Yikes! -17 deg Tues night! How to keep coop warm enough?

[AnimalFriend<3]

-40 with wind chill tonight!!

 

[tenderkat]

Despite the sub-zero temps, wind-chill factor, and risk for frost bitten toes and tips, my girls have heroically braved the outdoors today. Of course I put boards along the bottom of the run and hung some plastic along most of the upper areas, but it was still painfully cold in the run today!!! They never cease to amaze me!! Tonight will be the big test, I can only hope for the best without any heat!

 

[ryanhodapp]

I found that thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=421122

just reading the first page will make you feel a bit better.

 

[WonderChicken]

Everyone is snuggled in for the night. Warm mash of layer feed, sweet potato, broccoli, cheese and hb eggs w/ shells to fill their tums (and a prayer). Petroleum jelly covering everything that doesnt have feathers. Stapled cardboard to cover outside walls except one wall is only bottom half covered to allow ventilation, but I will monitor them when the temps drop and winds pick up and then if need be I will cover that part as well. It's 23.7 degrees in the coop right now and 21 degrees outside, so, so far so good. Wishing everyone has a safe night with their peeps

 

[rufus2]

right now here in wyoming it is -30 with -43 wind chill got my fingers crossed

 

[chickychicks]

Okay Colorado folks, it is -13 degrees, have the heat cranking in the coop (currently 15 degrees, the lowest they have been at is 11 degrees). I imagine by 4 or 5 a.m. it will be mighty chilly out. Crazy how much time I think about keeping the girls warm, especially when I told myself that I would not do so as they are animals used to living outside. Anyways, I filled their bellys with Kashi hot oatmeal (lucky girls) and will check on them through the night (to make sure they are okay and more importantly the darned heater we are running is okay.). I can't wait to get back to our "normal" weather and easy nights. I am pretty sure they are not as concerned as we are. Regardless, happy birds = happy bird parents/caretakers.

Thank goodness cold spells pass quickly.

 

[telehillco]

I hope everyone made it through!! Our 4 girls made it fine--no frostbite that I can see. They kept laying even on the coldest days so I figured that was a good sign. I never could get the vaseline on the combs though--easier said than done.

Thanks for all the support Coloradans!

 

[nicokl502]

i dont know if this is the right thing to do but when it too cold outside i bring my chickens inside i have a nice set up for them!! i am bad i baby chickens

 

[elmo]

Quote:
I've noticed that, too. To me it seems that it's connected to egg laying. I know that egg laying is supposed to be stimulated by the photo period, but with my flock there also seems to be a connection with temperature, too. We had a coupld of unseasonably warm days right before this awful cold front (temps in the 70's), and my flock started to lay and gobble feed again. Now, our high temps are in the low 20's, and nobody's eating much chicken feed or laying. They do go for the scratch and the warm scrambled eggs I bring out in the morning, though.