Record Breaking Temps!!

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Welshies

Welshies

Crowing
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Alberta, Canada
It is going to be MINUS 45 degrees celsius here tomorrow!! This is crazy...
I will post pictures of my chickens and my setup to give you guys an idea of just how hardy they can be! Right now it is -33°C but only two injured chicks have a heat lamp. :oops: We are under an extreme cold warning.
Edit: For the extreme cold my birds will be put under a moderately raised heat lamp and my rooster is fairly large-combed and I have 6 8 week old chicks. This is a story thread not an advise thread but feel free to chat or ask questions:)
 
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So here you can see my setup, my birds have had very minimal frostbite. I just added the second heat lamp for the mature birds as -45° is chilly.
The 2 chicks (now 3 as one was too cold), are injured or stunted growth, have been under heat for 2 weeks now. They are healing well:love
My coop is 6 by 8 feet, 6 feet tall at the front and 5 at the back. Double walled, insulated with fiberglass insulation- definitely worth it for those of you in cold climates. I have 8 nest boxes, the tops of which I use as shelves:lol:
How do I keep my chickens warm?
I always make sure they have adequate ventilation. That is number one, because humidity levels must be low in cold climates. In my pictures you might see that I also have openable ventilation- I keep that closed in winter, but in summer when it is 25° celsius I keep it open.
I provide them with lots of shavings, and I use the deep litter method.
They have free choice access to food and water, because more food=more body heat. In winter I add more corn to my feed as it generates a lot of body heat.
I give them room to run or roost. My hens like to huddle together whereas my rooster, Ashley, loves to strut around to keep warm. My little chicks prefer to huddle in a nest box or "roost" on the feeder;)
I let them out. On warm days (-15°C or above) I let them out to roam, scratch, and forage. Even my chicks go out. Exercise keeps them healthier and helps them to adjust to the cold.
I cover windows- I have a huge window, and unless the sun is blaringly hot, I keep it covered. Even a thin blanket keeps things warmer:cool:
I watch their behavior, too. If my birds look huddled together, puffed up, and don't run when I swoop down to pick them up, I know they are TOO COLD! A fairly high heat lamp works well for me. If the heat lamp is dust free and higher than 18", it poses little fire risk. Still be careful, though.
That is how I keep my chickens warm and frostbite free! :thumbsup
 

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Stay warm you guys. If you could, I wouldn't mind a bit more cold down here in sunny Florida, lol! About 2 weeks ago we had a nice cold front come through, it went into the mid 40's at night, great sleeping weather, I must say! I'll be thinking of everyone.
 

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