When the temp gets below zero...

[Matilda Belle]

do you keep the coop doors shut to retain heat? Or do you let your chickens have access to the run all winter?

 

[R2elk]

do you keep the coop doors shut to retain heat? Or do you let your chickens have access to the run all winter?

My poultry get access to their run all winter. I had to restrict access for the guineas when they first saw snow. Now that they have been through a number of winters they no longer have a problem with it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mine can go in and out as they please. This is during the day. At night all are locked inside.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

My flock has access to the run all year round. It's amazing how often they are out in the bitter cold!

 

[chickens really]

I lock mine in at night and out during the day.

 

[NoFlyBackFarm]

They should be fine! Mine stay out of the snow, because I'm worried mother hen about frostbite lol.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When i was in Arkansas the coldest temperature I saw most winters was around (-)4 Fahrenheit. I always left the pop door open during the day and let them decide if they wanted to go out or not. If a cold wind was blowing they did not like that but if it was relatively calm they chose to go outside. I took this photo when the temperature was (+)4 F.

If the world turned white overnight my chickens did not like going out in it for a few days. Eventually some would if it stuck around a few days. I took this photo one day when the snow fell while they were already out. Since the change was gradual they never bothered to go in. This was about an inch of snow at 30 F.

 

[BantyChooks]

I leave the doors open. I've had chickens outside, in the snow, in -20c weather. Ducks too. I rarely close it, because then I would have to put the water inside the coop, and with so many ducks, that's a disaster. If it's very windy and snowy, then maybe for a few hours.

 

[annaBsChick]

It depends on how cold it is and the time of day. At night I close the coop doors if it is cold. I also insulated my coop and put up wind barriers around by enclosure with plastic roofing panels. I got these tips from an infographic by poultryDVM. Here is a link to it, it was pretty helpful - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/dangers-of-heat-lamps-in-chicken-coops

 

[Matilda Belle]

In the area I live, it's not uncommon to get to -20. Though rare, I've seen -80 with a wind chill (hell on earth). I should have been more clear, but I'm particularly wondering about the days when it hurts to be outside...id say that's somewhere around -20 to -40. In cases where it is severe cold, do you keep them in?