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

[blondiebee181]

I am actually sort of freaking out -- I have two hens, barred rock and EE, and it is COLD today -- hovering around 30 all day, snowing now, and tonight will be 10 (all F)-- I think the coldest its been for them (I'm in New Mexico). Its been pretty cold the last few days so they have been building up a tolerance for the cold; they are active and peck and eat all day so they aren't too cold to run around. The coop isn't insulated and not very big. The girls are on the roost tonight (sometimes they only want to sleep on the floor). Its snowing and I've made a fringe door out of a cotton tshirt to limit some of the draft coming in from their smaller door.

Do I need to protect/insulate them in any way for tonight, or should just leave them be? (I'm not going to heat them with any electric means because I don't have anything to do so at this point but maybe there is something else I should be doing?

Thanks!

Jabina, I think you will be okay. I live in Idaho and it has been FRIGID here. down to the low single-digits at night. My coop isn't insulated either but I bedded the floor with a thick layer of straw and I've been swiping combs with Vaseline each night to curb the frostbite. I think it was almost 0F the last two nights, right now the thermometer in the coop is reading 18F, can you believe that's like a relief right now? Haha. Make sure they have a covered place to get up off the snow as well. Stay warm!

 

[countrygirl74]

I agree with blondiebee181 - I have more chickens than you, but 3 of them are little silkies that are barely 3 months old at this point. This is their first winter and it was 0 last night here in Arizona. They all did fine. Mine are in an uninsulated, unheated coop as well. However, the one thing I do when I know it's going to drop into the single digits is give them extra straw. I have several inches in the bottom of their house as well as the nesting boxes so that no matter where they choose to sleep, they have that extra insulation to snuggle down into. I don't do the Vaseline because I don't have any with combs large enough yet, but we have been putting Vaseline on a family member's roos that lives here in the same town. Just keep the coop draft free with lots of straw and they'll be able to keep themselves warm. I think they enjoy when I bring them nice warm water and a bowl of oatmeal in the morning after a night like that!

(hint, hint)

 

[jabina]

Thanks for the comments. They were fine through the night, but now I can tell that they are really cold. They are both hanging out in the covered nesting box, although one is perched on the rim, maybe to give her sister space for laying a first egg. My barred rock, perching on the side, is fluffed up and shivering.If they aren't laying eggs, they ought to be in the coop where its warmer!

 

[cracked egg]

-20 here yesterday with the high for the day at 3. Birds stay in the barn and don't move around much,but they are all fine. keeping the water thawed is another problem. today we get a thaw and will reach the high teens

 

[Reurra]

Its been getting down to -23C for the last week. The last 2 days it got up to 40F The snow melted and the sun came out so the girls were let out for the first time in about 2 weeks. They really needed the time outside too! I keep lots of straw and bedding in the coop for them. They have been dust bathing in the shavings, its that deep! I dont change the shavings, just clean up and big droppings I see when i got in first thing in the morning. They are fat and sassy right now and doing well. I do think though that Cracker might have a touch of frost bite on the tippy tip of her comb. She wiped off the valasline pretty fast so I stopped putting it on.

 

[Triplell]

Right now it is 20F but tonite it will get back down to -10. I keep the water's free with a 100 watt red yard light. I was using the 250W but it was staying to warm in the coop and the smells started. With out any heat per say there is not much smwll now. I have 3 coop all conected on the south side of the barn and a third on the north side.

 

[palomino98]

This is the third winter I've been relieved to have this wonderful thread to refer to - thanks Mrs AKBB!

I'm in the east of England, near Cambridge, and tonight we have the coldest night so far for two years, the time's 00.30 and just hit -7C (about 20F). I will go to bed and stop fretting whether the birds are warm enough and concentrate on how to keep water thawed out for them tomorrow. An inch of wet snow fell on Monday and though clear except on the grass, it is freezing on top. The ducks worry me more than the hens, they don't go into their straw-bedded house by day and keep hunkering down over their feet every few steps. More snow is forecast for the weekend but we really get off very lightly compared to so much of the USA.

Keep warm and safe, 'night all.

 

[countrygirl74]

This is the third winter I've been relieved to have this wonderful thread to refer to - thanks Mrs AKBB!

I'm in the east of England, near Cambridge, and tonight we have the coldest night so far for two years, the time's 00.30 and just hit -7C (about 20F). I will go to bed and stop fretting whether the birds are warm enough and concentrate on how to keep water thawed out for them tomorrow. An inch of wet snow fell on Monday and though clear except on the grass, it is freezing on top. The ducks worry me more than the hens, they don't go into their straw-bedded house by day and keep hunkering down over their feet every few steps. More snow is forecast for the weekend but we really get off very lightly compared to so much of the USA.

Keep warm and safe, 'night all.

My silly ducks will sleep in their straw-bedded house during the day when it's about 30-40F out and sun is shining but at night will sleep out in the open when it's been 0-10F! They wake up with frosty backs.

I guess they know what they want to do....

 

[PeepinChicken]

High of 43 here today it's gonna get so muddy

with the six inches of snow melting fast.

 

[Angiebubs]

I have 24 of various breeds (all suppossed to be good cold weather breeds) and they are in a coop (converted barn) that is 12ft by 24 ft..so heat from each other isnt a factor that will help. I am worried as we are suppossed to get to a HIGH of -10 on onday meaning probably -20 at night. I am trying to decide if I should add a little heat or not. So far, its been down to about -5 at night and no signs of frostbite (I put vaseline or olive oil on the roos comb).

Breeds: Cochins, Opringtons, Faverolle, Barred Rock, Wyandottes, Sussex, Brahma, and Black sex link, Then some mixes as well