when is it too cold for bugs?

[frankenchick]

I've read that chickens need a boost in feed when the bugs go to ground for the winter. My Q is: when is it cold enough for bugs to hibernate (or whatever)? We've been having 50 deg. days (weird for us in Nov.); is that too cold? The chickens are still busy pecking and scratching - are they not finding much?

 

[Big C]

Depends on the specific insect but average temp degree would be around 45. In our greenhouses we maintain a low of 45 degrees (or less if not maintaining a selling crop) when we are not producing a crop. This allows us to effectively naturally clean and sanitize all growing space using very minimal chemical controls.
At 45 degrees or less most all insects will "hibernate".
They will find all that are available. As an example, insects that affect tree leaves usually hibernate around the trunks. On our farm we have a large population of elm trees. Each year we usually have problems with elm leaf beetles. From year to year infestations can be more or less.
This year was an especially bad infestation year. Now our flocks pasture so they have been extremely busy scratching around the trunks of every elm tree in the pastures eating the over wintering elm leaf beetles.

 

[Akane]

About 3 weeks ago if you're in Iowa. My chickens started ranging farther to find forage and eating lots of poultry feed again about 3weeks ago. We've had 2 snowfalls already though.

 

[Kanga77510]

Mine are still finding the random bug or two, but in south Texas it's average in the 60s during the day. A few days ago one of the girls found a massive Texas cockroach, man that was fun to watch!

 

[MaggieRae]

Quote:
For us in Texas, it's after the first freeze that all the bugs go away. Right now, we still have all the butterflies and creepy-crawly's with our 60 degree weather.

 

[Kanga77510]

Quote:
For us in Texas, it's after the first freeze that all the bugs go away. Right now, we still have all the butterflies and creepy-crawly's with our 60 degree weather.

Do we get a good freeze in Texas? I'm south of Houston and eager to see what this "winter" will bring. I'm sure it'll be easier than my former Alaskan ones.

 

[MaggieRae]

We're a little farther north, but we still get that coastal wind. Daytime temps rarely drop below freezing, but we get a couple of good freezes every now and then at night. (easy on the chickens, because they're in bed all cuddled up already!) We don't get snow, though, We get ice. Awful stuff. Good news is, all the kids get out of school because their parents don't know how to drive on it. I'm from Chicago where they go to school unless there's a blizzard outside.

So that was a bit of a shocker.

 

[Big C]

Quote:
For us in Texas, it's after the first freeze that all the bugs go away. Right now, we still have all the butterflies and creepy-crawly's with our 60 degree weather.

Do we get a good freeze in Texas? I'm south of Houston and eager to see what this "winter" will bring. I'm sure it'll be easier than my former Alaskan ones.

South of Houston? from Alaska? You will likely be praying for cold weather... If my recollection is correct the last time it snowed in Houston with any degree of accumulation was in 83 and that was an anomaly that lasted less than 24 hours.
We are in north Texas and usually never have the ground freeze more than 1 inch and usually less than 24 hours. In 83 we had a week of below freezing temps.

 

[Akane]

Good news is, all the kids get out of school because their parents don't know how to drive on it. I'm from Chicago where they go to school unless there's a blizzard outside. roll So that was a bit of a shocker.

We were down in arkansas when it snowed on the day we were going to drive home. There was a whole 2-4" on the ground. The entire state basically stopped moving. No cars on the road. No businesses open. There wasn't even a gas station to stop at and that was before all the places were pay at the pump. We're driving down an empty highway through empty towns wondering what's going on. Luckily the second we hit the missouri border everything was plowed and gas stations were open. My ex moved up here from georgia and they'd close school if there were visible snow flakes even if it wasn't sticking to the roads. He only remembered it happening twice.... Growing up here there's too much snow to go somewhere when it covers the tires of my truck so I can't get any momentum to plow through it. I still for the heck of it tried to get in to town once when the snow drifts along the sides of the road were higher than the top of my truck with only the space of one vehicle plowed but too many people in cars had gotten them stuck so both directions on the highway were blocked with half buried cars and police lights.​

 

[Kanga77510]

Quote:
Do we get a good freeze in Texas? I'm south of Houston and eager to see what this "winter" will bring. I'm sure it'll be easier than my former Alaskan ones.

South of Houston? from Alaska? You will likely be praying for cold weather... If my recollection is correct the last time it snowed in Houston with any degree of accumulation was in 83 and that was an anomaly that lasted less than 24 hours.
We are in north Texas and usually never have the ground freeze more than 1 inch and usually less than 24 hours. In 83 we had a week of below freezing temps.

Yep from Juneau, Alaska to Galveston, Texas. Home is where the Coast Guard sends us! This summer was brutal. Fall has been wonderful though. I love Texas in the fall. And I hear you on the driving in bad weather. I was driving in the rain months ago and people were pulling over and stopping. I didn't see what all the hub-bub was about. I'm still driving around with my heavy duty all weather tires and wiper blades.