Supplemental heat in extreme cold

[ckeene1990]

I have 5 Wyandotte chickens here in Michigan, I have not used any heat as I want them to be winterized. However it is supposed to get to 0 degrees F this week. Is this a point where I should add some heat for them in this extreme cold?

 

[lagrange chicks]

I am in Wisconsin and don't give any heat.

 

[aart]

I have 5 Wyandotte chickens here in Michigan, I have not used any heat as I want them to be winterized. However it is supposed to get to 0 degrees F this week. Is this a point where I should add some heat for them in this extreme cold?

I think those low temps are only for one night or so?
I'd not worry.
I've never added heat, except the waterer.
Have had a few with frostbite and a few that suffered from cold stress but they all do fine.

I do give some electrolytes in prolonged extreme temps:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-extreme-weather-spiel.75893/

 

[DobieLover]

One night at zero is not going to be that bad as long as they have ample ventilation, the coop is very dry and they go to roost with full crops.
My flock went through a night at -23F and everyone was fine except for minor frostbite dubbing of the then cockerel, todays 6.5 year old rooster.
Just something to consider in the future: I have seedling heat mats lining the bottom of my 5 nest boxes. I don't get winter eggs any longer because of the age of my hens so the boxes switch use to heated beds for the 5 who need it the most during bitter cold snaps. Whoever is in a box at lockup and headcount gets to stay. Any empties are filled with whomever I think would benefit most. The boxes get cleaned in the morning along with the poop boards so it's really no skin off my nose to accommodate them this way.

 

[Ted Brown]

I live in Canada, this morning I woke to -20C/-4F, forecast is for 4-5 days of similar temperatures.

This is normal here for January & February, not constant but happens.

I do not add heat, now in my 6th winter.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Same here - never heated my coop in 15 years. It is normal for us to have a week or two of highs in the single digits and lows down to -8F. Wyandottes have small combs so should be just fine as long as there is adequate ventilation far above their heads.

 

[Debbie292d]

We're in Wisconsin with silkies and frizzles and for eight years have heated our coop enough so it wouldn't freeze, so to about 40F. They come out when it's 15-20F though and no windchill. We do that somewhat for the chickens, but more so for us, so no frozen water, eggs, or wattles this way.

For the other pens, they each have a hutch, and we use a radiant panel heater (Cozy Coop) in each as the one pen has young ones in it.

I always recommend if anyone is hung up on heating or not heating and a bit worried, to just get one of those Cozy Coop type heaters. Those are safe, shut off if they tip over, they won't heat much of an area, but if chickens are suffering, they can sit/stand next to it.

 

[Penpal]

I am in Kingston, near Caro, just east of you. I have never used heat. They need shelter out of the wind. If you don't have them out of the wind put them in a dog crate in your garage.

It's still snowing.

 

[Big Ska Farm]

No supplimental heat for my flock. We got down to -33°F here and my flock of five were OK. IMHO supplimental heat can hurt more than it will help.

 

[Ted Brown]

Today when I woke it was -23C/-9.4F, then -24C appeared... Middle of the week it will warm up, -10C/14F.

This morning my flock were going about their businesses as usual.