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

[RareBreedFancier]

Wow, I can't believe how low the temps some of you experience are. Good thing chickens have downy feathers to keep them warm!

It's also reassuring to know I have about 0% chance of frostbite here. I like my roo's combs the way they are.

 

[dolly85]

The temps are supposed to hit negative 20 tonight and stay that way for a week or so. Ugh. Summer please!

 

[ellieroo]

There is a down side to letting the chickens just be chickens.My neighbors chicks have frozen feet because he read they can take the cold as long as no drafts Well so now his chickens are meeting the great chicken in the sky and he is not a happy camper! I've spoken up before and been slammed but it really comes down to common sense. Do you really really think your chickens love those freezing temps?

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

Quote:
Do I think they are happy- To be honest except for the frostbite on my roosters they do look happy. I don't want them to be cold- trust me I don't but I also don't want to have a barn fire that the heat lamp might cause. Cooked birds would not be a good thing either. I end up giving them extra scratch so that they have a full crop before bed. I am also putting out extra straw for them to bed into if they do get cold but the chickens are stubbornly on their roosts. Hens are still giving me eggs even if they are frozen eggs. The water is also frozen but I end up hauling hot water just for them.

What do you do for your birds in the cold? How are you protecting against fire if you are adding heat? And how much more is your electric bill? How many birds did your neighbor have and in what kind of space? (it does make a difference)

 

[Mrs MIA]

And I didn't really think I'd have to reiterate it again, but this thread was originally posted in response to people in FLORIDA, back just before Thanksgiving, had two 250w heat lamps on their birds. That is just silly.

a) everyone's conditions are different. Adjust your housing/bedding accordingly.
b) everyone's chickens are different. Adjust your conditions accordingly. I'm not saying "don't add heat". What i'm saying is, they have a down coat... just because you're cold doesn't mean they're cold, and hold off on adding a heat lamp unless you can afford to waste the energy. Our furnace went out, and doubled our electric bill before it was fixed... if I had been heating the coops, too, we would have had to take out a second mortgage.

My birds personally hit a -20F threshold, where it's no longer fun for them. However, even at -20F, after I've made myself into a clown by chasing down every last bird and tucking them onto a perch, I will find that a handful of birds have popped back outside to sit in their favorite spot. Even my little silkies. Some are stupid, and insist on sleeping on the floor in the corner. And wind up in my "medical ward" with swollen feet. If I find someone "complaining" about the cold by their actions, I bring them in. But 99% of my birds are running around doing their important chicken stuff all day long, no matter what the weather. Today was 10 above, but WINDY. Birds were outside, even though their coop is above freezing, just from the body heat in there.

Are they having fun? Can't say. But I really don't think that 40°F in Florida is cause for heat lamps.

 

[woodmort]

It is a case also of knowing how to prepare your birds and their environment for the cold (the same thing can be said for summer's high heat). If someone's birds have frozen feet it is probably because they have narrow roosts or not enough litter on the coop floor. Also, never over estimate the intelligence of a chicken--sometimes you just have to do things--like keep them locked up--to prevent their doing damage to themselves.

 

[jeannieo]

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Yes, the proper thing is to know your conditions, your birds and your goals, and check the animals regularly for problems of any kind.

If you need perfect combs and wattles for shows, your goal is different from the backyard flock and your actions may therefore be different. We are going to get -25 temps over the weekend. Those combs and wattles will need supplemental heat.

But another poster made sense too: when selecting breeds of birds and your planned housing arramgements, pay attention to your climate. Big single combed roosters will suffer in these low temperatures. I have a flat-topped SS Roo, who certainly acts like nothing has happened. But he was my warning not to look at those big sombed breeds to show, because I cannot easily keep them intact.

 

[ellieroo]

Yes one does have to reiterate several times over!! People do not start reading from post one on but jump in and don't have all the facts.I have read some of these posts and thought IF I didn't know better chickens could live in a snowbank and that is WRONG ! Finally words of wisdom know your birds know your coop and most important be prepared for mother nature.We went from 60 to 10 with winds of 20 plus mph and it stayed for 3 weeks! BUT I've lived here 40 yrs and was ready.Have no heat lamp in my coop because normally our winters are mild but I have bales of straw waiting......

AK Bird and woodmort and JoAnn all I ask is please caution readers that snowbanks are not where chickens prefer to live and as this thread moves along reiterate what has been said here so those who jump in know Please!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
It's a good point... maybe instead of writing it all out for the 20th time, I could just refer them back to the very first post that says it all.

My poor fingers are getting tired!

Sometimes we get snow blown into the pen, and a few brave birds will scratch around in it... but for the most part, they don't like the snow on their feet. Given the choice, they prefer bare ground. Which is not any better for their feet. For some reason, my girls like to rearrange the bedding in the coop, and manage to clear out one corner down to the floor. That's where the smaller birds wind up, resulting in frostbitten feet. So every day, sometimes twice a day I have to go in with a pitch fork to push the bedding back to that corner.
For newbies that are still trying to figure out the best bedding/housing for their areas, talking to locals that have done it for years, and asking on this forum are the best ways to possibly skip that learning curve.

I'm also sure that given the choice, the birds would much rather be in Florida right about now... just like me.

So... ANYONE JUMPING INTO THE MIDDLE OF THIS THREAD WITHOUT READING EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, PLEASE READ THE FIRST POST.
Everyone commenting here is stating their personal experiences in their own area with their own conditions. ONE WAY DOES NOT FIT ALL. And if you can't stand the thought of letting your chickens experience below-freezing temps, that's fine. We are not judging anyone. Just please be aware of the fire hazards, and other health risks to your birds if you don't take the time to research it and do it carefully and properly.

Especially if you live in areas that routinely stay in sub-zero temps.

The primary message of the OP was to not panic if you suddenly dip below freezing... the birds really can handle it in most situations.