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

[dirtsaver]

I have another silly question. We get blustery days here, and like today, it was blustery and chilly (low 50's high) and can get quite chilly at night to the low 40's, plus once in a while we get a storm, with rain, wind and it can be quite cold. Yet when building my coop, I kept reading they need lots of ventilation. Now I'm worried they get too much of a draft? The coop has open "windows" on 3 sides from 4' to 5' on the 5' high walls, the roosts are about 2 ' off the ground, and there are up to 1/4" max spaces where the doors are hinged, so air could blow through there. Do you think they'll get sick from the draft?



This is a picture of the coop while under construction. Do I need to worry? Sorry, I know you all say they can live in really cold weather, but I understand drafts are bad, then I understand lots of ventilation is required... now I'm second guessing...

Considering your location I think your coop will be just fine. Just for the really cold windy nights you could have some plywood panels cut and ready to block the vent on the windy side. Also check the coop when the chickens are on the roost how much distance there is between the girls heads and the bottom of the vents. I suggest at least 8-10 inches there. If less,you may want to make a panel to block enough of the vents so the girls are not getting direct wind(drafts).

 

[darkmatter]

 

[BethanyS]

a few days before I put my little ones outside I started keeping them beside the back door what house was the coolest. the night before we put them out I dropped the thermostat down to 57

with a heavy heart I put my 6 week chicks the outside on Christmas Eve morning in their new chicken tractor . the first night I was pretty confident they would be fine we had lows in the mid to high forties. I added a cardboard box into the coop part with 1 hole for them to get In N Out and several small holes around the top for ventilation. I assumed they would spend most of their time in that box but they were thrilled to run around on the ground and hop all over the inside of the coop area which is open wire on the bottom. I have been to check on them several times during the day havent seen anyone shaking or shivering huddled together. I am concerned that they are not sure where to sleep lol every afternoon once the Sun is went down I go out to find them in the bottom of the tractor piled up in a corner. I will place the into their box make sure they settle and leave them to sleep...... okay so I check on them about midnight to make sure no 1 has fallen out of the box lol. on Christmas Day it was a little bit colder in the mid thirty's and very windy so I wrapped the bottom part of the tractor with a tarp leaving 1 skinny and open and face step away from the wind. I believe it was 30 degrees this morning when I went out and check them they were happily chirping in the top of the tractor and everyone seems fine

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[Clover Run]

Love you tractor - did you build it - did you have a set of plans - please share

a few days before I put my little ones outside I started keeping them beside the back door what house was the coolest. the night before we put them out I dropped the thermostat down to 57 with a heavy heart I put my 6 week chicks the outside on Christmas Eve morning in their new chicken tractor . the first night I was pretty confident they would be fine we had lows in the mid to high forties. I added a cardboard box into the coop part with 1 hole for them to get In N Out and several small holes around the top for ventilation. I assumed they would spend most of their time in that box but they were thrilled to run around on the ground and hop all over the inside of the coop area which is open wire on the bottom. I have been to check on them several times during the day havent seen anyone shaking or shivering huddled together. I am concerned that they are not sure where to sleep lol every afternoon once the Sun is went down I go out to find them in the bottom of the tractor piled up in a corner. I will place the into their box make sure they settle and leave them to sleep...... okay so I check on them about midnight to make sure no 1 has fallen out of the box lol. on Christmas Day it was a little bit colder in the mid thirty's and very windy so I wrapped the bottom part of the tractor with a tarp leaving 1 skinny and open and face step away from the wind. I believe it was 30 degrees this morning when I went out and check them they were happily chirping in the top of the tractor and everyone seems fine

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[BethanyS]

i cant take credit for this one. against my wallet wishes lol I purchased it from a friend whose 16 year old son has built these all summer. I was really impressed with it. I can't say the 1 that I have going is going to look as beautiful as this 1 haha Merry Christmas little chicks. they got the most expensive present in the house lol

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I have another silly question. We get blustery days here, and like today, it was blustery and chilly (low 50's high) and can get quite chilly at night to the low 40's, plus once in a while we get a storm, with rain, wind and it can be quite cold. Yet when building my coop, I kept reading they need lots of ventilation. Now I'm worried they get too much of a draft? The coop has open "windows" on 3 sides from 4' to 5' on the 5' high walls, the roosts are about 2 ' off the ground, and there are up to 1/4" max spaces where the doors are hinged, so air could blow through there. Do you think they'll get sick from the draft?



This is a picture of the coop while under construction. Do I need to worry? Sorry, I know you all say they can live in really cold weather, but I understand drafts are bad, then I understand lots of ventilation is required... now I'm second guessing...

Your coop looks perfect to me. What you are describing isn't cold.
I have BIG windows (1/3 of the wall) on opposite sides at roost height. I shutter the windward window for storms or temps below 10.
Properly acclimated most chickens prefer 30F to 80F.
I have 2 week old chicks in an unheated coop with 2 heat lamps. It gets to the high 30s in the coop but toasty under the hover.

 

[chickster2012]

I want to ask those who have frizzles,silkies, cochins, and crested birds all small birds how do your chickens do in the winter? I worry to death about mine. I do all I can to keep them safe. How do others who have these type of birds keep them warm?

 

[countrygirl74]

I want to ask those who have frizzles,silkies, cochins, and crested birds all small birds how do your chickens do in the winter? I worry to death about mine. I do all I can to keep them safe. How do others who have these type of birds keep them warm?

I can't answer for all of these, but I have 3 silkies in with my 9 other regular-sized hens and they do fine. One of my silkies has found a "buddy" and sometimes I've noticed they sleep together away from all the others in their house. It is not heated and the temps have already dipped to 15 at night. All of them are just around 9 weeks old too and they are doing fine. My little white silkie likes to burrow under all the other hens - sometimes all I can see when I close them up for the night is her little head peeking out from a pile of feathers. LOL. Someone else will need to chime in on how they do it with ALL small birds as I have some that are not bantams to cuddle with them.

 

[cluck-cluck]

Thank you everyone! I do believe they have at least 8" over their heads when they roost, dirtsaver, thanks! And thank you ChickenCanoe. The lowest it ever gets here is about 28 degrees, and it has to be a still night to get that low (no wind, wind brings warmth believe it or not) so I feel better about it! Not sure I'll be good at fitting a plywood cover, at least not this winter, but I'll have a tarp handy for the windward side!

Chickster, I have Crevecoeurs, which are an awful lot like polish, and they live in the above coop. Seem to be ok, except that, like I've said, it doesn't get very cold here like the rest of the country so I'm sure that's no help to you

 

[vmdanielsen]

Thank you everyone! I do believe they have at least 8" over their heads when they roost, dirtsaver, thanks! And thank you ChickenCanoe. The lowest it ever gets here is about 28 degrees, and it has to be a still night to get that low (no wind, wind brings warmth believe it or not) so I feel better about it! Not sure I'll be good at fitting a plywood cover, at least not this winter, but I'll have a tarp handy for the windward side!

Chickster, I have Crevecoeurs, which are an awful lot like polish, and they live in the above coop. Seem to be ok, except that, like I've said, it doesn't get very cold here like the rest of the country so I'm sure that's no help to you

You could also try a thin sheet of plexi glass. It would be easier to handle and you could leave it up all winter. It would let light in. Pull it out and store in the coop during summer months when more ventilation is good!!