When the temp gets below zero...

[R2elk]

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?

It regularly gets to -20°F and usually a short spell of -30°F here every winter. The coop door is closed at night but the bird door is open every day. If the poultry wants to be out in the weather, it is their choice but they do get the choice.

 

[Mrs. K]

My Grandfather, a cattle rancher told me once, they know more about being a cow, than we will ever know. I think the same applies to Chickens. My door is open, they decide. I do have a wind break and a shelter out in the run, and a little sun porch made of some old shower doors.

Let them decide.

 

[Shorty22366]

I let mine decide for themselves

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

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?

I keep a door open on my big shed. It's a east facing doorway. Generally wind doesn't come in that way. On my bantam coop I close up their north facing door whenever it's colder as they generally won't go out anyways.

In my big shed the birds will go out if it's sunny, and above -10 degrees. Really cold in the -20's plus my birds won't go out generally. My chickens will only go out if there's hay to stand on.

Chickens keep themselves warm. So trying to keep heat in a coop isn't exactly the right idea. It's more about making it so your chickens can maintain a good body temperature by blocking drafts, and keeping things dry. Moisture in the air will make them feel colder. Closing up all ventilation will cause moisture to build up. When cold a chicken will fluff up it's feathers, trapping warm air, and they will sit down on their feet if necessary to warm them.

In winter we close off all west and north facing windows, doors and vents. The south and east I open more or less based on the weather of that particular day.

 

[llombardo]

Temps here can and do get to the negative 20s and 30s and can stay that way for a while. I have the run wrapped in plastic--next year I will have to do something else because the chickens and ducks are pecking at it-I had to do the inside because of the electric fence.

I do not know how I will be handling snow, I will have to figure that out as it happens. I have a few ideas, but not sure how they will work.

I gave heated roost bars in the coop and they are all using them--they go on when the temps hear 35 degrees.

I will leave the door open--I put up vinyl flaps. All the girls go in and out with the flaps--I can not get the rooster to. He is not going to have much more time to figure it out, so hopefully he gets it soon. I originally had a lighter plastic but my barred rock would not leave it alone and kept pecking at it--she was obsessed with it. The vinyl seems to work.

 

[aart]

I let mine decide, but I do have a good wind block in front of pop door that faces the prevailing west winds. There are days tho, during blizzards or excessive winds/temps, when I don't bother opening the pop door because I know they won't go out there. My run has only a very small space that is protected from the weather. Those are the days I am damnglad my coop to bird ratio is high.(6-8 sqft/bird)

coop doors shut to retain heat?

You want enough ventilation so coop will never really 'retain heat'......but close any openings, or install dampers/wind-blocks, that allow wind to howl thru.

Temps here can and do get to the negative 20s and 30s and can stay that way for a while.

Really?! Is that with windchill?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We get weeks most winters of -20's plus with -40 wind chills. It can be quite brutal. You don't get that cold in Michigan @aart ?

 

[aart]

We get weeks most winters of -20's plus with -40 wind chills. It can be quite brutal. You don't get that cold in Michigan @aart ?

C WI sure, but, no, not in SW MI....which is about the same latitude as northernmost IL where I believe @llombardo (who I was asking) lives.
We might get into the neg teens, but only overnight and not for days at a time.

 

[llombardo]

C WI sure, but, no, not in SW MI....which is about the same latitude as northernmost IL where I believe @llombardo (who I was asking) lives.
We might get into the neg teens, but only overnight and not for days at a time.

Weather here is very unpredictable. I've seen it be 70 degrees on Christmas and the next year -40.

They say the average amount of days under 20 in Chicago is 7 and in Rockford is 12--im in between there. Last year it hit 20 or below for the 7 days right around Christmas.

So we never know what we are going to get, but when it's cold, it's dangerous.

 

[aart]

Below 20...not 20 below zero.