ChickensInMA
Chirping
Do any other Northerners have experience with seramas in the winter? Here in the Boston Area, the coldest we get is about 0ºF to -5ºF, but we have sustained temperatures in the teens. I have three birds that are basically the Caribbean version of seramas, and I'm worried about winter with them. They live with my other, cold-hardy chickens. I've heard that they don't take freezing temperatures well, and in winter here, the are quite a few days that don't go above freezing. What do you guys do? I don't want to heat my coop, because I'm worried about fires, moisture and affecting the cold tolerance of my other chickens. I don't want that they freeze to death once they go outside or when we lose power, because they're used to a higher temperature.
Last night, the temperature went down to about 27ºF, and although two of my little chickens seem fine, one of them doesn't seem herself. She's my little naked-neck hen. Should I bring the three of them inside my heated shed for the winter? I don't really want to do that, because I don't want to have to reintegrate them into the flock. We don't have a garage. My coop is (unnecessarily) insulated in the walls; will that be enough for them? It definitely will be beneath freezing in there this winter. Any advice?
Last night, the temperature went down to about 27ºF, and although two of my little chickens seem fine, one of them doesn't seem herself. She's my little naked-neck hen. Should I bring the three of them inside my heated shed for the winter? I don't really want to do that, because I don't want to have to reintegrate them into the flock. We don't have a garage. My coop is (unnecessarily) insulated in the walls; will that be enough for them? It definitely will be beneath freezing in there this winter. Any advice?