Raising laying hens over winter,,,, Too cold?

[bennnn]

I am just getting started with some chicks,, but I am worried about the comming winter.

I live in the middle part of NC,, so it's not like we get blizzards, but it does get pretty darn cold..

Am I going to end up finding them frozen solid one morning in January right when I start looking for eggs, or will they be OK without anything more elaborate then a few boxes full of hay and cedar shavings?

 

[Katy]

They should be fine as long as they have a dry draft-free coop, but don't use cedar shavings.....those can make them sick or kill them. Pine is good to use.

 

[Opa]

It gets much colder in Michigan than it does in NC and our chickens do just fine. Look under coop and run construction for lots of helpful hints. Welcome to our world.

 

[ChickaD]

Yeah, I agree! Here in VT, we have a solid winter too, and our chickens always make it. We'd been in the habit of turning on a light near them for some heat when it'd drop below 10 degrees, but last winter we decided, "No eggs...therefore, no heat!" They did fine anyway! AND later got back into laying, those crazy ol' ladies! 4-6 yrs old!

BTW, a great place to learn about coop ventilation (necessary in all seasons), you might want To check out the Ventilation Page by patandchickens.

Enjoy those chickens!