- Thread starter
- #661
Think it's too cold for your chickens? Think again...
- Thread starter Mrs MIA
- Start date
It is SO cold here!
Almost 11AM and it's 36 degrees outside!
crazy weather.
Almost 11AM and it's 36 degrees outside!
crazy weather.
Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :
I am looking forward to hearing stories from people in the midwest battling this blizzard...
BTW, if you haven't yet, please read at least the first post...
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Colorado Plains here... about 1 hour southeast of Denver. Dipped to negative 18 or 19 last night, is neg 8 right now, and expected to maybe get to zero to 5 degrees today.
Had to bring in 2 of my chickens because only 2 in that little pen, they didn't have enough protection and body mass to keep them warm. They are in my chick brooder coop in the garage but they are the only ones who are NOT mad at me for bringing this cold weather.
My other chickens are getting frostbite, and my goats are shivering. Should be slightly warmer tomorrow (but with snow), and on Friday and Saturday may be getting into the 40's. Another storm expected Sunday.
Thinking I'll build some quickie temporary "coops" for the chickens and goats in my garage. If I can figure out how to do it with no money and barely any supplies. I have cardboard boxes so might do something with them.
I realize the original poster meant to reassure us that our birds are just fine in very cold weather, and there's the "survival of the fittest" thing but still ... I need peace of mind.
Just my two cents.
I am looking forward to hearing stories from people in the midwest battling this blizzard...
BTW, if you haven't yet, please read at least the first post...
===========
Colorado Plains here... about 1 hour southeast of Denver. Dipped to negative 18 or 19 last night, is neg 8 right now, and expected to maybe get to zero to 5 degrees today.
Had to bring in 2 of my chickens because only 2 in that little pen, they didn't have enough protection and body mass to keep them warm. They are in my chick brooder coop in the garage but they are the only ones who are NOT mad at me for bringing this cold weather.
My other chickens are getting frostbite, and my goats are shivering. Should be slightly warmer tomorrow (but with snow), and on Friday and Saturday may be getting into the 40's. Another storm expected Sunday.
Thinking I'll build some quickie temporary "coops" for the chickens and goats in my garage. If I can figure out how to do it with no money and barely any supplies. I have cardboard boxes so might do something with them.
I realize the original poster meant to reassure us that our birds are just fine in very cold weather, and there's the "survival of the fittest" thing but still ... I need peace of mind.
Just my two cents.
Quote:
===========
Colorado Plains here... about 1 hour southeast of Denver. Dipped to negative 18 or 19 last night, is neg 8 right now, and expected to maybe get to zero to 5 degrees today.
Had to bring in 2 of my chickens because only 2 in that little pen, they didn't have enough protection and body mass to keep them warm. They are in my chick brooder coop in the garage but they are the only ones who are NOT mad at me for bringing this cold weather.
My other chickens are getting frostbite, and my goats are shivering. Should be slightly warmer tomorrow (but with snow), and on Friday and Saturday may be getting into the 40's. Another storm expected Sunday.
Thinking I'll build some quickie temporary "coops" for the chickens and goats in my garage. If I can figure out how to do it with no money and barely any supplies. I have cardboard boxes so might do something with them.
I realize the original poster meant to reassure us that our birds are just fine in very cold weather, and there's the "survival of the fittest" thing but still ... I need peace of mind.
Just my two cents.
I think it depends on what your birds are used to and how your set up. My chickens don't like the cold either but I am holding out on the heat lamps thus far.... But when you see big Negative numbers you have to do what you think is right! For me that involved me freezing MY FINGERS and putting vaseline on their combs. Anyway you can make the space smaller for them is a good thought to start with (again make sure you have ventilation as that is how my roosters became frostbitten in the first place - or because of lack of it), Scratch right before dark so that they have a full crop. And if you do go with heat just make sure you are safe in how you do it! Seriously none of us will look down on you for going that route but just make sure your birds are safe in how you do it.
Good luck!
===========
Colorado Plains here... about 1 hour southeast of Denver. Dipped to negative 18 or 19 last night, is neg 8 right now, and expected to maybe get to zero to 5 degrees today.
Had to bring in 2 of my chickens because only 2 in that little pen, they didn't have enough protection and body mass to keep them warm. They are in my chick brooder coop in the garage but they are the only ones who are NOT mad at me for bringing this cold weather.
My other chickens are getting frostbite, and my goats are shivering. Should be slightly warmer tomorrow (but with snow), and on Friday and Saturday may be getting into the 40's. Another storm expected Sunday.
Thinking I'll build some quickie temporary "coops" for the chickens and goats in my garage. If I can figure out how to do it with no money and barely any supplies. I have cardboard boxes so might do something with them.
I realize the original poster meant to reassure us that our birds are just fine in very cold weather, and there's the "survival of the fittest" thing but still ... I need peace of mind.
Just my two cents.
I think it depends on what your birds are used to and how your set up. My chickens don't like the cold either but I am holding out on the heat lamps thus far.... But when you see big Negative numbers you have to do what you think is right! For me that involved me freezing MY FINGERS and putting vaseline on their combs. Anyway you can make the space smaller for them is a good thought to start with (again make sure you have ventilation as that is how my roosters became frostbitten in the first place - or because of lack of it), Scratch right before dark so that they have a full crop. And if you do go with heat just make sure you are safe in how you do it! Seriously none of us will look down on you for going that route but just make sure your birds are safe in how you do it.
Good luck!
I was so worried about my girls - our temps never get this low. (Last nite was 4, then a high of 10 today and the same tonight) I closed them up in the coop, made sure they had water,food. Oh yeah, we covered one of the windows with plastic since it is on the North and does leak a little. This morning they just looked at me like WHEN are you gonna let us out. Except for the frozen water and an empty heated waterer, they are fine!!! Melting snow right now to give to them since our water is frozen to the house.
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Crazy blizzard here in Kansas (along with alot of other states!) on Mon and Tue. Now the cold arctic air has decended. We had -24 wind chills with 30mph wind last night. It's supposed to be -8 tonight. I kept them in the coop most of the day yesterday. My coop is part of a large barn. The coop is large, so it is difficult to keep them warm. They don't have any drafts directly on them, but there are openings or slits inbetween the barn boards in places. The windows are boarded up with a 3" gap at the top for ventilation on the E,S and W side. My RIR rooster has a bit of frostbite on his comb so maybe I don't have enough ventillation. I have two heat lamps. One near the roost and the other by the nest boxes. It only warms the coop up a few degrees.
I think they are going stir crazy
and they are longing for green grass and sunshine. Aren't we all!
I think they are going stir crazy
Blizzard? What Blizzard?
- Thread starter
- #669
42° here yesterday for a high, rained a good bit, and now it's 24° and maybe 1/2" of snow... *sigh*
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