mixing commercial feed 50/50 with the organic feed I started the girls on. I think the change in diet contributes to the smell. I didn't smell it before this.

re: Bengelcatz1 where'd ya get your kitties from?

 

[Sorin]

Welcome from northern NY! Vents are fine, no fans needed. I found my vents at Lowes for a few bucks each. I just cut the holes an inch shorter on each side, screwed them over the holes I cut and sealed them with weatherproof caulk around the edge to keep water out. I did insulate my coop for the winter, I used half inch insulation board on the outside

it didn't look good but I took it off this spring, but up here in the adirondacks we had many mornings of 20 below. They were just fine, however, on days like that I did nit let them out of the coop. They weren't very happy

but they will go out in the worst conditions. Good luck!

 

[Fred's Hens]

In northern Michigan we had countless nights below zero. Our barn has no insulation and heat would be absurd, of course, to afford. Chickens do just fine.

However, as I did not see it mentioned by others, let me say this. Choosing cold hardy breeds is BY FAR, the most important thing you can do.

 

[meepitqueenie]

I live 1 hr south of Montreal Canada. So it does get plenty cold here.

My girls are in a unheated shed/coop. I personally spoil myself as I hate to break water in the winter so I have a heat lamp just over the waterer.

far enough up so it doesn't get splashed and break. girls would rather sit next to each other than under the light anyways.

I have EEs, RIR, barred rock, black star, and hamburg hens. all faired the winters great.

The bantam shed is the newest and I am thinking about insulating it. it is filled with my daughters japanese bantams and they got real cold.

I had to put 2 heat lamps in there to keep the temp above where they were getting frostbite combs.

So definitely research your breeds.

 

[Bengalcats1]

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Im also in your area and don't use heat or insulation, on very RARE occasion I might put a heat lamp on them, but this past winter with all that snow and cold I never used it and they were all fine, and I have all bantams. As long as you close everything up good at night and maybe on those below zero days they will be fine.

Hi Neighbor - Greetings from Ballston Lake! Haven't wintered chickens yet (my first year) but wanted to say HI and that I also have bengal cats - one rosetted girl and one marble girl. Super cool cats.

Im about an hour south of you and are your bengals Crazy? My guy is into Everything, he just turned a year old...............the only thing about keeping chickens in the winter here is going out All the time to check their water etc and having to shovel Feet of snow to get to them

 

[woodmort]

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Windows are fine, especially if they can be opened at the top. Remember you want ventilation not drafts so there should be a place for the birds to roost away from any cross-ventilation. The only place fans would be necessary would be in a huge chicken house which is definitely outside of what most BYC people would have--at least when they start

.

 

[JackE]

Here's a coop that was used in your area, and used up in Canada. You don't need insulation or a heater in the coop. The chickens come equipped with their own set of warm coverals.
Jack
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=445004&p=1