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

[Sweetly Silkies]

A few years ago when we started this 'journey', we decided they needed to be kept warm in the coop. 40 chickens, needed around 3 heat lamps PLUS heated watering.

where we got that idea i dont know, all i do know is that it got EXPENSIVE. all the girls by winter were fully feathered and probably a month away from laying.
the next few winters, we decided it to be wise to just add one to the coop, still very costly. but that winter there was only four, so they didnt have too much body heat to spread around (all the others got taken by animals, foxes? maybe, but it took 36 birds in one night.)
This winter, with the 60 birds, there will be no heat lamp.

 

[Chickety Charcoal]

I have had 5 hens in an uninsulated coop without heat for 2-3 years now and they have been fine. The coop is even in a shady spot of the yard so it doesn't get the warmth of the sun all day and they are still good to go. They huddle together at night and I bring in their water so it doesn't freeze overnight. We get temps in the 20's for about weeks in winter and some days drop into the teens but rarely colder than that.

My question for mediterranean or 'non-cold hardy' breed caregivers: What do YOU do if anything for winter? Do these birds need warmer temps as opposed to the hardy breeds (i.e. egyptian fayoumi vs a buff orphington). I am interested in expanding my flock and breed selection and want to know if I should avoid certain breeds in my climate zone.

 

[chestypuller]

-15f no sun, 5 hens and they are all still happy, straw for insulation.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've had several mediterranean breeds of hens in St. Louis MO. Anconas, Leghorns, Minorcas, Penedesencas, with lows down to -5 or lower with high humidity and all did OK. Very little frostbite. The roosters are a different story and get frostbite below 20. I stopped using pans of water for them to keep them from dipping their wattles.
It gets quite hot here too so they seem to fare better in summer than the heavy breeds.
A favorite is the Jaerhon. It's not from the Med but Norway. It more closely resembles mediterranean breeds though - a less meaty bird, light feathered, white egg but with a small comb. It seems to handle very cold as well as very hot.
I would think however that breeds from regions that don't get cold like Fayoumi and Cubalaya would be a different story.

 

[newmusher]

Post a picture and maybe we can help you out. Now I'm also curious what they are. Maybe Buckeye or Rose-comb RIR from the description of dark red with short comb?



about my chickens. I will take a picture and post it soon. weather here has gone up to -2 yesterday and the girls loved being out in their winter patio all day. colder today but it is supposed to stay warm for a couple more days.

 

[New Chick Love]

It was -12 C with windchill here today and my girl laid her first egg in a non-insulated coop. And there were a ton of other feathered friends like bluejays and juncos flittering about and they didn't seem to mind the cold either! I'll save the heat bill for the house this winter where my toddler eats and sleeps!

 

[LadyKotaDoria]

ETA 12/10/10:  This was posted in response to a FaceBook post from someone in Florida that had two 250w heat lamps on their birds and it hadn't even dipped to freezing yet.   I am not going to tell you NOT to add heat, but if you do, understand that you are restricting their normal acclimatization and will likely have to continue to pamper them through the winter.  I personally cannot afford to heat all 4 chicken houses, and with careful observation have determined that they are perfectly fine down to 0F with so-so housing, and lower with properly set up/insulated housing.  That said, continue reading! /img/smilies/smile.png


It is in the 50's here in Arizona, my nephew was surprised that I let them out. I told him that they will be alright. They are free to come and go, to keep them warm all the time, even as pullets would keep them from acclimating, make them soft. It is true that the 40+ degree change is a lot but I am sure they can handle it. They have one heat lamp that they do not use very often, at even at night. In another week I expect the youngest to be ready, and they will lose the warmth of my house. I have not turned on the heat so it dose get chilly. I put on more cloths. I plan on putting a 75 watt balb in their coop. That, I beleive will thaks the chill out.


It dipped to 0F this morning.  I knew it was coming, so I added fresh shavings to the pen, added a pile of hay in the corner, wished them well and said good night. 


Did I run around  running extension cords from the house to plug in 500 watts of heat?  No. 


Did I add any heat?  No. 


I have ~ 20 12-16 week old juveniles in a hoop run - this is my "grow out" pen".  The pen is about 10'x16', and is covered by your average tarp.  Black plastic covers the areas that the tarp misses, but the end with the wooden door is open 1" chicken wire.  It's not insulated, it's somewhat draft free, but with 20 mph winds, nothing is really draft free.  And did I mention no heat lamps?  /img/smilies/smile.png 


All my babies were running around this morning like it was a summer day.  0F, no signs of frostbite, no signs of suffering... well, except for the fact that their water was frozen solid and they were thirsty... but they're happy now with fresh water.   The adults were happy with fresh water, too. /img/smilies/smile.png



Did I mention it was 0F?  And no heat? /img/smilies/big_smile.png 


I'm just saying...  SO many people ask when they should add heat.  I understand... I'M cold! But I'm not wearing a down coat. /img/smilies/wink.png   I, for one, can do without a $600 electric bill for one month.  Want happy, healthy, safe birds this winter?  Hold off on the heat.

 

[bruceha2000]

I've had several mediterranean breeds of hens in St. Louis MO. Anconas, Leghorns, Minorcas, Penedesencas, with lows down to -5 or lower with high humidity and all did OK. Very little frostbite.
....
I would think however that breeds from regions that don't get cold like Fayoumi and Cubalaya would be a different story.

Hasn't gotten real cold yet. I think +7F was the lowest. The Cubalayas are fine. They have tiny little pea combs unlike the Anconas that have HUGE combs. But all the girls are fine so far though some are more interested in going out in snow than others. No real snow yet either so we'll see how much they are willing to tolerate to get outside.

Bruce

 

[Our Roost]

Not a single solitary comment has been made by you "THEY DONT NEED IT PRACTICERS" has changed my mind about using heat in my coop! I have made the necessary preparations within my coop in the event "I" decide to use it "IF AND WHEN I FEEL IT IS NEEDED". I've heard about all the negative comments I care to listen to on this subject. Apparently we all have different perspectives. To heat or not to heat is closed for me.

 

[Triplell]

I am from Northern MN and I only use the heat lamps to keep the water open. I use the red 250w and nothing more. My coop is in an 100+ year old barn that I have done my best to keep the drafts down. The I use plastic on the indoor walls that are in the barn. I have 5 sections that are all connected. Each pen is 12x13 and 12 ft high. This is an old dairy barn. I had lots of trouble trying to heat it and keep it at 32 degrees. The cost was astronomical, $300. per month for just 2 sections. OUTCH!!!!!!!! Now I am at 50 per month for 5 sections. Each pen houses around 21 chickens. The senter of the barn is my 13 ducks. The geese are outsde with a straw bed that is 5 inches thick. After each snow I fluff it up again and shake the snow off. Last year my Rooster had so much frostbite that he lost most of his wattles and 75% of his comb. Ventilation has never been an issue since I no longer try and heat it and don't seal up the very top with plastic. We get many power outages and last year I lost 9 chickens do to the cold. Now they all have lots of feathers. Our temps have been 25 to 35 degrees during the day and at night -4 to 20 degrees above. I don't worry about them surviving as long as I keep the water open and food in thier dishes 24/7. Our coldest temps can get to -50 degrees and without their proper winter feathering they wont survive at all.

Did I mention NO INSULATION.