Sudden temperature drop

[TaylorGlade]

Tomorrow night, we will be in the teens. In Florida, we have been averaging 40s at night. We have 17 australorps born in July and 15 cream leg bars born in June. Obviously, they aren't acclimated to such cold temperatures.

We have two coops. One is 8x10. The other is 18x10. They both have regular windows and roof venting.

Do we need to do anything or will they be ok? I know it gets colder up north, but the sudden drop has me concerned.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sudden drops are always uncomfortable but they'll be OK.
You have plenty of birds to cuddle and keep each other warm if they choose but even a single bird would be OK. Leave the windows open. Fresh air is more important for health than warmth.
They do go to bed at night wearing their down winter coat. If the roosts are wide enough, like we have up north, they hunker down and cover their toes with their feathers.

 

[Sefirothe]

We just finished our permanent coop in time for this long delayed mad jump into winter. Our nights are averaging in the teens. My six girls are still figuring out the arrangements in the new coop since we moved them in last Friday. I use no supplemental heat in the coop.

So I've been finding I need to go out and move some of them from roosting on the lip of the poop board to the actual roost. When I pick them up, they are toasty and warm. And also grumpy at being disturbed!!

 

[TaylorGlade]

We just finished our permanent coop in time for this long delayed mad jump into winter. Our nights are averaging in the teens. My six girls are still figuring out the arrangements in the new coop since we moved them in last Friday. I use no supplemental heat in the coop.

View attachment 3727049

So I've been finding I need to go out and move some of them from roosting on the lip of the poop board to the actual roost. When I pick them up, they are toasty and warm. And also grumpy at being disturbed!!

Ours did the same thing when we first moved into the coop. They eventually got the idea though. Ours just started laying eggs and, for the life of me, I can't figure out why one prefers the poop boards. Lol

 

[TaylorGlade]

Sudden drops are always uncomfortable but they'll be OK.
You have plenty of birds to cuddle and keep each other warm if they choose but even a single bird would be OK. Leave the windows open. Fresh air is more important for health than warmth.
They do go to bed at night wearing their down winter coat. If the roosts are wide enough, like we have up north, they hunker down and cover their toes with their feathers.

Thank you. I appreciate the reassurance

 

[Sefirothe]

Ours did the same thing when we first moved into the coop. They eventually got the idea though. Ours just started laying eggs and, for the life of me, I can't figure out why one prefers the poop boards. Lol

Oh ewww! Only three of my six have started laying. They've been mostly laying on the floor since the move. One egg was directly under the edge of one of the ramps. Not sure if it was laid from some height and dropped down far enough to crack or if I got out there too late because of work and it froze and cracked. Could have been either I guess. Same result tho. Cracked and frozen solid egg.

 

[TaylorGlade]

Oh ewww! Only three of my six have started laying. They've been mostly laying on the floor since the move. One egg was directly under the edge of one of the ramps. Not sure if it was laid from some height and dropped down far enough to crack or if I got out there too late because of work and it froze and cracked. Could have been either I guess. Same result tho. Cracked and frozen solid egg.

What can you do frozen eggs? We will have almost 24 hours of subfreezing weather. We will be checking often but I hope we don't lose a whole days worth of eggs

 

[Sefirothe]

What can you do frozen eggs? We will have almost 24 hours of subfreezing weather. We will be checking often but I hope we don't lose a whole days worth of eggs

No clue, this was the first one I've seen frozen and busted, so I just pitched it in the trash. I probably should have just scrambled it up and gave it back to them honestly.