How much cold can they stand?

chrismahon

chrismahon

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We've had threads on condensation and ventillation which reminded me of a sad tale from last year.

One poultry keeper we know left the coop unlocked and a Fox got in and killed them all. They were replaced with Orpingtons which as we know are big and very fluffy. During the extremely cold spell last year, when the daytime was -10 degrees and night was -18 they left the door open again. Disgracefully neither wanted to go outside to close it -too cold. In the morning they went out to find a solid block of frozen to death chickens. They had all huddled into the least draughty corner together but even that wasn't enough with a temperature that low.

Seen a few posts saying that chickens can stand cold temperatures better than hot, which makes sense. But how much cold can they actually stand. In other words at what temperature should they be brought inside or given heating. I know it varies between breeds as our Leghorn Bantams went blue at -5 and were bought in overnight. All the others breeds survived during the very cold temperatures at night, but all the vents and doors were closed and they were all crammed together. Anyone have any figures or experience?
 
what an awful story they do not deserve to have hens. I flippin well go out in the middle of the night because I think did I close the door and I always have but I just have to check. Last year I had several small bantams pekins in a very large house as you know the temp was extremely cold I actually put a small cat box in the large house and put the smallest of the pekins in there on a night so they could huddle together. The actually did not stay in there but preferred to perch with the rest. None of them had any problems I was surprised but they seemed to cope really well.
 
That is so sad :(

I am not sure what degree of cold chooks can cope with..I know mine were fine at -10 last year! I imagine leaving a door open could have caused a draft which the birds could not deal with.

Some breeds and strains though are much hardier than others though.
 
Shocking story! My 9 hens are in a converted garden shed and after last winter iv invested in a heat lamp. Just to b turned on in the hardest weather. I couldn't sleep in my cosy bed otherwise.Shame on them!
 
I've had lots of different breeds over the years and never found any diffeeence in their hardiness. Last winter temps of -10 for days and nights, they thrived. Sometimes it was a little colder.
 
If people couldn't be bothered to go out in the cold to shut their birds up at night in such extreme conditions, it's likely they hadn't gone out 3 times a day to provide liquid water either. These sad deaths Chris reports could have been the result of general neglect- thirsty and maybe even hungry hens going to roost with few resources to draw on to resist the cold.
 
My birds were quite happy last year in up to -20 at night, I did have to vaseline combs though to prevent frost bite - all birds with large combs get frostbite easily, so worthwhile vaselining them just in case - the killer though is damp and draughts - a bird will easily cope with freezing temps but they must be dry and protected from draughts - before we moved to scotland we lived in altitude in the Alps - there it often was -30 - and still all my birds survived, what a dreadful story of those poor birds - I hope they haven't got birds any more. There are one or two exceptions to very cold weather I've found - one is Ko-shamo, they don't have downy type feathers and they do seem to suffer, so they go inside in the show shed!
 
Mine slept in an outdoor covered pen through all that cold weather last winter and were fine but it was protected from rain and behind a hedge with covers round the side to keep off the wind. They were absolutely fine. The pen has gone due to rat's tunnelling in, documented in another thread, but if I hadn't had that problem I'd still be using that pen for night time for them. They don't need artificial warmth, just a good supply of water and food, good health and their natural feather warmth.
 
This year is not that cold but had a few freezing nights. I currently have one hen that is being picked on and blood has been drawn so she is in a separate run with only a small box to roost in at night. She has another chicken in there for company. That roosting box is very thin but is windproof. One frosty night and I decided to check on them and the pair of them were up on the perch snuggled up together.As they were quiet I lifted one up and could not believe how warm she was. It was like holding a hot water bottle.
 
I agree about the additional factors about the birds that died.

Should be enough on here, particularly Dorinda's -20 and pennyblack's account of open roosting to convince people that hens are hardy !
 
Talking about hardiness, I do remember hearing a lovely story, a chap thought he hd lost a hen in a particulary cold spell to the fox. He found her 3 weeks later guiding her young chicks through the snow towards the main hen house! :D
 
That's a nice story Foxy.

Just to follow up on Marigold's comment. Yes, highly likely they hadn't had water for days and that's why they died. Knowing the individuals concerned as I do -arrogant, selfish and materialistic. They probably only had the chickens to keep up with their neighbours. Their kids have become problematic now, which doesn't surprise me at all!
 
Well Marigold, they had the cheek to ask us if we had any for sale. We told them we had none, even though we had many we were desperate to sell. It would have been condemming our 'babies' to to death by neglect!
 
chrismahon said:
Well Marigold, they had the cheek to ask us if we had any for sale. We told them we had none, even though we had many we were desperate to sell. It would have been condemming our 'babies' to to death by neglect!
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Chris you have been so polite with them,if they showed up at my door I would tell them that I have plety to sell but not for them as they had proved to be irresponsible and neglectfull,and if i hear that they get new hens would report them to animal welfare office-but this just me painfully honest.
 
If people couldn't be bothered to go out in the cold to shut their birds up at night in such extreme conditions, it's likely they hadn't gone out 3 times a day to provide liquid water either. These sad deaths Chris reports could have been the result of general neglect- thirsty and maybe even hungry hens going to roost with few resources to draw on to resist the cold.
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I suspect there is more truth to this than expected. After seing how some care for their chooks on our Lotties.

IMHO most birds are fine with cold or they migrate ;).... Mine take all the various cold weather and still thrive... but they are given water regular when it freezes, As a mater of fact the pop hole is shut only if it is realy cold (There is a draught proof barrier and it faces away from prevailing winds) and they get a hand full of mixed corn most days before bed. (Good over night fuel)
 
Yes mine are treated the same way, with a partly-closed pop hole facing in to a covered and sheltered area of the run. I listen to the forecast and if it's going to be really cold, well below freezing, or very windy I do close up, but if it's above freezing I leave them so they can get up when they like. No condensation in the coop ever, and they always go to bed well fed and watered of course.




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