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

[Mrs MIA]

I just read about your birds. I'm so sorry.

I know my birds wattles aren't bad, just wondering if I could prevent it. Nipple waterers must require heat tape or something to stay thawed, which I can't do. Each watt I use translates directly into gasoline for the generator in the winter when furnace is running and we have fewer daylight hours to charge the batteries. I currently use 1 gallon heated dog bowl that uses 25 watts. I guess I'll just have to choose breeds with smaller wattles. I've already placed my spring chick order and I can't change it now. We'll see how the black copper marans, Easter Eggers, barnevelders, welsummers, and red stars do. My rock's combs have been fine. Nobody has foot problems, thank goodness.
Good luck with the rest of your flock- I hope they heal ok. :-/

Yeah, the nipples and cups don't do well with the cold at all. Wasn't sure if you had the means or not. I think you'll be surprised that that particular bird will heal up to a point where you'd never know it was burnt. If I had been home, I would have used some vaseline on the guys.

Easter eggers should do fine... mine don't have any signs of frostbite anywhere.
The others will need watching. Truthfully, my orpingtons and Dorkings took the biggest hits on the combs and wattles. Any with pea/rose combs will do well in the cold. Chanteclers too. I think that if you can keep the coop dry, you shouldn't have too much trouble with frostbite. I use the heated dog dishes, and they don't dip their wattles much at all, though others have said they had a problem with it. If it's really cold, wattles can stick to the galvanized founts.

 

[off-grid hen]

Oh wow, I hadn't even thought of them sticking to metal! Youch! :O I'm glad I have a plastic dish. Thanks for the advice.

 

[chicken delighted]

wow!
i think i have spoiled my birds
i have a 113 of them and i have heat lamps running by the roost and waters. when the weather is above frezzing we start turning a few lamps off . we try to get them out side as much as possiable weather permitting. we have dirt floors with 4-6 niches of shavings. they love getting down to the earth and making a dirt bath.
our barn stays around 20-30 on cold days it might drop down lower on colder nights. so far just a few crusty waters. we try to keep the roos with larger combs and wattls vasaline up for protection. we are always learning something. think we might try the heated dog diah sound like a great idea.
i'll be glad when it warm agian

 

[Angiebubs]

I would love some input:

I have 14 chickens (2 bantys) in a converted barn coop that is 12 x 24 so aprox 288 sq ft. This is too big to allow body heat to build up. Tonight its suppossed to get to -10 and tomorrow night -12. I am concerned about putting out a heat lamp for fear of a fire hazzard. Do I need to worry? I have a mix of BR, orpingtons, etc.

I also have a tiny banty hen in a rabbit cage inside the coop and I put a towel over one side of the cage as well. She doesnt have anyone to cuddle up to for warmth...again do I need a heat lamp? (She has slipped hocks and havent yet decided to put her dwn :-( )

 

[6chickens in St. Charles]

I would love some input:

I have 14 chickens (2 bantys) in a converted barn coop that is 12 x 24 so aprox 288 sq ft. This is too big to allow body heat to build up. Tonight its suppossed to get to -10 and tomorrow night -12. I am concerned about putting out a heat lamp for fear of a fire hazzard. Do I need to worry? I have a mix of BR, orpingtons, etc.

I also have a tiny banty hen in a rabbit cage inside the coop and I put a towel over one side of the cage as well. She doesnt have anyone to cuddle up to for warmth...again do I need a heat lamp? (She has slipped hocks and havent yet decided to put her dwn :-( )

We have a few eternally broody silkie-mix hens who choose to sleep on the cold coop floor, each seperately inside a nestbox. Each nestbox is a tupperware, covered, with the doorway cut into one side of the plastic. I have to reach under each hen to collect eggs every day, and I do so after sundown (when I get home from work). This evening the indoor coop temp was 20 degrees. The outdoor temp was reading 8 degrees. I noticed they felt very warm when I reached in for my egg. They have naked broodygirl breasts, but they are very warm, in fact I feel guilty touching their warm bellys with my cold hands!

Maybe feel under your lone hen to see if she's able to maintain her own heat?

 

[bearcub]

I live in central British Columbia and we experience quite cold weather. Last night was - 40 C and tonight is -32C. I have 1 rooster and 3 girls. My coop is 6ft.x6ft. I have a heated dog dish and it works great. I have it elevated on a brick slab. I also have a 250 watt heat lamp for when it is minus 16C or colder. I also use a 175 bulb when its not this cold and I just want to keep it a bit warmer and light to encourage laying. I keep there door shut. When it is minus 7 or warmer they choose to go outside and the light goes out for the day. This is working well for me and my rooster and the girls are very happy. I also have shavings and straw in the nests and when it is really cold a bit on the floor near the nests.....hope this helps.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I would love some input:

I have 14 chickens (2 bantys) in a converted barn coop that is 12 x 24 so aprox 288 sq ft. This is too big to allow body heat to build up. Tonight its suppossed to get to -10 and tomorrow night -12. I am concerned about putting out a heat lamp for fear of a fire hazzard. Do I need to worry? I have a mix of BR, orpingtons, etc.

I also have a tiny banty hen in a rabbit cage inside the coop and I put a towel over one side of the cage as well. She doesnt have anyone to cuddle up to for warmth...again do I need a heat lamp? (She has slipped hocks and havent yet decided to put her dwn :-( )

My observations is that when it gets to about -10F, that's when the girls are like "Uh uh, I don't wanna go out." And I will find a small number grouped together in the lowest nest box for warmth. If you have a heavy duty cardboard or wooden box that's big enough for them to snuggle into when it's on its side, put in some deep hay, and they'll use the box for sleeping and trap their body heat in there. That way you don't have to do any major renovations to the barn.

 

[Taleweaver]

Thank you, Ms. AK-Bird Brain!. When we get our girls, we'll be north of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, you're much more north than we'll be. We were planning on at the very least having a single, red bulb for the coldest of nights, but also making sure the coop is draft free. I've been told that insulating the coop can be bad because it seals in humidity. So an insulated coop is not a good idea? I've also been told that chicken's eyes are easier able to handle a red bulb, over plain white. What is your experience with this?

 

[pwog]

I am new to all this as well. We have an insulated coop. I opted to go without any light in the coop for warmth. My seven girls are doing very well! I live in southern Maine.

 

[RaeRae2]

My hen house is one of my horse stalls, inside the horse barn, that is netted and has roost poles. I am in Wisconsin and it can get quite cold here in the winter. I have no heat of any kind for my chickens and have never had a problem. I make sure there is no drafts and breezes blowing on them. Their roost poles are wrapped in fleece for the winter so their toes don't have to hang onto a frigid cold stick. With the horses in at night and most of the barn all closed up, it stays about 15 degrees warmer in there than it does outside. The chickens and cats share a heated plastic water bowl.

My baby chicks are in my feed room, which is heated to 60 degrees. They also have a 250w red lamp but I am about to drop it down to a 100 wat in another week. They will be 3 weeks old at that point, and they will be mostly feathered.