Can old english game bantams tolerate cold weather

[Tiffy316]

I have a few old english game bantam chicks who are between 1 and 2 months old. I've never raised them before, so I want to know if they can tolerate outdoor temps thst drop below 30 degrees in the winter, and if it's safe for them to be outside in a normal chicken coop. They're very tiny and have long legs. I'm worried about them gettibg eaten by predators. I live out in the country, so I've gotta deal with a lot of potential predators. I've got a large metal sided chicken pen with a large window and a small door for the chickens to go into a fenced in area if they want to. It's probably more drafty than a small wooden coop, but provides enough protection from the weather for most average sized chickens.

 

[Silviaschicks]

They can handle the cold and the heat pretty well, your oegbs should be fine

 

[Tiffy316]

So even though they're tiny and have long legs, they should be fine?

 

[Silviaschicks]

If you’re concerned, you should put a heater just in case

 

[chickentrains]

they will be ok, chickens in general are cold hardy.

I wouldn't suggest a heater in your coop. I suggest lots of ventilation and if you can, insulation.. make sure the roosts are wide enough your chickens can sit on top of their legs to prevent frost bite, too

 

[Tiffy316]

They should be wide enough. I was just worried about how well such a tiny chicken would do outside.

 

[Aapomp831]

If you’re concerned, you should put a heater just in case

No, DONT do that.

 

[Aapomp831]

they will be ok, chickens in general are cold hardy.

I wouldn't suggest a heater in your coop. I suggest lots of ventilation and if you can, insulation.. make sure the roosts are wide enough your chickens can sit on top of their legs to prevent frost bite, too

A heater defeats the purpose of ventilation. Grown chickens need shelter and ventilation, not heat.

 

[Aapomp831]

So even though they're tiny and have long legs, they should be fine?

Yes, they are barnyard animals and have adapted. Chickens survived millions of years before humans started caring for them. Their size doesn’t matter - as long as they are fully feathered out and you keep direct drafts off of them. But heat is unnecessary; it will spoil them, it’s dangerous, and it can inhibit the growth of essential warming feathers. It also causes moisture to build up on the coop. A cold chicken is fine - they keep themselves warm. A cold WET chicken ( from improper ventilation), is a frostbitten chicken.

 

[aart]

if they can tolerate outdoor temps thst drop below 30 degrees in the winter, and if it's safe for them to be outside in a normal chicken coop.

How far below 30°F?

Posting pics of your coop, inside and out, would help here.