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

[Triplell]

Thanks, Triplell. Looks like we're practically neighbors! LOL Princeton here. If your dishes stay open down to -25* then maybe I could try them outside for awhile and see if that helps. I'm sure windchill will also be a factor, but yours are holding out pretty cold, so it's worth a try. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm sure summer has a whole new batch of issues to deal with, but I find myself looking forward to NOT dealing with ice. Well, I guess that means this January is no different that all the past ones. LOL

We have one for the outside dog and he just simply won't come inside for nothing. His choice. It is never froze over but it did have some frost all around the edges. I just bought another one for another coop. Now all I need is one more and then I won't have to worry about breaking the expensive water tanks.

 

[PAchickengirl]

Crazy Pennsylvania weather...... High of 25 Monday, 50's Tues. and Wed. highs in the 20's tomorrow, even colder after that. I let them out for a while today, and they got a little wet. Hope they are dry before the freezing temps hit tomorrow morn. I threw extra straw in. I do feel confident they are just fine down to zero, as they did good last week.

 

[GhostRider65]

Talk about crazy weather be glad you don't live in NE Wi. we had a 54 degree day then changed to sleet rain snow, and down to 15 below by morning, and had a total of 12 inches of snow over 2 inches of frozen ice and slush, what a mess, and it hasn't warmed any either its been hanging around 5 to 10 below 35 below with the chill, its 10 degrees so the thermometer says in my coop. But this year though its colder than last year I have a couple chickens with frost bite and they have all kinds of ventilation, so not sure how that happened, I think the window must be letting in cold air right at comb level. my poor Delaware rooster looks like he will loose most of the points on hiss comb, and
I have a couple hens that always sit next to him that also have some frosty combs. 3 years with chickens and this is the first time, I think I should never have put the vasaline on the roosters comb. I think that made it worse and I'm gonna have to plastic that window.....Kim

 

[ImaChickenGirl]

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 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.

Where I live it dropped to -10F and I didn't even use heat!

 

[Triplell]

I am experinciing my first with frostbite. I have been using the heated dog dishes for two years now and nothing. Now one of my Roosters has his wattles half froze. I also gave a try at using Vasaline and it seemed to make worse. The only thing I can thing of he got his wattles in the water bowl once to many times. So now I am back to a heat lamp over the water font. I will just use it for the ducks for now. It is 5F above and been snowing most of the darn day. Spring just can't get here soon enough!!!

 

[off-grid hen]

Wet skin will freeze when it's that cold, almost instantly.There's not much you can do about it. I use heated dog bowls too. I have a rose comb brown leghorn hen whose wattles dip when she drinks. She gets a bit f frostbite on the tips, but it heals well and is fine. Not sure about a rooster's longer wattles, though. How much (about what percentage) of his wattles are frostbitten? Is it turning black or swollen?

 

[Triplell]

Well about 30-40 % is black and swollen. I went back to a heat lamp with a water fountain.

 

[CGinJCMO]

Interesting....USDA says not to put a heat lamp in the coop
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/birdbiosecurity/

CG

 

[Triplell]

Interesting....USDA says not to put a heat lamp in the coop
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/animal_health/birdbiosecurity/

CG

The heat lamp is only to keep the water liquid. I refuse to heat the barn where the chicken coop is. I would need at least $1500 a month to heat it. So not worth it. I would rather find frozen eggs then try and heat a 100+ year old barn. But thanks for the rip anyway. The temps here get very extreme.

 

[Rooster Rules]

Well about 30-40 % is black and swollen. I went back to a heat lamp with a water fountain.

I am further north than you in Manitoba Canada, heat lamp, and tiny oil rad heater for the deep freezes, and no issues whatsoever.
You folks can all do what you want, or what you can, but I have very happy little banties,that are frost free and healthy.
My small coop 6ft X 8ft x 7ft high, is dry, and I keep the temps just above freezing. This coop is insulated too, relative humidity is 45-55 %.
I am no expert, but can tell you, when it's 30 below, with a -45 windchill, this ain't 0 for a couple of nights this is the real deal cold, that folks in North Dakota Minnesota, and Alaska can identify with...