Travel and freezing temps

[Er5]

Hello! I have 5 backyard hens in south central Tx. I don’t deal with colder temps much but it just so happens that our forecast is saying the low will be 14*F right when we are traveling for Christmas. We will only be gone 2 nights so I was planning on having a neighbor check in for food and water but now I’m wondering what else needs to be done? I considered bringing them into the garage for while we’re gone, but not really sure how to set them up in there. Anyone have any brainy ideas for keeping hens safe in cold temps while traveling? Or setting up temporary makeshift spaces in garages? thanks in advance!

 

[NatJ]

The chickens themselves might be fine at that temperature, but water could be a problem unless you have it heated. Normally, I would deal with a cold snap by just bringing them fresh water frequently: when they wake up (sunup or when lights come on), replace it every few hours until the day is warm enough that it stays thawed, and check again an hour before dark. But I don't know if your neighbor is willing to do that!

If your garage stays warmer than outdoors, bringing them in might help with the water issue. If the coop is very exposed to the wind & weather, the garage might also help the chickens by providing more shelter.

If you want to bring them into the garage, you might do something like this:
--lay a tarp on the floor (protects the floor)
--lay big piece of cardboard on the tarp (keeps the chickens from ripping up the tarp)
--make a pen from anything handy, and make sure you put a top on it to prevent flyouts
--include roosts and nestboxes
--add bedding, feed & water, and chickens

For making the pen, if the garage is predator-proof and weatherproof, you only need it to be strong enough to keep the chickens in. So you can use materials like cardboard and tape, chicken wire, play yards or kid/dog gates, BBQ grills or oven racks, chairs with a sheet or shower curtain zip-tied to them, and so forth. Try to have at least some sides open enough to let air & light through.

For size, allow at least 4 square feet per chicken (=20 square feet for 5, but larger is always better), and make it at least 2 feet high (higher is also better.)

For a roost, a sawhorse could work, or a board across any two supports.

For nestboxes, you can turn a cardboard box on its side and fasten it to the side of the pen (so it doesn't tip over when a chicken sits on top of it.) For 5 hens, 1 nestbox might be enough, and 2 should certainly be plenty.

Of course anything you use will get chicken dust on it, and most items will get chicken poop on them as well, so think about which things you are able to clean afterward, and which ones you are willing to throw away.

Everything in the entire garage will get VERY dusty.

The chickens need some light in the daytime, which might come from the sun through garage windows, or you might put a light on a timer, or if there are no other options you could leave the garage light on the entire time. Two days of constant light will not do them any major harm, but that would not be my first choice.

If you are going to set up a temporary pen, it is best if you do it sooner rather than later, so you can check frequently in the first few hours. If they get out or collapse something, you want to fix that before you leave!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Unless your coop is extremely open (i.e. true open air set up) it shouldn't be a problem other than the water. Assuming you don't have a heated waterer the important thing is making sure the neighbor knows to bring them fresh liquid water a couple times a day.

 

[Er5]

Y’all have been so helpful, thank you!!! I’m going to try and rig something in the garage. I hate asking a neighbor to do multiple stop by’s on Christmas these are just the ideas I needed and I’m so appreciative