Think it's too cold for your chickens? Think again...

[LadyKotaDoria]

Twice this week my chickens roosted high up in a tree and I could Not get them down. a few were in the coop,so I couldnt leave the coop door open, for fear of predators. So they stayed up there all night. One night it went down to 16F and the other night down to 11F !

 I do think the rooster got some frostbite on his comb. Other than that everyone was fine. I noticed their feathers seemed to surround the branch and completely coverred their toes. all toes are fine. 

 I know there are folks around here who have basically  No coops for their chickens. They insist they have lost none to cold (plenty to predators apparently)

 So while I work to make my coop draft free and well insulated, I am more concerned about moisture than heat. I know they are better off "underheated" than overheated.
 Oh I  have cheap plastic waterers that hold about a gallon. I heat rocks and put them In the water and it keeps it liquid for several additional hrs in the night. In the day I do the same and have the water in a little "sunroom" off the south side of the coop, which on sunny days ( which are few) helps considerably. 

You have to be careful heating rocks. Granite heated on the woodstove has been fine for me.  certain rocks can explode when heated so don't try this unless you know what you are doing. I would like to heat them in the microwave, but I don't understand the risks. if anyone happens to know, I'd love to learn.

Great idea.

 

[CGinJCMO]

Microwaves work by making water molecules vibrate and the vibration is what creates heat. Rocks, generally are "dry" (no water, but plenty of minerals and such) so I don't think you'd get the results you want like when you heat a cup of coffee. Your coffee mug gets hot because the water got hot and the heat transferred via conduction (mug touches water).

I like the idea of keeping a rock in the crockpot, you will still get hot water and hot rocks. Personally, I just bought electric dog water bowls and now I have to figure how to set them up in the coop (allow water access, but not a lot of shavings).

Quote:

 

[Triplell]

I broke down and got the heat lamp, we have had a few nasty cold snaps (about -36 F average right now) and my four ladies ended up with frost bite! I picked one up and a timer the same day of the discovery. I was however wondering about cheap insulation ideas. I thought a sturdy house with a vent plus sturdy chickens would make for any easy winter! Boy was i wrong!

Depending on your coop and its design. With mine on the outside wall I stapled feed sacks to the walls and I did the same for the ceiling. I even did this on the bottom 3 feet to keep drafts to a minimum. If you got frostbite then your ventilation is not right. You may need more than you thought. You might want to check this before you go through all the expences. Just as a thought.

 

[cluck-cluck]

I didn't get to read this whole thread, sorry, but I have a question. It is currently mostly going down into the 40's F right now, but we'll have a dip into the 30's F this week (tomorrow night) and as winter hasn't even started, we will go into the high 20's F this winter. Here is my problem. I have nine 8 week old bantams living in the house right now because I haven't quite finished the coop yet. The house is cool, around 60 degrees, but if it's down into the 30's at night when I finish the coop, will they be ok? Or is that going to be too much of a shock? In other words, am I stuck with birds in the house all winter? (Please no!) Do I need to give this particular batch a heat lamp this winter? Is there something I can do to acclimate them, like ... I dunno, take them outside in the day, inside at night then after a while leave them outside? Ugh! Wish they could have been outside early enough to just grow used to the colder days!

 

[vmdanielsen]

Twice this week my chickens roosted high up in a tree and I could Not get them down. a few were in the coop,so I couldnt leave the coop door open, for fear of predators. So they stayed up there all night. One night it went down to 16F and the other night down to 11F !
I do think the rooster got some frostbite on his comb. Other than that everyone was fine. I noticed their feathers seemed to surround the branch and completely coverred their toes. all toes are fine.
I know there are folks around here who have basically No coops for their chickens. They insist they have lost none to cold (plenty to predators apparently)
So while I work to make my coop draft free and well insulated, I am more concerned about moisture than heat. I know they are better off "underheated" than overheated.
Oh I have cheap plastic waterers that hold about a gallon. I heat rocks and put them In the water and it keeps it liquid for several additional hrs in the night. In the day I do the same and have the water in a little "sunroom" off the south side of the coop, which on sunny days ( which are few) helps considerably.
You have to be careful heating rocks. Granite heated on the woodstove has been fine for me. certain rocks can explode when heated so don't try this unless you know what you are doing. I would like to heat them in the microwave, but I don't understand the risks. if anyone happens to know, I'd love to learn.

I would also be concerned that chickens roosting in trees at night would become owl fodder. Can you put them in the coop earlier for a few nights so they get the idea that , that is where they need to be?

Heated rocks is an excellent idea!! Never thought of that!! I take the waterer out of the coop at night. When they roost and it is dark out they don't get down and drink. I just have to make sure that I am up early(well not so early this time of year!!)) to give them water in the AM.

 

[newmusher]

well, we have been having -36 weather now for a couple of days after a reletively mild snap and I have done some more insulating of the coop but still just have the propane monitor on low as of yesterday. my girls still want to go outside but last only for a few minutes before hightailing it back to the coop!! but it is pretty cozy in there now. I have a light that I turn on when I have the generator going and they are laying about 6 a day again which is fine for now. hopefully as spring comes they will lay more. right now more than enough for me and friends.

 

[popsicle]

I didn't get to read this whole thread, sorry, but I have a question. It is currently mostly going down into the 40's F right now, but we'll have a dip into the 30's F this week (tomorrow night) and as winter hasn't even started, we will go into the high 20's F this winter. Here is my problem. I have nine 8 week old bantams living in the house right now because I haven't quite finished the coop yet. The house is cool, around 60 degrees, but if it's down into the 30's at night when I finish the coop, will they be ok? Or is that going to be too much of a shock? In other words, am I stuck with birds in the house all winter? (Please no!) Do I need to give this particular batch a heat lamp this winter? Is there something I can do to acclimate them, like ... I dunno, take them outside in the day, inside at night then after a while leave them outside? Ugh! Wish they could have been outside early enough to just grow used to the colder days!

I would think that once they're feathered out, that a 30 degree difference shouldn't hurt them too much--we have such swings on a daily basis sometimes since we live at over 5,000 feet and frequently see 30+ mph winds. Regardless, if they're in a coop out of the wind, rain, etc it should be a bit warmer or at least more comfortable than the outside. If you are concerned, you could put a heat lamp out there, and reduce wattage over the course of a few days/weeks until they are acclimatized--similar to reducing the temperatures in the brooder.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Ok, good to hear, thank you so much, popsicle

 

[chestypuller]

haha aint that the truth!

 

[vmdanielsen]

haha aint that the truth!

Reminds me of a joke I heard once......Never lend your wife nor your horse. Horse comes back skinny and wife comes back fat!!