Winter In Florida????

[eep123]

I know it doesn't get too cold in Florida during the winter time but this is my first winter with chickens and i want to make sure they are okay. My coop will be about a foot off the ground and the bottom will be hardware cloth. Will the chickens be okay in this during the winter. It usually doesn't get below 40 F.

 

[Sugar Sand Farm]

HiI'm in Northern Florida and it has been known to get into the teens here. Just make sure they are not in a draft. Hardware cloth might be alittle hard on their feet Do you have soemhting on top of it. If its going to go down really low I usually put additional hay on the floor to add warmth. So far its worked i have not lost a chicken to the cold. Welcome to the BYC micki

 

[seminolewind]

Last winter what I did is buy a large tarp, close it at night when it was 40 or below. That's the most economic way. Now they are in a coop with wood sides on hinges that I can close, or leave open in the summer for shade.

 

[orchidchick]

They should be fine as most of the time they are in the coop they are roosting at night and as the other posters suggested they are out of direct drafts. If you were going to go through a prolonged cold spell, you would always have the option of cutting a piece of vinyl flooring and putting in three to four inches of pine shavings and starting the deep litter method for a couple of months.

I have for my coop, cut clear Suntuf panels to attach to the lattice doors for the winter and I also use them for times like when Hurricane Fay blew threw here with her blowing rains to keep the coop dry. There is hardware cloth on the inside so they easily attach with bolts and wingnuts. I have 2" x 2" cross braces for the storms that I obviously wouldn't put up for winter needs. It's still kind of dark in there but they are never stuck in there because of snow!

Here is a pic of the coop when I was working on it so you have an idea of what I mean...

 

[cmom]

I live in north central Florida and we get freezing weather. I have seen my bird baths freeze several times. I have insulated my coop not only for heat but also to help keep it cool in the summer months. When we are expecting a freeze, or below 40 degrees, I use a red heat lamp, other wise I use a red incandesant bulb. I'm a softie. My girls are healthy and happy. They will find the right spot for their comfort.