Worried about my hen getting too cold!

[MsChickenMomma]

I have a hen who is 17 months old. She is going through an explosive molt. She doesn't have hardly any feathers right now. I'm worried that she's getting to cold. The highest temperature during the day is going to be 30 degrees all week, and the lows at night are 15 degrees.

I went out this morning, and again just now, and she is shivering. I warned up a towel and brought that out to the barn to hold her in for a few minutes just to take away the chill. Am I doing more harm than good? Or is wrapping her in a towel every few hours going to help?

My barn doesn't have any electricity, and it is too far from the house to run an extension cord, so I have no way to provide any warmth for her. Will she be okay? I just get so worried every time I go out there and see her shivering.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I had one that had a very hard molt and was almost naked will into the winter one year. I kept her in the garage in a dog crate at night with a heat lamp when temps dipped to freezing or below at night because she was obviously shivering. Poor naked thing seemed to really appreciate it!

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Should I do the same thing? I think she'd probably appreciate it too.

 

[cafarmgirl]

I know mine did, and I worry about them when they are in a hard molt and their bodies are dealing with that already and then very cold temps on top of it. I just didn't want my bird sitting there shivering and miserable all night long.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Okay, I'll go out and set up a crate for her for tonight.

 

[roostersandhens]

Okay, I'll go out and set up a crate for her for tonight.

I hope she doesn't get too cold!