# exstremes in temps



## nibley (May 1, 2020)

Advice please. I live in New Mexico and our weather temps are pretty extreme,summer 95 -105 ,winter some times in the minuses, my coldest -17F .My questions ,best breed of chicken for eggs for these weather extremes,should I heat coop in winter? Fans in the summer? any advise please 6x8 coop 25x25 run


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Stay with small combed birds. There's less of a chance of frost bite if they don't possess those large combs. In a good coop, one that has some ventilation but no drafts and they should be good for winter. Make their roosts 2X4s laid flat. That way when it's cold they can hunker down over their feet to keep them warm. 

If you can do it, get misters. The temps in the immediate area of misters is much more comfortable. You can run the misters around the outside of the pen and the pen comes off a side of the coop, around the coop.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Yep, when the temps are hot, misters are life savers. Fans are also very useful, as important as misters. I will spray the ground in their runs with water so they don't burn their little toes too. Ice in their water is good. Making frozen treats is good (i put corn, peas etc in a bowl of water and freeze it then give it to them to peck the treats out of, they get to cool their mouths and have fun at the same time!) 
When it's cold, I agree with the small combed birds (pea combs, rose combs etc). You still have to watch their toes and eyelids for frost bite but they usually keep their own feet warm by sitting on them.
I generally use a heat lamp when the temps get that cold here but I don't recommend that for everyone, I have a very special set up for mine, there is no way the lamps can cause a fire in my coop because of it.
Because they have down feathers underneath their regular feathers, they can withstand lower temps than we are comfortable with but, big BUT...that does NOT make them impervious to being cold, they will get cold, they will get frostbite, they will be uncomfortable. 
As far as best breed specifically, I would recommend Wyandottes, they are friendly, cold and heat hardy and have rose combs.


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## Sarah1up (May 1, 2020)

Be careful heating the coop in the winter (besides fire hazards of course). It isn't so much how cold it gets, but the sudden changes in temp that affect chickens. It's two completely different situations when birds have months of naturally lowering temps in winter and when the temp suddenly goes from 60 or 70 to -5 in a night because the power went out. I'm not saying not to use heat, but maybe get a bluetooth temp sensor off amazon and have a backup heat source.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I wouldn't use heat at all. There are birds that live in even colder conditions that don't have supplemental heat.


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## nibley (May 1, 2020)

Thank you all.I think no heat,but definitely mister. Wyandottes sound good will look them up


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Pics are always enjoyed of new flocks and their owners. Just keep that on your mind when you get all set up.


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