The cold with 3 chickens

[Beriadhwen]

I have a question about cold nights, we had a freeze last night the coop hit 25f inside, I only have 3 chickens in the coop 1 is a silkie rooster, legbar, cuckoo. I have a silkie hen but she stays inside due to bullying. I have a resin shed for a coop. I did have them inside for the freeze on a roost in my shower. The coop stayed in the 50's and it was 60's outside today and the temps drop again tonight. What improvements can I make? please don't be hard on me its my first time and my chickens are very happy and loved.

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi,

25F isn't too bad for silkies. We raise and breed them here in Wisconsin where it gets sub-zero, and just happen to heat our coops to 40F, but I know they're fine lower than that.

If it worries you, one thing we have in each of our outdoor growout pens is a Cozy Coop radiant heater. Those are like a flat screen TV, and you can put it behind where they roost. They can lean on it if they're cold and it won't burn them, and it shuts off if it tips over.

 

[Beriadhwen]

Hi,

25F isn't too bad for silkies. We raise and breed them here in Wisconsin where it gets sub-zero, and just happen to heat our coops to 40F, but I know they're fine lower than that.

If it worries you, one thing we have in each of our outdoor growout pens is a Cozy Coop radiant heater. Those are like a flat screen TV, and you can put it behind where they roost. They can lean on it if they're cold and it won't burn them, and it shuts off if it tips over.

I will look into that Thank you very much!

 

[FrostRanger]

25F is nothing to chickens, it's not until you get subzero temps that you have to start worrying. Silkies are a bit more vulnerable but even they will be perfectly fine in the 20s as long as they are dry, can get out of the wind and have proper ventilation. The heat is actually more of a worry for adult chickens than the cold. They can handle the cold far better than the heat. Remember that chickens are basically wearing a down coat at all times so they stay pretty warm as long as they are dry

 

[FrostRanger]

Only improvement I would make is to uncover the vents if they are covered, poor ventilation leads to moisture buildup and condensation which leads to frostbite. Otherwise that coop looks fine

 

[Beriadhwen]

Only improvement I would make is to uncover the vents if they are covered, poor ventilation leads to moisture buildup and condensation which leads to frostbite. Otherwise that coop looks fine

I have a piece of cardboard blocking wind from coming in but it has a gap of like 8 inches from actually touching the coop so not to block them. My silkie rooster tends to be in the middle of the big girls all the time to keep warm.

 

[Beriadhwen]

oh my temp gauge has a moisture reader on it and it was at 11%. I also have a heavy duty tarp wrapped around the coop to make sure no drafts.

 

[FrostRanger]

I have a piece of cardboard blocking wind from coming in but it has a gap of like 8 inches from actually touching the coop so not to block them. My silkie rooster tends to be in the middle of the big girls all the time to keep warm.

In that case that coop is perfectly fine, no need to bring them inside at those temps

 

[Beriadhwen]

In that case that coop is perfectly fine, no need to bring them inside at those temps

Thank you!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I don't actually see any ventilation. We have something similar that we use for a brooder and I had to get someone to cut openings in it all around, and I bought (don't laugh!) plastic floor vents that I had installed so they would be predator-safe. It was the most economical solution I could come up with! We had to caulk them in as the shed itself is double-walled. Air flow is not a problem unless it blows directly on the birds, ruffling their feathers. So if you can provide air flow over their heads when they are roosting, that would be very good. Lower the roosts if you have to. Ventilation eliminates buildup of ammonia, which is toxic for the birds to breathe, and it also prevents buildup of condensation, which leads to frostbite on combs and wattles. Aim for one square foot of ventilation per bird and if you can't get that, get as close to it as you can!