Tuesday it will be twelve degrees

[ChickenCanoe]

Buff what? Buff Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Orpington, Ameraucana, Minorca, Leghorn, Cornish, Brahma, Cochin, Chantecler?

Those other breeds will have no problem with Kentucky temperatures. Forget cold. Think about fresh air. That is even more important than fresh food and water.

Frostbite usually happens when there isn't enough ventilation and humidity builds up in the coop.

 

[J99]

Buff what? Buff Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte, Orpington, Ameraucana, Minorca, Leghorn, Cornish, Brahma, Cochin, Chantecler?

Lol sorry Orpingtons

 

[CindyinSD]

It’s been down to the minuses here a few nights already. No fall season for us. (Sigh). My four drakes refuse to sleep in the coop. They’re even tougher than chickens. I did put a bale of straw out in the run (the chickens and turkeys spread it around) to insulate their little feet, but they’re just as happy laying down right on the snow.

The chickens go into the coop (a metal tool shed) at dusk, and sometimes a jennie to two if it’s really nasty. Otherwise the jennies like roosting on the roof. The ducks flatly refuse to go in except during the day, for food.

I have deep bedding in my coops. It’s mostly straw bales and wood chips, but sometimes they also get some spoiled hay (not moldy but not good enough to give to cows). When it gets a little stinky I toss it over with a pitchfork and/or add more bedding. The birds spread it around. It’s a great activity for them on a cold, snowy day.

You’ll get tired of putting Vaseline on combs if it gets cold frequently where you are. I’ve given it up. My birds seem to hate it more than frostbite, but they’re semi-wild. They are, all of them, unbelievably tough. Make sure they have a place out of the wind (except mature heritage turkeys—they do not care at all) and they’ll be fine.

 

[aart]

Ok I just read something about petroleum jelly for their combs and waddles???

No, not a good idea.

You’ll get tired of putting Vaseline on combs if it gets cold frequently where you are.

Plus it doesn't do any good.

 

[J99]

Ok so cut down drafts by wrapping if neccesary, use straw for the ground, make sure they get good ventilation feed them scratch corn in the evenings
Get a heated dog bowl or break the ice off waters often

 

[CindyinSD]

I use a bucket heater from Amazon. It’s called K & H farm essentials Ultimate Bucket Heater. Really, it’s a deicer, not a heater. It’s reasonably priced and uses very little electricity. It doesn’t turn off if the water level falls below the deicer (which sits on the bottom) and if temps fall below freezing thus triggering it to turn on, it will burn out if not immersed. So... you want to make sure the birds can’t tip your bucket over and also keep an eye on the water level. This is what I do.

Alternately you could dig a large hole, line it with fresh manure (as from a cow) and put your bucket in there so it just sticks out a few inches. Top dress with dirt or straw, etc. I haven’t done this but it sounds like a great idea. I’m not clear on how you clean & refill the bucket, but maybe it just slips in and out without the manure collapsing into the hole... You wouldn’t want to use too big a bucket in case a chicken falls in, so she can manage to get back out. The manure heats up as it composts, keeping your water from freezing. I got this idea from R2elk.

If I lived in KY, I’d probably just change the water as necessary. It has to be changed anyway, and it’s usually not cold for that long in KY. When I lived in FL I thought KY, etc. was really cold, but now I live a mile high in western SD. KY sounds like HI.

 

[hayley3]

A woman I know covers the ground in straw to insulate them from the cold ground and gives them shelter from the wind and she lives in Chicago. I use a small heated dog bowl for water but I only have 6 chickens. I think shelter from the wind is most important.