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

[TeamChaos]

This is my first winter with chickens and I am really surprised by how toasty their coop is in the a.m. and how many of my ladies insist on going out, if only to lounge in the straw bale solar hut.
My problem is that the water freezes and I'm not able to run electricity to the coop. I bring warm water out twice a day and it worries me to see the ladies and gents dip their faces down into the water to drink...

 

[huckleberryfarm]

Sadly I lost two chicks today. They had been fine during the last week of cold weather. I have a coop open with a heat lamp. They were both just lying dead in the run. Maybe they were trampled? Hard to know. They do not sleep in the run so I'm confused. I'm very ready for some above-freezing temps!

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quote:
Buckeye girl seems ok tonight. She seems a little skinny, but her crop is full.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
Buckeye girl seems ok tonight. She seems a little skinny, but her crop is full.

Watch her crop, don't feed tonight, and make sure it's empty in the morning. If it isn't, she may be impacted.

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Only -17F this morning. Buckeye girl seems fine, likes her leftover quiche.

I have to confess I added some heat lamps to keep the coop at least in the 20's.

The Jaerhon Rooster is going to lose points from his comb anyway.

I guess this just means I have to stick to breeds with pea combs.

Too bad. I love the large single combs.

 

[woodmort]

If you're considering heating your coop go to the Random section and read this thread https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=429673 on the fire. May change your mind.

 

[vfem]

Its colder then its ever been this time of year here. I have not bothered to do anything different, and my chickens seem fine... they are out pecking away as healthy & happy as they are when its 70 degrees out.

I have some extra hay I am going to pack in to the coop just to thicken up the insulation... but I've always done that.

Most breeds are just FINE with cold weather... some of them molt heavily in the fall & grow back extra thick feathers to be prepare themselves. Its natures thing! Let nature do its thing, as my husband says.

Double check your breed though, I am sure there are 1 or 2 breeds that don't do well in cold.... but I think they are pretty rare breeds. I can't think of the name of one I know... but I can picture it in my head!!!

Point being... unless they are standing in ice or snow, they can take it!

 

[Mrs MIA]

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Woodmort, there was another one last night.

Please people... it is 12 degrees outside here, and the wind is howling so hard that the house is shaking. Friends in the Valley are losing windows and shingles (and power) due to Cat 1+ force winds. We lost power last night, but I don't have heat on my birds so they never noticed the difference.

If you insist on heating your birds, you HAVE to be sure to secure the lamps to the ceiling or walls, and be sure to dust them off every day. BE SAFE!!! Don't make me have to

anyone!!!

 

[vmdanielsen]

OK more experienced chicken keepers!! I have a question. I am getting frozen condensation on the ceiling of my coop. I have a heated pet bowl of water all night with them. Do or will chickens drink at night? Can I remove the heated bowl with water at night? I think this is creating more evaporation and condensation than I would like to see. Even on these cold days (-9F) everybody seems OK. Draft free coop, with ventilation in the soffits, though we may close one of the soffits if it gets windy. Everybody is going out everyday We shovel them a path and they scratch under our 10'X28' porch everyday. So about the heated waterer.............
Ginny

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quote:
Your concerns are valid and I appreciate the reminder.

My lamps are each secured to three separate points (paranoia) and are postioned away from where birds normally fly. I dusted them last night (a lot of dust, do not underestimate the amount of dust chickens give off). I agree this should be done daily, I probably do it every 3 days (bad me

)

We are looking into sweeter heaters or other less flamable devices because of fire danger. The DH keeps wanting to use a milkhouse heater (open elements that get hot with a fan), which I have so far been able to talk him out of. Those are not designed for high-dust.

I would rather not heat at all, but the boys hope to show the birds so we need to try to keep wattles and combs intact.

I agree with the original point of this thread, most southern chickens will not need supplemental heat, even during this cold snap.

Even most midwest flocks that are experiencing the same temperatures as we are will be ok, assuming that combs and wattles are not that important to you. The birds I have that have lost parts of combs and wattles really do seem ok. It seems to bother me more than them.