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

[shchinchillas]

Our preparation for winter is as follows:

We are currently introducing the 12 week old flock into the adult flock so they can be housed for winter. The adult birds have access to and from the barn 24/7 and have no added heat supplements. They've been as the temps get colder, including the silkies that also free range.

Right now the 12-14 week olds aren't out free range yet. They are let out supervised, so we can monitor the interactions between the adult birds and them. They have a room that is about 20'x40' (side room of the barn; used to be the "chicken" coop YEARS ago when my fiance's grandfather farmed). They have pine shavings on the floor, and one 100 watt lamp hanging. Sometimes they are under it, sometimes they aren't. When the entire flock is introduced, the lamp will be removed and that will serve as the "winter housing" for the birds. They'll allowed out to roam, however that will serve as their "coop". Currently the adult birds do not have an "offical" coup and take up roosting in the barn with the horses.

We do have 4 week old chicks that were hatched by a missing hen. Those chicks will be moved into the "coop", but in a smaller pen where they will stay until spring with a low wattage bulb in a corner. For us the birds go from the basement in a brooder to the medium sized pen that is outdoors, and then into the "coop" where they remain cooped for a few weeks, and then are allowed free-range access to the pastures.

When I told my fiances family that people actually put vasoline and such on the birds to prevent frostbite..they laughed at me. Told me straight out that the birds don't need it, and when they farmed them they did nothing other then let the birds use their natural insulation for the cold.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Bantams do need a little more attention. The only birds that I've ever had cold-related issues with were my Millies. I would do a gradual acclimation, if you can, unless there are a lot of other birds they can snuggle with.
As for the birds not going outside, it's your choice. I personally only feed/water outside so that they don't spend all the time in the coop. They come out, eat, drink, and if they're cold they go back in the coop. But they poop outside.

I'm sorry you lost birds...

I don't have the wind or snow like that... just the cold temps. I'm sure it was the wind and snow that caused the most distress. At that point I would probably close them up in the coop and not let them out until the wind had passed, but I still probably wouldn't heat it. As time goes on, you figure out what works best for your flock.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:

I do believe the vaseline helps, at least a little. I had one rooster that did not belong to me, and he was the only one I rubbed vaseline on last winter. He's the only one that didn't get frostbite. That was before I stopped heating the coop... the moisture is what did the boys in... so far so good.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Quote:
They would need a covered run...if you get lots of wet snow, it can be deadly to them.

That's the issue with my crested chickens...they stand out in the snow and then get soaked to the bone...and then start dropping...LOL it's a wonder bantam Houdan and LF Creves are not extinct already!

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

Down here is FL the coldest it gets in the winter is 30 F with a wind chill of 20 or so, so in plastic shed that is not insulated would leghorns (and other floppy combed birds) be okay?

 

[TwistedSerpent]

That's what they are, Millie D'Uccles. They just did not seem to be able to handle it, and I have never seen a bird so close to death recover so well.

How well do they do in deeper snow? We've got about a foot here already.

 

[t4dbirds]

Thanks for the posts. I was worried all night that my girls would get too cold. I only have two cochin bantams, ones a frizzle. I have a bench like coup that my sister was nice to make for them. I've added lots of wood shavings and more hey last night when I saw it was going to snow. The temp is 36 and it did snow some. Since they are not full size, and their is only two of them, is it ok to leave them out in their coop? During the day I open the door and they can run in and out of their coup.

thanks

 

[NickyPick]

Ok, I know in Alaska, it gets cold and stays cold, so your chickens adapt. My question is this: here in Houston, our winter temperatures range from 80/60 one day, then a drop to 50/38 the next, then a couple days later, it's back up to 80/60. My horses never know when to start growing a winter coat or not, so some never do. Last winter we would have weeks of 70/55, then a sudden drop down to 20/12!!! The cold snap would last maybe 2 days, then it would swing back up to 70/55. It was crazy. Would the chickens really be able to handle that kind of sudden temperature drops and rises without a heater in the coop? The horses get shivery, so I will blanket the ones that don't grow any winter hair, but what should/could I do for the chickens?

 

[eleanorkay]

My chickens are all bantams about 7 months old. Is there any thing special they need since they aren't a standard chicken? I live in zone 5 in Michigan.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Hollywood, your chickens should be fine.

Twisted Serpent, I would not put Millies in the snow. Their feathered feet get too wet/cold, and you wind up with frostbite on their feet. Covered run, or don't let them out at all. My Millie pair has a 4x4' pen, inside on shavings, and never go outside except in the summer.
t4dbirds, if it were me, I would give them the choice of being able to go outside. I leave the pop door open all the time, only dropping the towel over it to block drafts if it starts dropping in temps or gets windy. They still have the option of going outside, though.
NickyPick, if they have a coop to go into to get out of the elements, they should do just fine with those temperature drops.

Their down "coats" do a good job of keeping them warm. If it drops like that and gets super windy, then perhaps coop them up until the wind stops, but you shouldn't have to worry about the temps.
Eleanor Kay, since they're all bantams, you might want to give them heat if they start acting like they're miserable... i.e. huddled in a corner all fluffed up and not moving. Again, if they have a size-appropriate coop where they can get out of the elements, they should be fine.