temps droping A LOTTTTT tonight ... question

[jorey]

I just started with cracked corn this week added to their reg food. I do half and half. Hopefully that's enough. Just got in from doing chores and the silkies all came out to say hi. I do not use heat lamps just wood chips in coop and same plus hay in run. No water heater just black rubber bowls I stomp out 2 times a day and refill. Their run is enclosed with shower curtains and plywood except for door. I sat for about 10 minutes warming up in it today since its -26 with the wind. Did get geese into garage. Ducks are under deck. Seeing as it has about 2 feet of snow on it I think they are nice and warm. They've been out when I did chores for about 5 mins then right back under.

 

[FriscoRaven]

I don't add heat to my coop, but I'm considering doing it tonight. I'm still undecided. I may just lock them into the closed coop (they normally have 24/7 access to the open air coop and outdoor run) and lay down some extra bedding. It's not a large space, but affords them about 4-5 sq ft per bird.

 

[crazyhen]

Corn is heavy in Carb.s also it is slow to break down giving them a continuous feed all night. I like to give mine some in the evenings just before they go in.

 

[Belinda7]

I brought my chickens inside this morning into a big dog cage this morning as it is going to be greater that 20 degrees below zero tonight. They have been in a coop with a warming light but yesterday actually spent quite a bit of time outside. The door to the coop was open to the pen, so they could have gone in at any time.

...however, after getting them inside today I noticed that a bit of their combs were whitish tipped and one tip is even turning black now......I feel badly. I just didn't think about frostbite on their combs.....at least it's just a little bit and I did get them in the house today.

 

[chick rookie]

Chick I bet you ll go in there and they'll be all nice and cozy. The drs office where I work closed for the day today so I'm going to go out and do some more piling of snow since it seems to have finally stopped. Let the cats out if they want to go out and just enjoy. My home is well insulated except the windows. I tacked heavy blankets up over them and the difference was amazing. I don't like not being able to see out but id rather be warm without the furnace running every 10 minutes. Stay safe and warm everyone.

yep I walked out to feed and check on every one half expecting to find frost bite or huddling or God forbid dead chickens. I am happy to report that all was well, great in fact... they were actually fighting me to get out the door, I did not let them, -35 with windchill nope I don't think so... DH kept saying " Told ya so " I told him this one time he was right and I was happy to say I was wrong.... but I did work my butt off getting them ready so I guess I could take a little credit... lol
Just wondering???? Did your cats go out? My dogs would go out to poddy and RIGHT BACK IN... lol poor babies, the goats wouldn't go out at all.Door was open if they wanted but I didn't see a head pop out all day. And my gelding was kind a funny .... He would walk out of the barn ( steping real high due to the lg drift right in front of the barn ) grab him a big bite of round bale .... and trot back in the barn to eat it ... lol

 

[jorey]

Yep the cats went out when I put the geese in. One did her business and came back to be let in amd the other holed up under the deck with ducks. Couldn't get her back out so there she stayed. My dogs also hurried and did their business then right back in. No exploring this morning. I do have puppy pads down in the house just in case some one didn't do everything they should have. Can't blame them if they didn't. Even with hurrying they still limped when they came in. Might have to whip up some doggie boots. will be interesting to see if truck starts this morning. I drove around property for a while yesterday to run it and then parked it by barn out of wind so hopefully. Can't park in garage since its occupied. Lol

 

[chick rookie]

jorey... I told DH that we were going to have to get the babies ( dogs ) booties. They don't like the cold either... lol
we heat with I-heaters, and has done great all season so far... but this morning when I got up it was so cold I turned the furnaces up. We don't like the high gas prices!!! but its cold in here!!

 

[jorey]

Im one of those people that likes the cold. Run around in house with shorts, keep house. At 65. Not this year. House at 69 as of last night. Haven't had shorts on since august. Just can't get warm this winter. I turned 40 in october and my mom picks on me and tells me its because I'm old now. Lol. She's a brat. Off to get ready for work. Have a great day and stay warm.

 

[res]

My temps are not near as cold as some of you are experiencing - my air temps are in single digits, wind chill below zero - but my hens are doing just fine with no heat in the coop. 12 adult hens (RIR, Red Stars, Speckled Sussex, Australorp, and Rocks), 3 adult silkies, and four 3-mth old EE chicks. Coop is 8x10 with 8' ceiling at the peak.

I *DID* have a heat lamp in the coop until about 3 weeks ago, when I decided my chicks were big enough to stay warm without it. My coop is fully insulated on the walls and ceiling, but not the floor. The run has a "greenhouse" effect going on because it is enclosed with shower curtains. It is super warm in there - might even be ABOVE freezing. I really need to get a thermometer in there to know for sure!

 

[Hokum Coco]

My my hens are doing just fine with no heat in the coop. 12 adult hens 3 adult silkies Coop is 8x10 with 8' ceiling at the peak.

I might be concerned for your silkies ( I never owned one) I do not know about how cold hardy they are???