I feel the need to share because I am always telling other BYC members that chickens can do just fine in quite a harsh climate. Today I lost a chicken to cold. This would be the 4th winter this flock of chickens ha spent in the mountains of Colorado in their coop together. I feel we’ve gotten the routine down and I wasn’t even worried about them in this storm. They’ve been through many storms and cold spells worse than this that lasted for a longer number of days with no problem. I do not plan on sending the bird for necropsy, but I believe the below zero F temps combined with her bad state of molt was too much for her to handle. I guess my word of warning is just to look out for your special needs birds, the very young, the very old, the severe molt, those with parasites or weakened immune systems from previous illness, because weather extremes sometimes can push them over the edge. Also be wary of unseasonable weather, when there is a sudden and drastic temperature shift (hot or cold) it’s harder for them to acclimate. This weather is not typical for us this time of year. We have not yet finished our home/garden/coop winterization projects, yet we’ve had a few feet of snow and sub-zero temps already. Winter may be here to stay a month early.
