Three hens in single digit temps

[SamLockwood]

Back before I covered my run I had three old hens (one was over a decade old), that would never sleep at night in coops. They even stayed out when we hit single-digits a couple years ago. I rigged some plastic on the one side of the run that was exposed to wind, and that night they got up on their roosting bar, sat on their feet, and tucked their heads under a wing. It looked like a trio of feathered footballs resting on a shelf.

They emerged fine the next morning, I think your birds will be OK in that setup.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

this year I have added a radiant heater: it is very safe it has two settings one is for brooder and one for heat and its VERY mild..We have hung it up right behing where the girls roost and seems to be helping I leave it on day and night during this awful cold spell..

Good to know! I'll maybe invest in one for next year! Luckily my three ladies did fine... the night it went down to 0, when I came to let them out in the morning, it was 14 degrees in their coop, so they did a good job creating heat.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

Back before I covered my run I had three old hens (one was over a decade old), that would never sleep at night in coops. They even stayed out when we hit single-digits a couple years ago. I rigged some plastic on the one side of the run that was exposed to wind, and that night they got up on their roosting bar, sat on their feet, and tucked their heads under a wing. It looked like a trio of feathered footballs resting on a shelf.

They emerged fine the next morning, I think your birds will be OK in that setup.

This is heartening to hear! My girls did just fine through the worst of it and generated a good bit of heat for three chickens in a big coop (it was 14 degrees in their coop and 0 outside when I let them out the worst morning).

Now I have one struggling for unknown reasons, but the extreme cold is behind us thankfully.