Bird Houses and CoopsBuild Your Own Bird Houses and Chicken Coops

How cold is too cold for chickens?

I'm building my first coop here in Houston, TX and I was wondering how cold is too cold for chickens? I did a lot of research I feel like I have a good idea of what they will need, but I am not sure if the windows for ventilation should be able to close or if I can go out with an open vent design of the windows covered with chicken wire. All thoughts?

How cold is too cold for chickens really depends on the breed, and what you do with the bird to help manage these temperatures. If you get a mild Mediterranean race such as http: / / www.feathersite.com / Poultry / CGK / Leghorns / Livorno and BRKLeghorns.html weather that goes into the negative you will have problems. The reasons for this is that this type of bird has no feathers enough to support temperatures, and large combs / wattles are likely to get frozen. If you're dealing with extreme cold suggested I get a race with more small feathers and wattles and combs. Http: / / www.feathersite.com / Poultry / CGA / LORP / BRKLorps.html (Australorp) http://www. feathersite.com / poultry / PMC / Wyand / BRKWyand.html (Wyandotte) There are some things you can do to help your birds through the cold season difficult. You can rub bag balm or cooking oil on their wattles and combs to help them from chapping. You can shovel snow cover areas so they do not have to scratch around for many, the risk of cutting their feet on the ice. You can give them to eat more food with a higher percentage of corn so that they have on some weight. You can add a heater or a light bulb in their cage. You can also throw a little extra straw or sawdust. And watching your birds, you will be able to see how they handle the winter and if they need help. Another big problem with birds is a heat stroke. So make sure you are getting the birds that can handle your summers well. If you buy a http://www.feathersite.com/Poultry/CGA/Cochins/BRKCochinStd.html Cochin Do not he expected to have a gay old time weather hundred degrees. You can also help your birds resist heat providing shade and water. If it is for the fans warm can be a necessity. To help you find the right bird for you look at this chart http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html tell you the size of birds, their temperament, they can handle temperatures, if brood, and much more. Venilation is a good idea, especially for many summers. If you think it may be cold, you can cover your holes or block them. I can not really give you some ideas on how to make your co-op that I do not really know what you do, but here's a site with many cooperatives which will hopefully give you some ideas. http://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html Good luck, if you have further questions, please contact me by e-mail. Rhode Runner

Lady Lay Laying a Egg