How are your chickens handling the cold?

[CathyA]

Its been almost 0 F. around here during the night and in the teens during the days. I usually don't like to use heat lamps in my coop.........it used to upset the chickens too much. But now that they're older, I think they can handle it better, since they don't venture outside in the cold.
I also think leaving all their poop and bedding (wood shavings) in the coop throughout the winter generates some heat for them too.
On really cold mornings, I give them some warm oatmeal and pureed butternut squash and they really like that.
How are your chickens doing?

[Float On]

My chickens are doing great and back to laying eggs after a short break during our coldest weather. They really enjoyed today's high in the mid-40's and they were thrilled that I was working in one of the back gardens turning over soil - found some good yumyums. There was really only one day where they wouldn't venture out of the chicken tractor.

Have you ever had a chicken loose any bits to frostbite? I remember growing up we had Brooster the Rooster who came to us minus 3 toes and a comb (created a very galloping gate for him) and a neighbor told me his roo lost part of his comb in our latest cold snap. I do leave a lightbulb on in my girl's coop and it's a small enough space that they put off enough heat to stay warm.

[CathyA]

Wow.........mid 40s? That's a real heat wave!
None of my chickens ever got frostbite. But I've heard that when you think it might get really cold, you should put vasoline on their combs, to protect them.
Enjoy those eggs!

[goldensmom]

Our girls (and one boy) have 2 heat lamps in their chicken house and are doing fine. They live in a sectioned off part of the barn that is partially insulated. It was -14 F here yesterday morning (heat wave came in about noon and the temperature rose to +3) , the eggs were frozen but the chickens were fine.

[CathyA]

Wow.......that's pretty cold goldensmom! Do you still eat the frozen eggs?