VERYCold Weather

[MTracy24]

Help! I live in Maine and my chickens are used to the cold weather (gets to be around 0 degrees on the coldest days). They are in a wooden coop with pine shavings, a heated water bowl and food. I do not have a light/heater of any sort because I’ve heard of the fire risks or if the power goes out, they cannot adapt to rapid decline in temperature. We are expected to have a cold snap…negative 20 degrees. Will they be ok? Is there anything I can rapidly do to the coop so that it’s warmer/better insulated? Appreciate any guidance.

 

[Debbie292d]

As long as they are out of the wind, that's the most important thing.

Here, we have silkies, some of whom are frizzles, and it's been subzero for days. We heat the coops to 40F as they wouldn't survive subzero temps for several days in a row, or weeks of it.

they cannot adapt to rapid decline in temperature

That's an old wive's tale or things you hear on Facebook. Ours transition 20-60 degrees some days.

For instance, they go outside when it's 10F, and come inside and it's 40F, every five minutes.

If there's places where wind can hit them, I'd cover those up. You can use a tarp or some I've heard staple feed bags to the walls.

 

[MROO]

If your coop is large enough, you can make a "huddle box." It's just a cardboard or wooden box (not metal!) banked all the way around with straw or hay. Growing up, our chickens and ducks stayed in the horses' lean-to barn at night and during weather events. We'd prop the chicken crate on top of a straw bale and stack straw bales on the ground to make a cave for the ducks. Both were in a small feed stall to keep the birds out of the wind and the ponies' noses out of the poultry's business!

 

[MTracy24]

As long as they are out of the wind, that's the most important thing.

Here, we have silkies, some of whom are frizzles, and it's been subzero for days. We heat the coops to 40F as they wouldn't survive subzero temps for several days in a row, or weeks of it.


That's an old wive's tale or things you hear on Facebook. Ours transition 20-60 degrees some days.

For instance, they go outside when it's 10F, and come inside and it's 40F, every five minutes.

If there's places where wind can hit them, I'd cover those up. You can use a tarp or some I've heard staple feed bags to the walls.

I can’t heat the coop though

 

[MTracy24]

If your coop is large enough, you can make a "huddle box." It's just a cardboard or wooden box (not metal!) banked all the way around with straw or hay. Growing up, our chickens and ducks stayed in the horses' lean-to barn at night and during weather events. We'd prop the chicken crate on top of a straw bale and stack straw bales on the ground to make a cave for the ducks. Both were in a small feed stall to keep the birds out of the wind and the ponies' noses out of the poultry's business!

Not sure if it’s big enough to do that but wondering if I should throw a tarp over the top of the coop to held with the wind. And maybe some cardboard around the inside perimeter of the coop.