I'd love to hear from someone experienced in small flocks (<10) from a northern climate where the temps get down to -40, and not just a little below freezing. With all due respect, unless you're in North Dakota, or somewhere similar, you don't know chicken poop about sold weather.
I understand that the chickens themselves can handle a lot of cold.....I'm not as worried about them.
My main concern is that at -40, my waterer will freeze solid in about 30 minutes. A heated water bowl will be full of poop in about 3 minutes,and I haven't ever seen an enclosed, heated waterer.
Also, in an unheated coop, at -40, eggs will be frozen solid inside of 10 minutes.
I spent time on my aunt and uncle's farm when I was a kid - like 40 years ago - and they had chickens.....maybe a hundred of them....and the heat from a hundred chickens was enough to keep it close to freezing in the barn, so water was less of a problem.
I understand that the chickens themselves can handle a lot of cold.....I'm not as worried about them.
My main concern is that at -40, my waterer will freeze solid in about 30 minutes. A heated water bowl will be full of poop in about 3 minutes,and I haven't ever seen an enclosed, heated waterer.
Also, in an unheated coop, at -40, eggs will be frozen solid inside of 10 minutes.
I spent time on my aunt and uncle's farm when I was a kid - like 40 years ago - and they had chickens.....maybe a hundred of them....and the heat from a hundred chickens was enough to keep it close to freezing in the barn, so water was less of a problem.
Last edited:
