Chickens - How Cold Is Too Cold?

[BnRidge]

I’m curious how you collect that many eggs each day.

The hatchery where I get my chicks has a fairly large room to incubate chicks, 80x80 or so, with two walls lined with warming rooms that look like walk in freezers. I asked how many hatch in a week during a busy time of year, like May, and was told in a week 25000 chicks, 25000 ducks, 15000 pheasants, 15000 turkeys, 10000 Guinea hens. Dats a lotta eggs, plus incubate, hatch, and market. I didn't ask how they collect all those eggs. The stacks of boxes, crates and pallets were pretty high.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

That is the reason hens stop laying in winter - lack of light, although I do not like lights on after dusk. Although not on as big a scale, I have relied on hens for my income from time to time over the last 60+ years. They need to be dry and not in a draught. Never experienced worse than about -25ºC (about -13ºF) outside and never found the need for heat. Also 45ºC (113F) or so in Australia, and that is worse

The reasosn for bringing lights on early is that almost all of the eggs will be laid in the first 7hrs after "lights on" so there are constantly hens going into the boxes and the eggs do not freeze before they are collected. In northern Scotland it was Midnight to 4 p.m. in mid winter - free range. Where I am now it is getting to be just after 3 p.m. when the sun sets so I would have needed to switch off by about 2.30 p.m.

Never subject the hens to 24hrs light. They need their rest the same as every other living creature.

Never light after 9pm. They do enough as is.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I’m curious how you collect that many eggs each day.

There are belts, conveyors, that run the length of each house, on the outside edges of the nests. The nests on each side are sloped to the outside. Egg rolls to the belt when laid. I've seen one person gather two houses each day. These do it with three. Because feed has to be weighed up for the next morning. Roosters and hens are fed separate. Like last night I was fixing a rooster feeder for a fresh batch of chickens. That's the only thing I can't run before I get birds. I have to disassemble and keep it winched against ceiling while I'm out of birds.

 

[Jstpssng]

There are belts, conveyors, that run the length of each house, on the outside edges of the nests. The nests on each side are sloped to the outside. Egg rolls to the belt when laid. I've seen one person gather two houses each day. These do it with three. Because feed has to be weighed up for the next morning. Roosters and hens are fed separate. Like last night I was fixing a rooster feeder for a fresh batch of chickens. That's the only thing I can't run before I get birds. I have to disassemble and keep it winched against ceiling while I'm out of birds.

Thank you. I was going to ask the same thing, but he beat me to it.

 

[OldMcDonald]

Never light after 9pm. They do enough as is.

It was obvious you do not pick up by hand as I did, but I am curious whether you run the auto collection on a time basis so as to collect any late laid eggs, or are your houses always at an internal temperature that you do not have eggs freezing? Just curious.

I had sheds holding only 80 or 120 birds on free range and mobile (a scheme whereby the birds improved grassland with their droppings) so they were small enough that nest boxes temps would drop to that of outside temps if not occupied. Locking up in midsummer was a nightmare in northern Scotland. The latest I remember starting was 11.55 p.m. and it used to take up to about half an hour. Egg price per dozen was good though!!

 

[jyoutz]

There are belts, conveyors, that run the length of each house, on the outside edges of the nests. The nests on each side are sloped to the outside. Egg rolls to the belt when laid. I've seen one person gather two houses each day. These do it with three. Because feed has to be weighed up for the next morning. Roosters and hens are fed separate. Like last night I was fixing a rooster feeder for a fresh batch of chickens. That's the only thing I can't run before I get birds. I have to disassemble and keep it winched against ceiling while I'm out of birds.

Interesting. I figured there had to be an efficient way that is done.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

It was obvious you do not pick up by hand as I did, but I am curious whether you run the auto collection on a time basis so as to collect any late laid eggs, or are your houses always at an internal temperature that you do not have eggs freezing? Just curious.

I had sheds holding only 80 or 120 birds on free range and mobile (a scheme whereby the birds improved grassland with their droppings) so they were small enough that nest boxes temps would drop to that of outside temps if not occupied. Locking up in midsummer was a nightmare in northern Scotland. The latest I remember starting was 11.55 p.m. and it used to take up to about half an hour. Egg price per dozen was good though!!

Interesting. I figured there had to be an efficient way that is done.

It is supposed to be automated, but someone had better be there when it all turns on in the morning. Because if one feed line doesn't feed, it is better to turn both sides off and fix it. The birds will pack up on the side that works, and that isn't good because they can smother. And, you'll have the same problem when you get it fixed, if you didn't shut both sides off.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

It was obvious you do not pick up by hand as I did, but I am curious whether you run the auto collection on a time basis so as to collect any late laid eggs, or are your houses always at an internal temperature that you do not have eggs freezing? Just curious.

I had sheds holding only 80 or 120 birds on free range and mobile (a scheme whereby the birds improved grassland with their droppings) so they were small enough that nest boxes temps would drop to that of outside temps if not occupied. Locking up in midsummer was a nightmare in northern Scotland. The latest I remember starting was 11.55 p.m. and it used to take up to about half an hour. Egg price per dozen was good though!!

We improve grasslands too. The one house that was here, was hand gathered. Had two inches of ice and a foot of snow, it collapsed.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Interesting. I figured there had to be an efficient way that is done.

It seems efficient, but people tend to get more houses, so it's just as much work. The old set of houses are 22 years old. New set is 2 years old. I guarantee you I have repaired more in the new houses in the last two years than I have in the old ones in the last ten.

 

[Brimfield]

I've had layers for 15+ years and yea I feel bad for them in winter. But as said they slow down on the laying and they roost up together and fluff up to stay warm. Be careful with electricity in a coop. I was on another site years ago and a lady lost a barn because of lights catching the cob webs on fire. Webs had dust from feed and hay so she lost everything but a horse that she let out.

 

[Stephen D]

I get my eggs from the grocer, but I do want to know what's up with that sophisticated door control on your coop!

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I get my eggs from the grocer, but I do want to know what's up with that sophisticated door control on your coop!

Automatic door. It's got light sensors and timers to open at daybreak and close at dusk, or by times entered. I found out real quick that I did not want to be handcuffed to their door every morning and evening at the same time. Now if I don't get home until after dark the girls are still safe from predators, or if I sleep in they still get out at their normal time.

In the evenings after they go to bed I put feed out for them, check the water, gather eggs, and do a head count. I use a timer for the close door time. They like to stay out just a little too late and the light sensor would lock them out pretty regularly. I set the timer for about 30 min after dark and there are no issues. Door opens on the light sensor in the mornings and that works well.

 

[Oaktree]

Automatic door. It's got light sensors and timers to open at daybreak and close at dusk, or by times entered. I found out real quick that I did not want to be handcuffed to their door every morning and evening at the same time. Now if I don't get home until after dark the girls are still safe from predators, or if I sleep in they still get out at their normal time.

How do you deal with stragglers in the evening? When my wife had chickens there were always one or two that needed to be shoo'ed inside at night.

 

[jyoutz]

How do you deal with stragglers in the evening? When my wife had chickens there were always one or two that needed to be shoo'ed inside at night.

Stragglers will come in once it’s fully dark.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Stragglers will come in once it’s fully dark.

Yeah, this.

 

[NewHampJim]

This is my first winter with chickens. So far they are all doing well and I'm still getting around 8 eggs a day from 9 hens. It's been down in the 20's a few nights here and there. Other than a little crust of ice on their water, they seem to be doing fine. On my coop below I covered the windows with clear plastic to stop the drafts. At what point do I need to add some form of heat? I already have several inches of straw in the bottom but they roost up high so other than insulation for the coop it's not doing anything for them.

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Well I live in NH and never added heat to my coops. I make sure they have a thick 4" layer of fresh shavings on the floor as needed but Chickens can handle the cold pretty good. Duck are less tolerable of the cold for future reference. Only in severe cold climates that's where heat would be a concern for them..My chicken coops are built like Fort Knox, draft free but ventilated. Only heat in winter is the water bowl.

 

[dcarman]

This is my first winter with chickens. So far they are all doing well and I'm still getting around 8 eggs a day from 9 hens. It's been down in the 20's a few nights here and there. Other than a little crust of ice on their water, they seem to be doing fine. On my coop below I covered the windows with clear plastic to stop the drafts. At what point do I need to add some form of heat? I already have several inches of straw in the bottom but they roost up high so other than insulation for the coop it's not doing anything for them.

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In North Pole AK they will be out walking arpound when it's -20. Just keep the water thawed and food available and they are fine.

 

[NoTrespassing]

Ours are in an open-air moveable enclosure. When the temperature drops below freezing, I put a tarp over it. Laying will slow when there is less sunlight and when they molt in the fall. If you want more eggs, put a light on a timer in with them. Make sure they have plenty of food and water and they will be fine.

 

[walterramjet]

I used to keep a simple heat lamp inside the henhouse for 2 months every year. there were some pretty bad winters when several layers decided to molt. they survived, looking very naked in the coldest part of the year, but it only got down to 32 f that year.

 

[charlessenf]

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Pretty coop!

" chickens have an easy time dealing with the cold - not so with the heat "

Been raising chickens here (NC Foothills) for fifteen years. No fancy coop. Birds 'free-range' during the day and roost in the peach tree and in a tarp-covered chain-link "enclosure" as soon as it gets dark.

I can't recall the source, but cold hardy breeds have smaller combs and those that have the larger surface area combs can suffer some damage to their combs - frostbite? - in sub-freezing temperatures.

However, five hens on a roost generate lots of heat. If protected from the wind-chill, they should do fine.

You can get a temperature regulating outlet designed for protecting pipes from freezing and an old aluminium griddle (Salvation Army Store? Habitat ReStore? Thrift Shop?) and you've got a temperature regulated heat panel that can be mounted low on the wall of a coop (remove the plastic feet and you will find mounting holes for this purpose) so the heat will rise as nature intended - provide ventilation with such a setup 'cause you do not want to cook your chickens with their feathers on.

Leave 'em be - they got along w/o us before they met us - some of them may even prefer the good old days.

See my Electric Nesting Boxes:

Electric Nesting Boxes

Electric Nesting Boxes: I made an electrified nesting box to keep my puppy from stealing the eggs. For days we would find fresh egg shells off the the left of the nest box. Whatever was taking the eggs was not taking them far - about five feet max. I set up a trail camer…

www.instructables.com

See my coffee feed scoopers:

Feed Scoops From Coffee

Feed Scoops From Coffee: I made long-handled scoops to collect feed (Dog/Chicken) from 55 Gallon and tall rat-proof barrels to make it easier to get to the last kibble/kernel. It seems that, as I age well, I've less tolerance for the odd bit of extra work/effort I once thou…

www.instructables.com

For those that insist on making their chickens as comfortable as possible see this wiki: "How to Protect Chicken Combs from Winter Cold: 11 Steps."