Chook Me!

How cold is too cold for Chickens?

I'm building my first chicken coop here in Houston, TX and I was wondering how cold is too cold for chickens? I've done a lot of research so I feel like I have a good idea of what they're going to need but I'm not sure if the ventilation windows need to be able to close or if I can get away with an open vent window design covered with chicken wire. Any thoughts?

Public Comments

1. I live in Wisconsin and last week we had temperatures around -40 with the wind chill. Our birds stay outside during this time but they are always out of the wind in a wooden chicken coop nothing fancy but something to keep them out of the elements. I'm sure that your chickens would be just fine in even the coldest Texas temperatures. If the windows are build up at least 3 feet or so from the floor it should be perfectly fine because then at least your birds can get out of the way of any drafts.
2. You don't want to close off ventilation completely, no matter how cold it gets. I doubt you'll see weather cold enough to worry about in Houston. I have only 2 chickens and they survived the zero degree temps we had here last week with only a very small light bulb for a little added heat.
3. I live in Michigan and have cared for chickens for over 20 years. I am guessing that the problem you will have in Texas will not be temperatures too cold but too hot. My chickens here in Michigan are in a 8x8' building. There is one window to let in sun/light. Also 2 doors, 1 closes them up tight, when that is open, there is a screen type door to let in more light, fresh air but still keep them inside if desired. In the Winter, I staple plastic over the screen door so I can have the big door open but still let in Winter sunlight and alittle more warmth. We usually have Winter temperatures in Dec thru Feb of -5* to 35*. They do fine in this weather with no heating or extra light required. I do have to give them fresh water everyday as the water freezes. So, since your Winters do not get that cold, cold will not be the issue. But you may want to have something that can still cover the screens during your Winter for alittle more comfort. Overheating in the Summer could be a problem though. You should make sure that your coop has good cross ventilation when needed and a roof vent to allow heat to escape would also be a good idea. Also, for really hot days, the chickens should be allowed to come out of the hot building into a covered (fencing or roof over pen to keep out predators) pen with shade and lots of cool water.
4. I live in Wisconsin, and i lock mine in the coop. It gets way below zero here sometimes, so i just like to be safe. In Texas i would leave them out all year, due to warmer temps. They would be fine im sure outside in very cold weather, but i just choose to be safe, and they are show chickens. I think you could make a small square with the chicken wire vent idea and that would be good. good luck
5. How cold is to cold for chickens really depends on the breed, and what you are doing with the bird to help it handle these temperatures. If you get a light Mediterranean breed such as the Leghorn http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGK/Leghorns/BRKLeghorns.html and have weather that goes into the negatives you are going to have some problems. Reasons for this is this is this type of bird doesn’t have enough feathers to handle the temperatures, and its large combs/wattles are prone to get frostbitten. If you are dealing with extreme coldness I suggest getting a breed with more plumage and with small wattles and combs. http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Lorps/BRKLorps.html (Australorps) http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGP/Wyand/BRKWyand.html (Wyandottes) There are certain things that you can do to help your birds through the tough cold season. You can rub bag balm or cooking oil on their wattles/combs to help them from chapping. You can shovel out the snowy areas so that they don’t have to scratch around to much and risk cutting their feet with the ice. You can feed them more food with a higher percentage of corn so that they put on some weight. You can add a heater or some light bulbs to their coop. You can also throw down some extra straw or sawdust. And by watching your birds you will be able to see how they are handling the winter and if they need some help. Another huge problem with birds is heat stroke. So make sure that you are getting birds that can handle your summers as well. If you buy a Cochin http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Cochins/BRKCochinStd.html don’t be expecting it to have a merry old time in one hundred degree weather. You can also help your birds handle the heat by supplying shade and water. If it gets to hot fans may be a necessity. To help find the right bird for you look at http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html this chart will tell you the size of the birds, their temperament, temperatures they can handle, if they will brood, and so much more. Venilation is a good idea, expecially for the summers. If you think it is to cold maybe you can cover up your holes or block them up. I can't really give you any thoughts on how to make your coop as I don't really know what you are doing but here is a site with lots of coops that will hopefully give you some ideas. http://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html Good luck, if you have any other questions feel free to contact me via email. Rhode Runner