Frozen chickens like whoa. With temperatures well below zero and with the wind chill, I was worried the chickens would freeze to death. Tuesday morning it felt like -25 degrees (or something absurd like that) and I was just praying that they would all be alive when I went out to check on them before work. Luckily I have no causalities to report.
I have decided that they actually don't mind the cold weather, but HATE the snow. With that being said, if they didn't have a dry, protected area to sleep in, I don't think they would have made it through the below zeros days/nights. I did turn the heat lamp on in the coop during the day, but would turn it off at night. Since my chickens are used to the cold weather, meaning that I do not leave the heat lamp on on a regular basis, thus allowing them to acclimate to the winter weather and build up a tolerance, they could withstand a couple days of extreme cold. During the below zero days they would stay inside the new addition. Check out pictures here, if you missed the last blog: Happy Year Link
Luckily this area provides much more space for them to walk around in and roost, and I had the heat lamp shining over towards the addition. They would venture out when I would bring them fresh water and then hurry back inside. They aren't dumb, that's for sure.
The biggest issue I had during the below zero days was the water. I could not keep any amount of water out in the coop for very long without it freezing. The next item on my list is to look into water heating systems/elements so that I don't have to go out every hour taking them fresh water. Surprisingly, chickens do drink a lot of water.
The number one thing I was worried about was frostbite. Everything I read, said that the biggest issue with extreme cold weather is the chickens getting frostbite, which can lead to death. Here is a picture of one chicken(not mine) with frostbite...
I have decided that they actually don't mind the cold weather, but HATE the snow. With that being said, if they didn't have a dry, protected area to sleep in, I don't think they would have made it through the below zeros days/nights. I did turn the heat lamp on in the coop during the day, but would turn it off at night. Since my chickens are used to the cold weather, meaning that I do not leave the heat lamp on on a regular basis, thus allowing them to acclimate to the winter weather and build up a tolerance, they could withstand a couple days of extreme cold. During the below zero days they would stay inside the new addition. Check out pictures here, if you missed the last blog: Happy Year Link
Luckily this area provides much more space for them to walk around in and roost, and I had the heat lamp shining over towards the addition. They would venture out when I would bring them fresh water and then hurry back inside. They aren't dumb, that's for sure.
The biggest issue I had during the below zero days was the water. I could not keep any amount of water out in the coop for very long without it freezing. The next item on my list is to look into water heating systems/elements so that I don't have to go out every hour taking them fresh water. Surprisingly, chickens do drink a lot of water.
The number one thing I was worried about was frostbite. Everything I read, said that the biggest issue with extreme cold weather is the chickens getting frostbite, which can lead to death. Here is a picture of one chicken(not mine) with frostbite...
You can see that his face is so swollen that his eye is swollen shut. The factors which can cause frostbite include: insufficient ventilation, waterers that allow a bird to dip its comb/wattles into the water, drafts, too much moisture, and extreme cold. I made sure to check my chickens for any signs, but all seem to be clear.
Since they have been stuck inside of their coop - they don't like to walk out in the snow, I bought them a "Flock Block", which is literally just a block of tasty treats which helps keep them occupied while "cooped up". It is very hard, solid block of sunflower seeds, cracked corn, oyster shells, cane molasses, and lots of vitamins to keep them healthy and active. They weren't sure about the big block at first... it was funny to watch them.
Chickens inspecting the new block....
And today, I let them out of their coop for the first time this week. And they were happy birds again! So glad they all made it through the FREEZING weather. And you stay warm out there too! Coming soon: an update on new baby chicks!
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