Chickens - How Cold Is Too Cold?

LittleBittyBigJohn · Dec 1, 2022

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.

RoostersGarage · Dec 1, 2022

I put a heat lamp in mine pointing at their roosting location when it's about 25. Even then I've walked in and some were roosting as far from the heat as they could get. They can handle the cold pretty well but I wanted the heat lamp for those that might need a bit of warmth.

RobA · Dec 1, 2022

I've had chickens for 4 years and have never added heat to their coop. The coop has wood shavings on the floor and the windows are closed off in the winter. I have a heated water bowl in the run area. I live zone 6B and have had occasional nights of single digit lows. A vet told me chickens have an easier time dealing with the cold versus the heat.

Alan W. · Dec 1, 2022

18 here this morning and my chickens and turkeys are fine as usual.
It will get down to 0 at times here and have never had problems or needed supplemental heat.
I have a heater for their water to keep it ice free. The only time my turkeys will even go inside is when its raining.

denchen · Dec 1, 2022

Chickens can stand a fair bit of cold if they have enough food and can get to water. We have an old saying, `as soon as they get their feet wet, they stop laying`, but they don't seem to mind snow and frost.

LittleBittyBigJohn · Dec 1, 2022

OK this makes me feel better about it. I closed up the windows when I noticed them huddling up closer together at night. Once I did that they all spread back out along the whole roost. I guess I'll just keep an eye on that and if I see them all huddled up with the windows shut I'll add a heat lamp.

nybirdman · Dec 1, 2022

I have had birds(pheasant,quail,chukars) for 40 years,my father before that;we never added heat in winter,they just don't need it.
chickens will stop laying.
Ever hear of a "down"jacket?

Oaktree · Dec 1, 2022

I can't imagine any place in Arkansas would get cold enough to worry about with chickens. I'm in northern N.H. and no one I know has heat in their chicken coops. Watch for drafts, but you still want air circulation.
I would think that in your part of the country summer heat would be more of a problem.

scaredychicken · Dec 1, 2022

most chicken breeds are hearty enough for some cold. i select layers based on how they manage temperatures. No heater in the 16ft x 20 ft coop. We are currently -15C to -20C with some wind. I'm feeding them inside the coop these days because they don't enjoy the run with 18 cm / 7 inches of snow on the ground. When it gets to be a hot summer, i have a repurposed ceiling fan operating in the coop.

Bearsixty7 · Dec 1, 2022

Hmmm, Guess I was overly concerned. I put in a warming panel (like below) in our small coop last year when it got down below 32F and stayed there several days. We just have 4 chickens now and they pretty much stopped laying a few weeks ago.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/cozy-chicken-coop-flat-panel-heater-200w?cid=Shopping-Bing-Product1225112-&msclkid=2371a7e9aab9160ab09dc460a2c56e04&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Shopping%20-%20All%20Products&utm_term=4585375807245420&utm_content=All%20Products

ddgood · Dec 1, 2022

Your chickens will probably be fine. Here a video of a homesteading couple that keep chickens in Alaska in temps down below 0F.

BnRidge · Dec 1, 2022

Toes and combs can get frostbite if it gets cold enough, I would say -20f or below. The neighbors had a dozen running around loose. They would roost in the rafters of a pole barn. At -40f they lost a few toes. Other than that they all made it through that cold winter (1979-80).

Yander · Dec 1, 2022

Just make sure their ventilation does not have them getting a draft on them where they roost and they will be fine. They actually recommend against heat in a coop because the chickens can acclimate to the cold without heat.

MapleLeafFarmer · Dec 1, 2022

LittleBittyBigJohn said:
OK this makes me feel better about it. I closed up the windows when I noticed them huddling up closer together at night. Once I did that they all spread back out along the whole roost. I guess I'll just keep an eye on that and if I see them all huddled up with the windows shut I'll add a heat lamp.

I would guess if coop is draft free, and you can keep humidity low enough you should be fine if you have enough bedding. Lots of bedding really helps. We always worry about supplemental heat due to how easy coops can go up in fire.
Keep an eye on them and if they are always huddling then they are cold. If they are not huddling then they really are not cold.
Also feed at night (corn) or other high energy diet and this helps them stay warm when at sleep during coldest part of the day.

fatjay · Dec 1, 2022

It's under 20 at night here and my chickens are fine. I flipped the roost bars so the 2x4's are flat so they can rest their feet flat and sit on them to keep them warm. But they're basically meat balls wrapped in down.

Jstpssng · Dec 1, 2022

I've had hens for over ten years and have never run heat. It isn't cold which shuts them off, it's lack of light... they need about ten hours per day, adequate enough so that you could read a newspaper. The big thing is to keep them watered. At one time I had a fount heater but there is no electricity where they are now. I also haven't had very good luck with founts so have done away with them. It's a lot easier to buy a bucket and make sure that you fill it every day. I have two which are some type of soft rubber, so that they don't crack if when they freeze.

I am not home during the day so often in winter the eggs will freeze. As long as the membrane isn't compromised I will give them to my dog. If the shell isn't cracked I never worry about it. You can tell if an egg has been frozen, when you crack it open the yoke doesn't spread as much, but that doesn't seem to affect the quality.

Torvy · Dec 1, 2022

My cousins in northern South Dakota (latitude about 45.47) had a regular incandescent bulb, maybe 40w, they would turn on once it dropped down to negative 20 or so. No need for much as long as they have shelter.

BnRidge · Dec 1, 2022

There was research in the 40s done regarding ventilation and supplemental heat in chicken coops. "Open air coop" and "deep litter bedding" were concepts developed to avoid respiratory and disease issues. Plenty of ventalation (without drafts), no supplemental heat, and a deep layer of composted floor litter proved most successful. Took place in northern states like Michigan. The "chicken farm" down the road has large fans and under eave air inlets to circulate air year round. Lots of air, with no cold air drafts. They house several million, in several "industrial" sized coops.

Examples:

Open-air poultry houses for all climates; a practical book on modern common sense poultry housing for beginners and veterans in poultry keeping. What to build and how to do it. Houses that will promote health, vigor and vitality in laying and breedin

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archive.org

kenmac · Dec 1, 2022

never an issue with my chickens freezing. only issue I have is they quit laying as much.
I've 8 chickens and only getting 2 eggs per day since days got shorter.

I bought a fish aquarium heater to keep their water from freezing

jyoutz · Dec 1, 2022

This type of heated waterer is the answer. Keeps water from freezing and the closed nipple system keeps the water clean. I also run two heat lamps suspended from chains once temperatures drop below 20 degrees.