Is -35 too cold?

[SadieGH]

Hey Everyone
We’ve been having some very cold days here in the Kawartha Lakes lately, but this weekends forecast is calling for -35 feels like -45?! Is that to cold for my chickens?

Their coop is very dry and is mostly draft free. So many of them have frostbite on their combs and waddles, especially the roosters.
My big roos comb has frostbite on all the tips, and my little Sebright rooster has it bad on his waddles. I feel so bad for them, I’ve been bringing the little guy in when it gets to -25. He shivers so much, I bring him into my downstairs bathroom.

For this weekend I was definitely going to bring the Sebright inside, but what about the others? Will the ones with pea combs be ok? Perhaps I should just bring in the ones with big single combs. And my one poor hen who is molting right now. What do you guys think?

Here’s my big and little roos looking handsome (before they got frostbite)

[kenya]

Put vaseline on their combs and waddles to prevent frostbite. Yes -35 is too cold if they are already shivering and have frostbite. Either bring them in the house, basement or garage or provide a little heat in the coop. The hen in a moult for sure, pea combs can stand a little more cold , bantams like seabrights are so tiny they need a little extra care with extreme weather.

[ross]

Ditto also if those are the roosts your using now replace with 2/4s on the flat so they can sit on them & gives a little butt protection from cold . Not good if shivering. Luck

[Jaye]

with both @kenya and @ross : -35 is too cold and birds need some help to stay warm at that temperature.
I have one of these:

and recommend installing one in your coop if you can. They don't take up a lot of room, are pretty energy-efficient, and a safer option because there are no exposed heating elements.
Cozy Coop heaters are similar but don't have the same wattage so may not put out sufficient warmth if you have a larger coop. It's on sale at TSC this week.
http://www.tscstores.com/HEATER-CHICKEN ... 53427.aspx

[Killerbunny]

Those are what I have. They're great.

[SadieGH]

Thanks for the advise you guys.
I have some bag bomb that I can put on their combs and waddles, I’m out of vasaline right now. As for the roosts that picture is from the summer. For the winter they are all now sitting on 2/4s to hide their feet they also have 2 heat lamps that run on low in one corner of the coop but they rarely sit under them.
And thank you Jaye for the Cozy Coop Heater link. My coop has ceilings that are quite high with vents at the top, so it won’t hold the heat in, but perhaps this is good to get so some hens can snuggle up against it.

[kenya]

Chickens aren't the smartest sometimes and won't go under the heat lamp. Make sure the heat lamp is where they like to roost, that should help some. But I would still take inside the hen in moult and the tiny birds.

[Skinny rooster]

I think I can see daylight through the walls of your coop? So yes I would be worried.

[SadieGH]

I think I can see daylight through the walls of your coop? So yes I would be worried.

That picture is taken in the run-in shed outside not in the chicken coop. Their coop has no cracks in the walls. It sure would be cold if they had to sleep outside in the run-in shed

[kenya]

I dont know that bag balm will help like vaseline will, remember swimmers in really cold water lather themselfs up in vaseline to keep the cold out. Marathon swimmers