Yes, chickens can freeze to death, but the main reasons it happens are that either they aren’t in good health and you didn’t know it. Or that their coop isn’t prepared for the winter.
You could be wondering “How to protect chickens from freezing?”
Your hens best defense against freezing temperatures is their down coat. As their owner, you can help them along by preparing and maintaining the coop, disposing of wet straw, replenishing it with fresh dry straw and providing the essentials regularly – food, water, and exercise.
Why are my chickens Combs and wattles freezing?
Otherwise, that moisture could cause the chicken’s combs and wattles to freeze by condensing on them. Ventilation location needs to be in the roof of the coop or gable ends and nowhere near their roost area or nest boxes where it would cause a draft and make them get cold.
This puts chickens with larger combs at greater risk because large combs are more exposed to the elements. Many people who keep chickens in cold climates swear by slathering petroleum jelly on larger combs and wattles to help prevent frostbite, and some talk about lanolin as a more eco-friendly alternative.
Can chickens get frostbite?
Yes, chickens can get frostbite, and yes, they can spring back from it. Every year on our farm, we have to tackle frostbite on combs, wattles, and the occasional toe. You’d think living in the South, we wouldn’t have chickens getting injured from the chilly temperatures.
Chickens, frostbite, and cold. These three things don’t necessarily all mix well, do they? What exactly is frostbite & how do I know if my chickens are effected? Chickens, frostbite, and cold. These three things don’t necessarily all mix well, do they? Yes, chickens can get frostbite, and yes, they can spring back from it.
When we were writing we ran into the inquiry “Can chickens get frostbite from water dripping from Wattles?”.
Our best answer was water dripping onto wattles puts the chicken at risk for frostbite in very cold temps. Chickens with large combs and wattles are especially vulnerable to frostbite, but any chicken can be affected if the conditions are cold enough. Wattles are especially susceptible to frostbite since drinking water often drips from the beak, down the wattles.
Frostbite is most common in roosters because they typically have larger combs and wattles, but any hen with a large comb, such as a leghorn, can be vulnerable as well. The incidence of frostbite in chickens with the smaller comb types, such as pea and strawberry, is much less. Rooster with frostbite.
What happens to chickens in the winter?
Heavy snow, wind, rain and freezing temperatures will require a few changes in order to keep your chickens healthy and happy. This is particularly true if you live in an area with extreme temperature swings, very cold winters and generally harsh conditions during the darker and colder months.