thinking about winter

[Mattemma]

My chickens survived the single digits in a metal shed. I think your chickens will do quite well in those temps.As long as they have shelter from rain.

I added straw bales to the shed,and took warm water out 2 times a day.Sometimes I added hot water to some chicken feed/oats for a *warm* meal.

The cold was not as bad for them compared to BOREDOM and HAWK ATTACKS.

If your run gets too wet throw some straw on top and change that as needed.

 

[mulewagon]

Make sure you don't go overboard and cut down their ventilation! They just need a sleeping place surrounded on three sides to keep air from moving across them, and someplace to huddle out of the wind on the ground. There needs to be a lot of ventilation up above the roost level.

(Though be careful if you have snow blowing sideways - one guy posted pics a couple of winters ago of his coop full of snowdrifts! In that kind of weather, you'll need louvers or something over the vent holes.)

My chickens made it through last year's very unusual winter (snow a foot deep for weeks!). Their coop is a chainlink dog kennel - for winter we wrap plastic around three sides, with a gap at the top above their head level on the roost. The big problem was carrying water to them, as the hose would have frozen - I'm going to run a cord and use a heated waterer this year, to cut down on my trips.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Agree with above post on being careful not to block your ventilation. We only covered top and three sides of run with a tarp to give a non artic wind area and provided a heated waterer. Of course we got to -30F and had long spells of 0 F. You'll find in your area your chickens wont even be effected by winter. Probably be more active and healthy than your summer heat.

 

[mickeymousears]

Wow I guess I forget how spoiled we are here! On our coldest night ill remind the flock that some birds are drinking from frozen water and scratching in snow!!

Idk how you guys deal with weather like that! it gets down to 57 and we run for our sweaters!

Rain will be our biggest obstacle but I think we can make a tent from the tarp and it should stay fairly dry

Our coop is a 6ft triangle. With one full side covered in that wavey see-thru plastic roofing stuff (we live in a bit of a wind tunnel so that side always faces the way the wind blows). And the other side- the top part is covered in that plastic stuff and the bottom part is wire. And the 2 adjoining sides are wire and plywood. The bottom is just grass and we move the coop every few weeks to let the grass regrow and give the ducks a nicer floor (its 2 story the chickens took the top). BUT after reading about sand floors were going to do that! I think ill build a nest box for the ducks that way if rain does seep in they can get out of it-Altho I have a feeling they'll prefer the puddle.

Rotfl- just so you all know. A few years ago we decided to find snow since neither my husband nor I had been in it before (I guess he has a better excuse being from a tropical island) so we drove for HOURS way up in the mountains and finally found d some really slushy icey snow-i guess it was melting. I didn't realize how COLD snow was. I mean logically I knew it was cold but never realized that cold---and WET for some reason I never pictured it wet. Its like trying to explain the ocean to someone whose never been I suppose. Anyways the temperature was like mid 50s so a light jacket was fine but walking around in sandals wasn't such a good idea LMAO!! If I ever make it to snow again I'm wearing real shoes!

 

[nanawendy]

As I remember SLO can get windy and foggy... I'm a transplant also. The most important issue I believe is drafts. Your chicken coop needs to be draft proof. Good luck.

 

[citychickx6]

Thinking I want to trade homes for the winter with you.

We were -20 for the high last winter and that lasted a week.
We often get into the negs here in CO.
When we were out in the sticks we had an ice storm that took out power for over a week. The hens, geese and ducks did fine even with having to dump the ice out of the water dishes and haul jugs of water from the house.
I mean the gallons from the store not from the faucet. All our lines were frozen solid.

I think you are going to be more than fine.