Regreting!!

[Saltiena]

i recently purchased chicks from the mcmurray hatchery and they are to come in June, i just relized though that the winters are pretty bad here and there coop is pretty small since i plan on free ranging them, will they be ok in snow, how are they with cold weather, will they still lay if there cold?

 

[pegbo]

Hi NY here. Where do you live? We have some pretty cold weather here in NY but it doesn't seem to bother my birds. I have 21 birds at the moment and their coop is about 10 x 12 with seven nesting boxes and several roosts. It worked well for me this winter because they kept warm, even though they were a little crowded. My chicks don't care for the snow but if I shoveled some of their pen space they would go out. Their laying will probably slow down in the winter but I have several girls who layed straight through. As for free ranging the snow may not bother them at all, though some won't want to go out in it. Hoped this helped.

 

[justusnak]

Saltiena ... How many chicks did you order? How big is thier coop? What kind did you order? Can you put a heat source out there in the coop? I have 3 week old Buff Orpingtons. They are considered Heavy birds. They dont mind the cold...and will lay through the winter. I will still have a heat lamp out there, for the really cold nights. Last winter my RIR did just fine without it tho. Good luck...and welcome to the wonderfull world of being OWNED by a chicken!

 

[mudhen]

Saltiena, I am learning that chickens can do well as long as they have the right kind of shelter and some heat source when the temps are in single digits.
Give us more info about where you are, your set up and the types of chickens you ordered....

 

[SpottedCrow]

Everyone so far has given you good advice...some breeds like the cold weather better, like Orpingtons, Brahmas...some like Plymouth Rocks, New Hampshire Reds and Rhode Island Reds were bred for our strange conditions in New England. The Chantecler was bred in Canada for their conditions. Most of your lighter breeds, Leghorns, Polish, Anconas like the heat better and would be happier with extra heating.

 

[Saltiena]

I live in PA
I have a coop that is roughly 8x10 ft
i ordered 25 cochin bantams from the hatchery ( i wont be keeping them all only 19 or 20
you gus are SO helpful this site is awsome i dont know what i would do without you

 

[justusnak]

Fromy my experience, I have frizzly bantams. They like the heat. Especially Nancy...my naked neck. I kept a heat lamp on them all winter. Is there a way you can get a lamp out there for them in the winter? It will also help keep the water from freezing.