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

[Mrs MIA]

Hey there Alaskans! Here in Illinois this week we've been 40 degrees!

It's like we flew south for the winter, but without the flying! Wish you had some of this easy winter.

I'm sure the winter will hit us eventually. Last year the big snowstorm hit in February. We're not heated or lit either, we're ready for the cold with our big fat chicken feathers.

In my own area, this has been an easy winter. We've only hit the -20F and below a couple of times since the snow first flew, so I'm happy. I'm personally good down to about 0F... I'm still running around in a sweatshirt. Below 0F, well, NOBODY likes that. 23F today, and raining lightly... Weird warm front moved over. Supposed to get 7-12" of snow, but I'm not holding my breath. Sure glad I raked the thick snow-pack off the chicken runs a few days ago... that light fluffy snow turned to LEAD.

 

[aubreynoramarie]

hey cold experts. I have a question.

In the morning when i let the girls out the sun is already up and shining (around nine-ish to let the rooster get all of his good crows out before going outside).

well the waterer outside is sort of frozen but the waterer in the coop is COMPLETELY frozen. also there is frost on the INSIDE of the windows but not the outside. Is this a ventilation issue? I have two vents, one on the west side and one on the east side. I worry about frostbite.

 

[scottcaddy]

hey cold experts. I have a question.

In the morning when i let the girls out the sun is already up and shining (around nine-ish to let the rooster get all of his good crows out before going outside).

well the waterer outside is sort of frozen but the waterer in the coop is COMPLETELY frozen. also there is frost on the INSIDE of the windows but not the outside. Is this a ventilation issue? I have two vents, one on the west side and one on the east side. I worry about frostbite.

I'm NOT an cold expert <BG> But is your coop floor raised up off of the ground? Where cold air can freeze the floor from the bottom as well as the top? A water pan setting on the ground is getting a little heat from the dirt. I don,t know about your ventilation issue.

 

[roxysly]

Wow I feel so bad after reading the input from all of you pros ( those having to deal with the real cold) I have only 9 hens and I have had 250 watt bulb in the coop, since Sept and i live in the Pacific Northwest...Silverton,Or. Geez I haven't seen 5-10 below since the late 1970's and that was in Michigan on the Great Lakes.
I'm sure like one of you mentioned, I have probably wrecked my birds ...from babying them too much. Its so true...we (animals and humans alike) are really very capable of acclimating if we just let things be...
I use to hate seeing that happen with my friends raising their first kids, now I'm guilty of it with my chickens...LOL I mean I wouldn't let them throw knives around but I shouldn't be caudling them so they don't even grow proper feathers.

from restless hens in Oregon

 

[aubreynoramarie]

I'm NOT an cold expert <BG> But is your coop floor raised up off of the ground? Where cold air can freeze the floor from the bottom as well as the top? A water pan setting on the ground is getting a little heat from the dirt. I don,t know about your ventilation issue.

we have a resin shed on the ground. shucks!

 

[Farmerboy16]

We had lost power for about a hour and a half last night to a snow storm. The temp was in the low 20s. When I woke up, and saw my alarm blinking, I panicked, and got dress quickly for I had week old chicks in the brooder shed outside. They looked fine, but lost 1 week old chipmunk Icelandic chick. It was weak to start with, caused by a loss of blood at hatching, and I think that it was smothered by the other chicks. I had 3 of the fully feathered month old chicks with them, and I think that they had saved the younger chicks by allowing the younger chicks under them like broody hen, but they are roos, so I thought that was funny and cute. So, next time the power goes out, I will not worry so much. Guess they are hardier then I thought.

This was taken a week ago-

 

[wyododge]

hey cold experts. I have a question.

In the morning when i let the girls out the sun is already up and shining (around nine-ish to let the rooster get all of his good crows out before going outside).

well the waterer outside is sort of frozen but the waterer in the coop is COMPLETELY frozen. also there is frost on the INSIDE of the windows but not the outside. Is this a ventilation issue? I have two vents, one on the west side and one on the east side. I worry about frostbite.

Most likely yes, you have a venting issue. HOWEVER, your bedding may be damp as well, which does not necessarily reflect a venting issue. My coop is pretty wide open, but when it is -10 to -20, everything freezes (and HOLY CRAP is chicken poop hard at -10!!!). As it warms, things get wet first, then if warm enough, evaporates. If not, it just stays wet and/or freezes again. I mix in new bedding and DE to dry things up. Sooooooooooo, if your bedding is dry, or new, and you still have frost on the inside of the windows, that would indicate there is not enough ventilation to keep the moisture from respiration/evaporation down.

One thing for sure, you simply can not have to much ventilation. And don't fall for the drafty coop garbage either. These birds were designed to live in trees and bushes, a freaking hollow log is an improvement over natural surroundings. You can see on my page a window in the back of my coop, and the screened opening in the sliding door. Window out, shutters open, -10*.

Good rule of thumb, when in doubt, ventilate - ventilate - ventilate. Fresh air cures almost anything, and prevents almost everything else.

Just my opinion though...

 

[toofarout]

Looks like the *high* for today at my place is -44F. At 10am it was -47F. Yes, the heat lamp which is just outside of the chicken "coop" in the barn has been plugged in. It isn't directly over the chickens and is secured to the ceiling peak very well and in multiple places.
I think I've decided (for this winter at least) how to manage it. The extra heat lamp will get plugged in under several conditions.
Prolonged cold spells because the number of chicken and goat bodies isn't high enough to offset the loss of stored heat in the walls/roof/bedding. temps of 0F to -20F at night are not cold enough btw.
When temps. go down or are supposed to go down to about -30F/-35F or lower, so heat lamp would be plugged in for overnight then unplugged at about 7am (unless the daytime temp. is predicted to be quite low (then it will stay plugged in).
During days like today.....
Anytime the chickens won't walk around for more than a few minutes before they sit down to cover their legs and feet. So, they will tell me when in that case.

A quick drop in temperature isn't a big deal, but the longer the temp. stays down at around -30 the colder the barn gets, with no relief during the days because there is no sun and the daytime nighttime temps. are very close together.

Maybe next year or *someday* I'll change this, but for now I'd rather get through this winter without killing any chickens.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[toofarout]

Yep, at -10 those chicken poops are hard! And on days like today I think those poops freeze before they hit the ground.

(and that is me, hiding from the frozen bombs)

 

[toofarout]

Farmerboy16, I love your rebuilding your farm page.