Worrying about your chickens being too cold

[Bald Bee Man]

Jeniep,
I don't want to come across argumentative but sometimes it's good to look at something from a different angle, your reply is exactly my point. We assume another living creature is uncomfortable because we are, and that clearly is not the case. In some cases trying to make an animal comfortable to our standards could be detrimental to their health. Granted what we are trying to do in our hearts is in the best interest of the animal. we just may not be aware that are interference may be causing an issue in their natural way of life. If we didn't understand that some animals hibernate through the winter someone might try to wake them up thinking something is wrong. I know that's an extreme but just think about it in a smaller picture. Should someone be concerned about a polar bear being out in the cold. With all this said of course one has to look out for their flock, no matter what it is. If they see one in distress absolutely help it. If you can make your flock comfortable without interfering with their natural coping abilities that's fine. The point of this whole post is some people should relax because it's okay for birds to be in the cold, because they have natural coping abilities that we do not have to deal with extreme temperatures.

 

[aart]

Excellent posts @Bald Bee Man.

Evaluating distress can be difficult, especially for newbies,
and for those who don't have or haven't taken the time to observe enough to know what is distress and what is 'normal'. Then knowing what to do about distress is yet another learning curve. First winter and first summer can be finger gnawing. Giving advice over the net, and sorting out that advice can be fraught with misinformation.

 

[steve232]

I have a flock of mostly Rhode Island Red Heritage with a few other chickens mixed in such as barred rock, buff orpington and black sex link. Of course in the fall they molted and stopped laying other than my 4 pullets that hatched in April. They seemed to be just beginning to pick back up just before this unusual long cold hit. I'm in NC and I know you folks up to the north are having it much colder than it is here. So far our coldest morning has been 1° but might be colder tonight. Anyway my chickens are like other animals including people. The temperature has a lot to do with what we get used to. My chickens seemed to slow back down laying once again when the cold hit but otherwise they are doing fine. I do have an electric water container for them to keep the water from freezing but no heat lamps or lights. Right now I'm getting 3 or 4 eggs a day from 19 hens old enough to be laying. In an adjoining smaller pen I have 7 seramas banties. 4 hens and 3 roosters. I was really worrying about them in the cold but those little guys seem to be doing even better than the bigger chickens. I am getting 3 or 4 eggs a day from them in this cold. Right now I'm looking forward to next week when we are forecast to get back into the 40s. Its been I guess a week or more now since we even hit freezing and for use thats a long time.

 

[theoldchick]

God love those who worry over their animals. People are worried because of the Arctic blast that is a new experience for many chicken owners. Especially new chicken owners who had less than perfect accommodations for such weather. Media is full of news about horrible pet owners who have left their dogs out in the cold. Frozen dog left at shelter...frozen dog found chained inside doghouse, etc. We are all hearing "Bring Your Pets Inside" or you are a horrible person. This kind of news is going to alarm people who are new to chicken keeping. Even my husband bought a bunch of tarps declaring we must cover every square inch of wire or ELSE! Or else what? I'll admit the bachelor pen needed some coverage so I covered the north and west side and left the South Eastern side open. The metal roof will keep the rain and snow off them. The Marans coop is attached to the barn so they have a roof over their head and the north side is a wall. The East is stored hay. They have a tarp over the north west side The South East side is wide open. The Jersey Giants have the deluxe accommodations aka the Fortress but I put a tarp on the north side of the pen to create a wind break for them. The result is my birds are protected from the Northern Winds yet have a place to sunbathe during the day.

People who are worried about their chickens being cold do not need to be belittled for their concern. They don't know what to do and we are here to give them help. I love the idea of making square bale igloos. Wooden pallets leaning together in an A shape covered with a tarp make an excellent makeshift shelter and do quite well in snowy conditions. You can tie the pallets together with baling twine at the top and nail the tarp into place.

And as to diet, don't forget how suet helps wild birds. Well, you can make your own suet using homemade diets it you so choose for your chickens. We all get het-up about corn and such but adding a bit of fat to the diet in extreme conditions will not hurt. I'm not talking about bacon fat-you can use peanut butter or other vegetable oil (in small amounts) to increase easily burnable calories. If you are worried about water intake you can make a warm mash of dog or cat kibble or pelleted feed, though I find the pellets difficult to soak. Some people use oatmeal, grits and so forth. Just remember not to overload the chickens with these goodies.

Though we do love our chickens and want the best for them, sometimes the best is not as complicated as we think. Focus on the basics like a place out of the wind and good food and water. Placing them in a closed coop with shavings is not good for them. A normal healthy chicken with normal feathering can survive the cold. The bald and the sick, though may need extra care. And if you want to bring them inside, then do it. If you are worried about your tiny bantams, bring them inside. Silkies? Bring them inside. Just be aware there is a lot of work involved keeping a house clean with all those chickens inside!

This Winter is going to be a challenge and we are all going to learn a thing or two in the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to what people come up with!

 

[Blooie]

We need an "excellent post" dude! And I can't agree more with the suet! I was buying a bunch of the pre-made ones and feeding those to the wild birds, but I kept and washed out the little plastic thingies that they came in. I started doing that before I ever got chickens, so I had a bunch of them. I then started making my own suet and putting it in those little plastic holders. I would make 6 or 8 or so at a time, cover them, and pop them in the freezer to have on hand. The little wire suet cages are great! Filled with homemade suet, I'd put a couple of them out for the chickens and they'd go crazy. It really broke up the boredom, and provided them with extra fat and protein when they needed it most!

Then in summer I'd stuff those little wire cages as full as I could cram them with fresh and frozen fruit and veggies or other scraps..anything that wouldn't fall through the wires - and hang them. The chickens loved them, and it helped cool them down. Don't underestimate the power of a little imagination and repurposing, especially when it comes to chickens! They appreciate the boost. You can put two out there and that pretty much takes care of "treats" for a couple of days. The added bonus is that they have to move around to get what they want out of those cages, especially since I hung them so they'd swing just a little bit against the side of the run.

NOTE to anyone trying this: Chickens are a little rougher on those cages than wild birds are, so wire the trap door shut! Otherwise one or two mighty pecks and the cage is open with the contents on the ground! I know, they'll eat it off the ground, but it kinda defeats the purpose of stimulating them into moving around and having to work to get the suet out, and to me one of the other advantages to doing this is the way it breaks up the monotony of dreary winter days for them.

 

[aart]

Even my husband bought a bunch of tarps declaring we must cover every square inch of wire or ELSE! Or else what?

Hmmm...no location your profile?

 

[theoldchick]

No, I'm not in the frigid north. But this last week I've had to adapt to 10 degree mornings with windchill that is freezing my snot. At least I don't have frozen iguanas falling out of trees.

 

[Bald Bee Man]

First let me say I agree with old chick absolutely animals are like us they get acclimated to the environment that they're in. Especially in the South-East right now and along the coast that is totally not the norm and any animal would have to be looked after differently. My post was really talking about more about a normal winter and I never really thought about this being so abnormal of a winter when I posted it. Extra shelters and windbreaks are always better especially when we are having abnormal Winters as stated above by old chick. I was definitely not trying to come across as I was belittling anyone for that I apologize. I do fully understand that new chicken owners don't know what to expect and don't know what to look for . I will say with any animal if you have multiples and they are all reacting the same way typically and I do say typically they are okay if you have one or two acting totally different then pay close attention. As I've kind of hinted in the previous posting here, we want to make sure that are concern for their health does it interfere with their natural coping abilities. Example if you heat The Coop and then the power suddenly goes out they are plunged into that really cold sudden blast of air. Which after reading the replies that is really no different than what's going on along the coast right now specially the southeast there are a acclimated to that weather and now all the sudden they're being plunged into some cold weather... anyway just be careful you don't love your animal to death, and sometimes that is a fine line to understand the difference..

 

[aart]

No, I'm not in the frigid north. But this last week I've had to adapt to 10 degree mornings with windchill that is freezing my snot. At least I don't have frozen iguanas falling out of trees.

Dont' wanna say, eh?

 

[theoldchick]

Nope.