Snow in Texas!!

[Bookho52]

I'm north of Dallas, it was 14 degrees when I took care of the chickens this morning. It won't warm up until Friday. I had to change out frozen water in the coop, and the girls did not come out at all yesterday. So, I was needing a brooder lamp for April when my 4 babies come, and I am getting it today and putting it in the 4x8 coop to keep the girls warm. Will only run it when we are under 20 degrees.

 

[8ROYALS]

Kacey's Krazee's :

Quote:
Yikes! That's cold.

I recommend these DeLonghi oil filled radiators:

http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&NttParam=&storeId=10151&qvRedirect=

It only cost about $35. I've got one running in my coop right now on its lowest setting and it's able to keep an 8' by 8' walk in coop at around 40 degrees even in this awful cold. My husband uses one in his office at work to stay warm, too.

We have several of those heaters.. one of them is installed in the well house, and we installed a pet door on it, and put up a pet taxi with blankets, and that is where the kittys go when it's cold. I have been keeping both water and food in there for them, and haven't seen them outside.. (smart kitties !)
On top of the cold out there, the new roo decided to get one of the hens today, and she wasn't very willing. Her comb was torn, and her head bloody. But the time I found her, she had been pecked on the top of the head...close to her eye. So, she came in for a slightly damp wipe off, and neosporin application. I put her back in, and gave them more scratch/BOSS mix, and hope that she will do ok. Not the time to separate her, as she needs the warmth of the others too. I will be back out again shortly to swap around the water and recheck on her.

Kacey​

We haven't be able to go get one. this chicks are fine...they are drinking, moving around and eat lot. I am more worried about the eggs in my bator. because I have no heat in the house the batoe is struggling to stay above 98.6 I am watching it closely and not opening it at all. Thank goodness for turners. I even have our one space heater by the incubator, instead of on us. We are really bundles up. My hot water pipes are frozen and cracked. Have electric, cold water and plenty of food. How did they do it in pioneer days. Thank God fo electicity. We will be ok...thank goodness Texas only gets cold a little at a time and then warms up. Well, at least all the bad bugs are dead.

 

[terri9630]

Quote:
We have several of those heaters.. one of them is installed in the well house, and we installed a pet door on it, and put up a pet taxi with blankets, and that is where the kittys go when it's cold. I have been keeping both water and food in there for them, and haven't seen them outside.. (smart kitties !)
On top of the cold out there, the new roo decided to get one of the hens today, and she wasn't very willing. Her comb was torn, and her head bloody. But the time I found her, she had been pecked on the top of the head...close to her eye. So, she came in for a slightly damp wipe off, and neosporin application. I put her back in, and gave them more scratch/BOSS mix, and hope that she will do ok. Not the time to separate her, as she needs the warmth of the others too. I will be back out again shortly to swap around the water and recheck on her.

Kacey

We haven't be able to go get one. this chicks are fine...they are drinking, moving around and eat lot. I am more worried about the eggs in my bator. because I have no heat in the house the batoe is struggling to stay above 98.6 I am watching it closely and not opening it at all. Thank goodness for turners. I even have our one space heater by the incubator, instead of on us. We are really bundles up. My hot water pipes are frozen and cracked. Have electric, cold water and plenty of food. How did they do it in pioneer days. Thank God fo electicity. We will be ok...thank goodness Texas only gets cold a little at a time and then warms up. Well, at least all the bad bugs are dead.

Gotta look at the bright side. We have 4 of those oil filled radiator heaters and love them. We have one for each bedroom at night and use the fire place during the day. Propane has gotten so expensive that we haven't lit our furnace in 4 years.

 

[Kacey's Krazee's]

We bought one of those EdenPURE ceramic heaters this year.... I LOVE it ! We haven't been running the furnace much at all. Only problem is that it doesn't get to the other end of the house. So, on days like this... we do run the furnace too, but it's dialed way down. I compared last year Dec.(09) to this Dec. (10) and even with the rise in cost of electric, we saved about a $100.00... at this rate, it's going to pay for itself this heating season alone. Another nice thing about it, you can touch it, put it under end tables
etc... and nothing get hot around it. I have a plant that is sitting next to it, on a plant stand, and the leaves do not move at all... the heat is projected out and away from the unit.

http://www.edenpure.com/

Kacey

 

[7L Farm]

Well I let the flock out & they roamed around went to check on them & noticed a broken pipe. Got that fixed & wraped. Added more shavings & tarped the windows alittle more. Its gonna be colder tonight & then snow is next. Lord have mercy. If the dang wind would quit blowing I'd be happy not really its cold. Hope all is well where ever you are!!! Both my waterers are frozen rock hard.

 

[Kat's Silly Chickens]

I went out this morning and found a frozen waterer in the coop, and dabnabit it broke the tray. We found 1 of the old metal dog bowls and mom's lizard heater and put that on a flat rock and to my surprise it's working. Their water is still liquid, they are mad at me cause they want outside, but I don't want chicksicles. We are suppose to be down to the single digits tonight, with the wind chills in the negatives. I've lived in Texas 29 years and only recall temps this low once in that whole time. I'm just glad we decided to insulate the coop walls, and made sure there were no draft cracks. But the nice thing about the 1 wall is for summer the panels can be removed to allow air movement during the hottest part of summer.
Hope everyones chickens make it thru this winter bout.

Kat M.

 

[8ROYALS]

I think mine like the cold...They are not even near the heat lamp...but on their roost and huddled together....Wish my water wouldnt' freeze.

 

[7L Farm]

The flock finished ranging & went to the coop I threw in some boss mixed with scratch after they inhailed the grains immediately got on the roost. I noticed the auto pop door didn't close. To cold I guess I tarped the hole. I woke up at 330 am & went to check on the gang with much relief. Temp in the coop was 26 & all is good compared to the night before when it was 19 degrees. Also, noticed their water bowls were not frozen. I'll be checking again at first light to give them warm fresh water & more boss & scratch. We are scheduled for a snow day.Wonder how the gang will react to the white stuff. Make sure you check on your animals cause its cold in Texas & our livestock is not use to such fridgid cold.

 

[newlyweds]

BRRRR it's cold us Gulf coasters (near Houston) aren't use to this (just 3 days ago it was a muggy 75 degrees), they are calling for snow today and tomorrow, and I am crossing my fingers! Not too worried about my chickens, we have tarps over their coops, they are tuff the little ones are inside! The only annoyance is the water keeps freezing, ugh. So here I come with buckets of hot water to melt the ice water.

In the past 6 years or so we've had snow twice, once on christmas eve and once 2 years ago in early december. I loved every second of it!

 

[easttxchick]

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Yep, same here. Only difference is, I HATE the cold, snow and ice.
I told my DH this morning, I have officially decided that I am a summer person and prefer sweltering over freezing.