Sudden temperature drop?

[togo54]

Thanks for the info. My 4'x8' coop has corrugated metal roofing with nothing covering the ridged openings that a corrugated roof provides. The pop door is always open because my chickens are inside of an enclosed run when outside of the coop. Hopefully this will be good enough.

 

[aart]

Could someone please explain the difference between "well ventilated and draft free"? How can you have one without the other? Draft free would be dead still air. Ventilated is moving air. Thanks in advance.

It is confusing to folks new to the poultry context...I try to say that the coop should be well ventilated with no strong drafts on the roost area.

I like Blooie's suggestion that if their feathers are moving, the air is moving too much.

 

[Mrs. K]

Very likely it will be just fine. There needs to be empty space around the chicken, so as to allow the moisture in the warm air to rise away from the chicken. Warm air rises, that that is the movement, the moisture escapes the coop. In a larger coop, less ventilation is needed as there is a greater volume of air. However, on here, there are some very small coops pictured, and I would think that the condensation would be very high.

The big thing is to keep birds dry.

 

[Mrs. K]

13 degrees and falling, my broody hen went from the sun porch back into the coop and took the chicks with her. I went down to the coop at 4:15 and the whole flock was still outside, crouched down in the hay in the porch. I am a bit worried about those two week old chicks, so went back down just now, the flock is on the roost, the broody hen is in her corner, with just an occasional peep under neath her, a kind of sleepy sounding peep. So far so good!

 

[bobbi-j]

Thank you, Bobbi-j! You guys really did get hammered, didn't you? Did you get the freezing rain and ice first like we did?

Yep, we have a foot of snow on the ground, winds still at 20-25mph, moving it around. Fortunately, we missed the freezing rain and ice this time around.

13 degrees and falling, my broody hen went from the sun porch back into the coop and took the chicks with her. I went down to the coop at 4:15 and the whole flock was still outside, crouched down in the hay in the porch. I am a bit worried about those two week old chicks, so went back down just now, the flock is on the roost, the broody hen is in her corner, with just an occasional peep under neath her, a kind of sleepy sounding peep. So far so good!

I'm sure you have nice, deep bedding in there and between that and the mama, those chicks will be just fine.

 

[Mrs. K]

I do, and they seem content. I am a firm believer in letting nature take her course....... but??? I hate HATE to separate them, I am not set up to separate them, I believe they are better in with the flock, but it is so darn cold, however, they do not seemed stressed at all. Once this afternoon, when I went down, one peaked his head out, looked around and dove back in. I am leaving them with her.

We had the freezing rain first, but only 5-8 inches of snow, not so windy tonight, but DARN cold.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

It's all headed my way, SSW Michigan, no telling what it will do when it hits the lake.
Been nice and warm the past couple days, but gonna drop into the 20-30's for the rest of the 10 day forecast.
Got the new chicken water heater set up, hope it works...better get the weights, chains and snow thrower on the tractor.

 

[jtn42248]

Silver Valley, TX (half way between Coleman and Novice)
Online says it is 36
My outdoor thermometer says it is 23
Sustained winds of 25 mph from N
Gusts of 35-40

It is COLD but for us in West Texas this time of year REALLY COLD

 

[Blooie]

We've got wind chills of -25 to -35 tonight. Oh, JOY!

 

[jtn42248]

We've got wind chills of -25 to -35 tonight. Oh, JOY!

It has taken 5 hours to climb one degree all the way to 37 even with the sun shinning. But...that ain't nothing compared to you. I just hope this is not a portent of what winter will be like when it finally gets here.