what are you doing for cold nights?

[bawkbawkbawk]

when I put my nose in their neck and asked what they wanted for xmas the response was the same. They all wanted open faced roast beef sandwiches. They said chicken and turkey was way over rated and that humans could get salomonilla [their spelling] and die a horrible and painful death! So I reassured them that they were not on the menu as long as they held up their end of the deal and their little lips curled back in a relieved smile. I do love them so!

That is so sweet.

I have a question: how cold is too cold? We don't have heat in our coop. I'd say the absolute coldest it would get here at night would be in the high 20's and that would be rare. More typically it's in the mid 30's to mid 40's during the coldest winter months. They can handle that, right?​

 

[fldiver97]

should be fine for the breeds you have. Can I send my girls over in a few weeks? It will feel like summer to them then....

 

[mdbokc]

Uninsulated, 8x12, walk-in coop and almost record cold snap here for this time of year. I always close the pop door at night...Ft Knox time because of possible predators. But it makes a big difference in temp as the air flow through the pop door and open south gable end can really move the body heat out. Small, twin, 50w infared lights above the roost if the temps are going below 20 degrees for an extended period. I have a temporary, wintertime, extended ceiling in the winter, 4' from either end to keep the nests and roost out of any drafts or cold air from the gable opening to come in and down upon the birds. I used construction plastic stapled to the bottoms of the roof trusses. This is one of the features that several state coop extensions said be sure to do to keep them draft free in wintertime from openings above their heads.

We will then likely go to close to record highs this Sunday with temps in the 60s. Wild temperature fluctuations seem to make it hard for the birds to easily adapt to the lower temps and I watch them closely with low temps to see how they are doing. Then adjust accordingly to keep them healthy.

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

fldiver - I grew up in the MidWest and am not sorry to have left those COLD winters behind! Hope you and your chickens can stay warm!

 

[fldiver97]

Quote:
I grew up in Germany but lived in Florida for almost 17 years before I came to WI in 2005....sometimes I miss it....My Greyhound hates snow but my Malamute loves it....she was miserable in Florida. But I certainly don't miss the humidity, or the hurricanes....or the gigantic roaches.....May change my mind though in February....But so far I've managed winters, will keep an eye out for the chicks and do what needs to be done. Hot Cocoa for me now.....

 

[bawkbawkbawk]

gigantic roaches

actually think I'll take my chances with CA earthquakes over those creepy crawlers!

Stay warm!​

 

[PatS]

We had the coldest night in 10 years a couple of days ago -- 12 degrees, our thermometer said 18F. We have an insulated coop, but it insulates better in summer. Inside the coop has been almost as cold as outside. I have closed the pop door for night, and taken the waterer inside (the double walled one froze -- not good). In the morning I fill it with warm water and take it to them. No heat or heat lamp.

The birds fluff up on the roost at night, and a couple dawdle in the nest box when they lay an egg, but they seem pretty content to run around barefoot on the ice almost all day long. I've worn five layers on top and they don't even fluff up when they are out in the day! Some of them have been taking dirt baths in the "sun" -- by their looks, you'd think they were on a beach in Cancun!

 

[LovinMyPeeps]

Quote:
Everyone thought I was crazy to leave my red heat lamp on when we've been hitting temps like yours (Im only south of the Canadian border by 5 miles) I have a temperature gauge with a humidity meter to check out if it's dry enough. My kids won't go out either. I have this pic of my mille fleur booted rooster looking down like "what the heck is this stuff??"

Ironically I picked these fella's up from a TSC in a snow storm! His name is actually "dark and stormy".

 

[Equus5O]

The past few days, while I've been at work, my mother's been letting them out of the coop in the morning. She told me that the coop waterer was frozen and the thermometer was at about 20F. I don't have a meter in there for humidity, but so far it seems okay to me, although a temp. of 20F does concern me.

 

[wildorchid053]

hubby gets so concerned with his babies that when it hit the teens with strong winds he turned on the heat lamp.. i noticed none of them were below it but at the farthest ends of the roost.. so apparently they were fine without it. it hit 29 today so i made him turn it off.. he was not happy lol