PingoBags
Chirping
Was the humidity high? Everything I've read said if the humidity is high and its cold, that can cause frostbite and or death.Most people say don't heat the coop, I didn't last year and lost a bird every cold snap we had, after 3 lost hens I added heat, never lost another bird all winter. My chickens stay in the coop during the winter, I don't let them free range, my coop is 4 horse stalls, one stall I converted to there coop and I let them run the other stalls. I put a radiant heater in my coop, also had a heat lamp pointed at there waterers. I had a wireless thermostat in there coop as well, I kept the coop around 35-40 all winter, just enough heat to take the edge off for them.
We had many days of -15 in Ohio. Do I suggest it? Not really unless hens start dying, I will not be heating the coop unless I lose birds.
I built an extra run (for the winter) onto my coop that has a solid roof and plastic on all side.
I knew it would be a humidity trap so I decided to add a exhaust fan at a later date, instead of a passive vent. We had 2 cold mornings and sure enough, some condensation on the inside of the plastic. I added the exhaust fan that morning and ever since, no condensation.
My coop/run is as cold as it is outside.
Right now its 10F out. I know at least my cockerel is alive, I can hear him crowing.
The coldest it gets around here is about -22F, but I'm in the warmer part of Canada.
I don't want to use heat but like you, I will if I haft too.