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

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I love Alaska, Ms Ak, do you have any pics? What made you decide to move there from San Diego? Which part are you, what's the weather like?

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:

We do... I'll have to send some links to you.

I actually lived in Seattle and Fort Collins, CO before moving up here... Mom hates that I just kept moving farther away.

I visited in '95, and loved the crisp, clean fresh air and beautiful views so much that I swore if I had the chance to move up here, I would. 2 years later a job opening came up that I was invited to take... the rest is history. Been here 12 years now, and love it.

The really cold days are a challenge, but the summers are worth it.

We live on the Kenai Peninsula, near the Kenai River. A little town rarely seen on maps.

Current and historical weather here:
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=99672
Photos here: http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/imagesearch.html?handle=AKSnowLuvr&handlebox=1&submit=go

San Diego is always home as long as family is there, but I could never go back. I think I've been "hermitized".

Oh, and the weather here... Brisk and cold in the winter (and dark for all but about 5 hours a day) and balmy (60s-70s) in the summer. We don't see stars from May until September.

 

[ellieroo]

Have too ask this .... Why do a lot of BYCs assume chickens can handle the cold so well?? After all the chicken comes from jungle fowl The ones in 90plus heat with like humidity. They evolved from Dinos again not cold weather beings.How many of you have spent a really cold night in your coops even with a down sleeping bag?? I just wonder where the theroy came from ??

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Um.... because they can? And have for years.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quote:
Blasphemy!!!

Hey, this is how I get my husband to stomach my chicken related expenses.

"The electric mesh fence can go around the gardens to protect the sweet corn from racoons when we do not have chickens...."

"The Hoop House shelters can be covered with plactic and used for green houses when we do not have chickens...."

"The pine shavings I bought for bedding will make good mulch for the gardern and beds so I won't have to buy any of that in the spring...."

"The insulated Coop-room you built in the pole shed will make a nice insulated work room when we do not have chickens...."

 

[prairiepearls]

Quote:
Blasphemy!!!

Hey, this is how I get my husband to stomach my chicken related expenses.

"The electric mesh fence can go around the gardens to protect the sweet corn from racoons when we do not have chickens...."

"The Hoop House shelters can be covered with plactic and used for green houses when we do not have chickens...."

"The pine shavings I bought for bedding will make good mulch for the gardern and beds so I won't have to buy any of that in the spring...."

"The insulated Coop-room you built in the pole shed will make a nice insulated work room when we do not have chickens...."

Love it!

 

[prairiepearls]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Quote:
Um.... because they can? And have for years.

I think the key is they *come from* jungle fowl, as you say. Just like dogs *come from* wolves, but aren't wolves any more. Chickens have been domesticated & bred for centuries to suit the climates they were brought to.​

 

[Raen]

Exactly. Try putting your wolf-descendant Chihuahua unprotected in an Alaska winter. My goofy little mutt dog starts shivering when we let the temp in the house get down to 60. She's not exactly as well equipped to deal with the cold as her ancestors. Likewise, certain chicken breeds don't do well in the heat, being bread for cold-hardiness.

 

[TheyThinkI'mTheirMom]

We live in southern Maryland, and my husband has messed with raising chickens since he was a boy. I had grandparents that were farmers, so am no stranger to chickens either. We raise them for eggs and pet-type reasons. [I love them a lot] We disagree about winter.....so this thread has been very informative. Our current crop are 3 RRIs about 3 years old, and 3, very beautiful, sex-link Golden Reds not quite a year old. They live in a 12' x 12' heavy chain link enclosure. The roof is chain link so there is no covered area per se. We don't put anything on the ground, ever. They sleep in a roost with 3 1/2 covered sides and a door that can be closed; it has a roof and is about 4 feet off the ground. It doesn't have a floor, they perch on 2"x2" which go across the roost, so the cold does pour in at night. This is the only covered area they can get to when the weather is wet, unless they go up into their sleeping quarters. We have two laying boxes with straw, a feeder under a small roof and a stainless steel water container that we pour boiling water over in the winter when the water is frozen.

Last winter I put down several layers of cardboard over the 2x2 roosting perches inside their sleeping quarters and put newspaper down on top which I cleaned out daily and put fresh newspaper down. I covered the chain link perimeter roof and sides with tarps to keep their exposure to snow, rain and wind to a minimum, and to reduce the level of mud I had to go through to feed and water them. At night, after they went up to sleep, I would close the door to their sleeping quarters so they could keep each other warm.

After reading this entire thread, I think keeping wind and mositure to a minimum during the cold winter months is desirable. But I would surely appreciate your imput about whether or not I should do all that I did last winter, as described above, or just let them, and their living areas, just be. My husband says he has never lost a chicken to the cold, and I should do absolutely nothing....

I think this forum is so helpful and this topic is dear to my heart

 

[geebs]

I will argue on behalf of my roosters.. Do I use a light... Yep... not a huge heat source. Those of you to have chickens get frostbite know what I am talking about... Loss of comb will render your rooster sterile.. Think about the consequences of that if you are breeding for sale... Not a good deal to be without the cornerstone of the flock.. I opt for a heat source... They can choose to use it or or not and guess what they do??? Yep you guessed it.. they opt for comfort.