Will my chickens survive their first winter?

[aart]

I use a heated dog dish outside -- that I set inside an upturned 5 gallon bucket that I cut an arch into (to protect from snow) -- it works to keep the water from freezing over.

Great idea....keeps them from stepping in it too.

 

[City Farmer Jim]

I'm sure glad I live in south Texas...we don't have to shovel Sunshine here...I'll take all your frozen water for my girls ...its been 95 plus for two straight weeks here...o natural "snow cone" would be a hit with our flock right now.

 

[aart]

I'm sure glad I live in south Texas...we don't have to shovel Sunshine here...I'll take all your frozen water for my girls ...its been 95 plus for two straight weeks here...o natural "snow cone" would be a hit with our flock right now.

I'd much rather deal with cold and snow than the heat down there.
Can't hardly stand the heat waves we get up here.

 

[City Farmer Jim]

I'd much rather deal with cold and snow than the heat down there.
Can't hardly stand the heat waves we get up here.

I'm originally from the east coast of Michigan so I know of what you speak lol..the chickens thus far have taken it in stride pretty well. I have just put in a new "wading pool" for them but as chickens do they will have nothing to do with it YET. I am going to calibrate my hygrometer this weekend and have been monitoring it week. The mister system in close proximity to the coop doesn't seem to have much affect on it during the times it is on only rising a couple of % and the coop fans must be helpful also because the humidity is registering very close to what the weather channel is predicting for my area. The big rise in humidity is when the girls go in at night and the coop door closes. It has had a high of 77% on one night at 84 degrees in the coop.

 

[aart]

I'm originally from the east coast of Michigan so I know of what you speak lol

Did you escape Metro Detroit too?!
I went to FL for about 8 months, then ran back to MI, but West Coast.

 

[RobertaD1]

I'd much rather deal with cold and snow than the heat down there.
Can't hardly stand the heat waves we get up here.

THIS is a comment that deserves an A.M.E.N. button.....
I would take the snow over the heat ANYDAY!

 

[neo71665]

I'd much rather deal with cold and snow than the heat down there.
Can't hardly stand the heat waves we get up here.

Keep your bloody cold up north this winter. I'll take the heat year round over cold a few months.

 

[BonNuit]

Great idea....keeps them from stepping in it too.

Yup -- and if you put a cone on top -- it keeps them from roosting/setting on top -- thus no pooping on it! LOL.

 

[City Farmer Jim]

THIS is a comment that deserves an A.M.E.N. button.....
I would take the snow over the heat ANYDAY!

Yeah but I don't have to shovel Sunshine here lol

 

[Gallinarium]

They will be just fine. Ensure the coop is properly ventilated so the humidity can escape and secondly the chickens don’t have a draft on the roost and that should be good. We are in northern Wisconsin and we don’t add any supplemental heat and our birds do just fine. We had temps down to -20 last year and they did not have a problem.

I also live in Northern Wisconsin, which doesn't make sense as I hate cold weather. The chickens didn't seem to mind, though.