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

[Tikkijane]

they are talking 14 tomorrow night.  I think I should put some shavings in there tonight when I get home.  They just don't go on the roosts, one is really low and they just ignore it.  Sometimes they will sit on it if they are up before I let them out, or maybe during the day, but never at night.

I'm going to worry, that's just me.  I was on a silkie page on facebook and someone said it's going to be a hard winter on the birds.  I'm going to get a big thing of shavings today at TSC.  My coop isn't good for the deep litter because of the doors.  

I don't know where you are at, but lots of folks on my side of the country reported earlier than normal molts. My horses got their winter coats in a bit early, too.

I like to give some scratch at night and I always up the protein in the winter to help them stay warmer.

Where's the silkie page on FB?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

... My coop isn't good for the deep litter because of the doors.

I put a tall board across the bottom of all doors, some shavings still come out but a 1X4 or 1X6 usually does the trick.

 

[Alaskan]

The sand is the only material in the coop?

Currently where my chickens sleep.....is only sand, over a dirt floor.

There is no way I will put anything on the sand...sand by itself is just so easy to clean.

I do have poop trays with sweet PDZ and nest boxes with hay and a little powdered sweet PDZ.

All of my chickens perch.

I wouldn't worry .....but if you did, I would add a plastic pan, like one foot by 8 inches and 6 inches deep and fill with wood chips and put that on the floor.

 

[Tikkijane]

Currently where my chickens sleep.....is only sand, over a dirt floor.

There is no way I will put anything on the sand...sand by itself is just so easy to clean.

I do have poop trays with sweet PDZ and nest boxes with hay and a little powdered sweet PDZ.

All of my chickens perch.

I wouldn't worry .....but if you did, I would add a plastic pan, like one foot by 8 inches and 6 inches deep and fill with wood chips and put that on the floor.

That's a good solution for floor sleepers. Mine are in with the nesting boxes and could hop in those with the broody if they needed to. Not my ideal solution, of course. I think her concern was for her floor sleeping bantams.

 

[schnebbles]

Yes, I want my floor sleepers warm. Why didn't I think of putting some shavings in a bin? duh! brilliant idea. Of course, I already threw a bunch of shavings in the coop, but I can clean them out and put them in a bin or box.

The silkie page is called American silkie bantams on fb.

what's pdz?

 

[Tikkijane]

Yes, I want my floor sleepers warm.  Why didn't I think of putting some shavings in a bin?  duh!  brilliant idea.  Of course, I already threw a bunch of shavings in the coop, but I can clean them out and put them in a bin or box. 

The silkie page is called American silkie bantams on fb.  

what's pdz?

Thanks!

Sweet PDZ is a stall deoderizer. I can find the pellets in my TSC in with the horse stuff in the horse care aisle as opposed to the feed and shavings area. If you can find it, ask. Mine is quite often out......

 

[schnebbles]

Thanks - thats the same ingredient in some stuff I got in a really small container at TSC, but it's marketed for coops. I'll buy the big size next. I'm sure it's cheaper. It was $5-6 for the small one which might have been 2#.

 

[gmendoza]

My silkies are in one coop with bantams only. They are floor sleepers and sleep in the under-coop.Its cozy warm.Five of the bantams have a roost in the run where they sleep.The coop is useless except for laying eggs in the communal egg box and for the community center in the middle. The roosts have never been used in there.

The big girls sleep in their big coop on the roosts.Some smaller ones sleep in the communal egg box, but Ive been training them not tne sleeps on the floor because she has no use of her left foot (limpy). she can get around and eat good. she is just grouchy because of her gimpy foot. the girls make sure she has room.

One hen sleeps in the run on the ground.I thought she was an outcast, but caught her hunting mice at night.

 

[farmchickutah]

My coop is sand over dirt and now I have added lots of leaves and will be adding wood shavings. It gets anywhere from 0 to -30 here in the dead of winter and I will not be adding heat. We have had chickens for many years and have never had heat in the coop.

 

[gotthefever]

Wow! Old thread but it was prolific, and the best one I found to demonstrate letting chickens be chickens with a bit of help here and there.

I am new, first winter i SE PA. Mother nature loves to slam us with surprises here, no gradual easing in for sure!

I had to decide quickly whether to insulate or not..heat lamp or not (easy choice, not), bedding and water.

I really want all to sleep in the garage anyway but there is just no where to put the run near by. I might still have them in yet...predator worry...gonzo.

For now. 2 SF 2 D'ucles share a 3x3x3 doghouse conversion. I added a cookie tin heater to waterer for daytime as the wind blows over the water through the door during the day. The big girls peck through the ice film, but this am it was solid in the dish. The cookie tin heater with 20 xmas lights inside did the trick. Off for night, because they are sleeping and why waste a fire hazard, I have to go out in the am to check on the sweeties and open the door anyway.

They seem to like the coop, They probably, actually have something different in mind, compared to what humans have designed, but think they llike it because they hang out in it. My hands and ears were about to fall off in 20 degrees but they seemed completely normal, scratching in the run and sunbathing, but in the coop more than out,,

I want to add a bit of insulation because it is just thin walls, and i feel they should be able to get a break from relentless bitter cold should they choose...

HOWEVER...I worked with Horses. If they are allowed natural grow wonderful hair....been out in the middle of the field in low teens with horses snoozing in the sun, and you do just want to lay on them (if there wasn't barn work) We have to remember as humans we do not have this undercoat or those down feathers.

I get it. Animals are generally all set if you leave them alone.

If I add a bit of insulation to the tiny coop with few birds, would I hinder more than help?