Chicks and this weekend weather

This is one for you keepers out there

My girls are now 12-13 weeks old and have been out in the coop and run for a few weeks now, there bed is up a ramp and the door get's shut at night for a little protection from the wind.

With this weekends forcast of -10 should I be worried about them being too cold? I know there feathers keep them warm and they huddle together for warmth but is -10 a little too cold for them? or am I just worrieing for nothing?

I do have the cage still available for them if need be. If they were full grown I wouldn't be worried but as there still young I'd like your advice and opinions.

Thanks

 

Hi Jo

Are they fully feathered up by now, and what breed are they? Fully grown chickens are fine in cold weather, they have an excellent feather duvet to keep them warm. Mine have all just finished moulting so a couple of them look a bit scraggy still but they'll be fine if it gets as cold as its supposed to.

If you are really worried about them, then bring them inside but I think they'll be all right. Remember, in the wild birds sleep outdoors. You can also throw an old blanket or sacking over the house for added insulation, but be sure they still have ventilation-very important. A lot of the time its the wind chill factor making it so cold and their housing will protect them from the worst of it and as you say, they all huddle together as well

On a last note, a mother hen would have abandoned them to their own devices at 10 weeks at the very latest, more like 7 weeks.

 

There fully feathered and are crested cream legbars. There not fully grown though.

I think there well protected, ventelation is good too

Thanks for that, I feel alot better but might kep a ckeck on them just to make sure.

 

Sounds like they'll be fine then. Pop a thermometer into the house if you are concerned about the temperature dropping massively.

Cream Legbars - blue/green eggs next year then?

 

Yep those are the ones, can't wait, also getting some ex-bats in Jan

 

Which rescue do you use? BHWT or one of the independent ones? Would love a couple of ex-batts but room and other breeds means a no. Maybe in the future. I'd recommend them to anyone

 

We use the BHWT they do a fantastic job. The guy I got the chicks off has a few ex-bats in with his so I know they'll get along ok

I would too.

 

Post some pics of them and the legbars. Please

 

The legbars are in a thread in livestock and I will off the new ones to chart there progress

 

animals every type are not killed by the cold,but are certainly killed by draughts,i also keep birds,they have plenty of ventalation,but they have als have a warm cosy house which they call home,three important things are; dry house, food, and fresh water,

 

My dad raised chickens in Ohio on a small farm. Ohio weather can get pretty nasty cold, I've seen -10 and -5 frequently growing up there. The chickens were kept in a chicken house about 10 ft X 10 ft. 2 windows, and the chicken ramp door, and human door. There were 3 rows of shelves on three of the walls with nests, so the chickens could hunker down in the nests for warmth.
He would close the ramp door when really cold, and he had a small electric heater he hung on the wall, it was about 20 inches square. He would turn that on for the evening and overnights. But for the most part, the chickens would run around outside in their yard in the winter. We never lost one to the cold.

 

Because we were a large family my mother kept about 3 dozen chickens in Sri-Lanka. We used to love watching the little chicks hatch out and hide under their mother's wings. We used to fight to collect the eggs. They were all penned in becauses of the foxes at night. Dreadful rogues they were.