Winter temp drop!

[Andrea3000]

I have a single gal. Almost 1 year old Barred Rock. She was a rescue, may be getting her a sister in a few months. Anyway- For now she has a custom built freestanding coop courtesy of my brother in law. We live in central Illinois. To winterize her coop I applied black plastic sheeting to avoid drafts or leaking. There is an uncovered vent in the front, as well as a front porch area that is also open. My question is if this will be enough as it is supposed to get below zero soon. I am considering setting her up with a pad in my garage. It is a detached garage, not heated but has electricity. If I do a temp set up in garage for the zero degree period i have a few questions. I was considering layering cardboard, then yoga mats, then lots of pine chips and straw for the floor of the temp pen. The on one side outside of the fencing using a Cozy Coop panel radiant heater. Do you think this would be a good idea? Or do you think she will be warm enough where she is? I worry because she is solo, so no buddies to cuddle next to. Her coop now is outdoor, so no electricity, and size prohibitive for a panel radiator anyway. I've attached photos of her coop in the spring when she was a baby, as well as now after I applied the black sheeting. Any input would be appreciated! I am tempted to bring her in the house, but I think I'm underestimating her hardiness. Any insight would be greatly appreciated by both myself and Andrea!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My suggestions are to get her a friend sooner than later and to remove all that plastic. A chicken can survive living in a tree below zero but can't survive without fresh air.
What breed is your bird?

 

[Andrea3000]

My suggestions are to get her a friend sooner than later and to remove all that plastic. A chicken can survive living in a tree below zero but can't survive without fresh air.
What breed is your bird?

It's not shown in the pictures, but she has a large vent in the front top of the coop, and the door and porch are also open. She has plenty of circulation and fresh air, I made very sure of that! Only the three sides and the top are covered, and the top still opens (like the hood of a car). She is a Barred Rock. You think she'll be ok in the coop then, and no need to bring her inside garage or house during the sub-zero temps? Thank you so much!!!!

 

[LateBirdFarms]

As a chicken owner in the lower portion of northern ontario, I can promise you that I have never lost a chicken due to cold. Frostbite is a problem once you start hitting the -30c range no matter what type of ventilation you have, but any temp less than that without proper ventilation will risk damage to her comb and toes. As long as she's not roosting in the wind and her crop is full, she should be just fine, a friend would make her much cozied, but that's not an automatic fix with integration issues.

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

Can you run an extension cord and add a heat lamp. While she will probably survive the cold a lamp might make it suck less.

 

[LateBirdFarms]

In a coop that size? Lamp would scare the crap out of me

 

[Winter Creek Coop]

In a coop that size? Lamp would scare the crap out of me

Right, good point. A true heat lamp like a 250 watt is probably dangerous. A heat lamp type fixture with a 75 watt or so or even a compact florescent would give off a fair amount of heat without much overheat risk.

Heck, just bring the old gal in. Just one chicken in the house can’t hurt.

 

[Andrea3000]

As a chicken owner in the lower portion of northern ontario, I can promise you that I have never lost a chicken due to cold. Frostbite is a problem once you start hitting the -30c range no matter what type of ventilation you have, but any temp less than that without proper ventilation will risk damage to her comb and toes. As long as she's not roosting in the wind and her crop is full, she should be just fine, a friend would make her much cozied, but that's not an automatic fix with integration issues.

Thank you so much. Makes me feel a lot better!

 

[Andrea3000]

Right, good point. A true heat lamp like a 250 watt is probably dangerous. A heat lamp type fixture with a 75 watt or so or even a compact florescent would give off a fair amount of heat without much overheat risk.

Heck, just bring the old gal in. Just one chicken in the house can’t hurt.

Yeah, the idea of a lamp or panel heater scares me in any regard.

I pretty much agree with bringing her in just to spoil her, but... my husband is not a fan of the idea . I suppose I will just stick to watering and feeding her regularly throughout the days and making sure she is as happy as I can keep her through this cold snap! Thank you, everyone!

 

[Andrea3000]

Ok now the wind chills are supposed to be -25 here in illinois. I’m panicking. Bring her in? Or she will be fine? I’m putting heated bean bags in there with her currently.