prairieacreage
In the Brooder
- Mar 28, 2022
- 7
- 20
- 21
We live on the prairies in SK and the temperatures range from +30c in the summer to -40c/f in the winter. It is frequently VERY windy here, though our property has a good abundance of trees to help with breaking that wind.
I've read quite a few articles and helpful posts etc. regarding keeping chickens in the cold. A few things I'm planning;
- to insulate the coop on all sides and the roof to prevent heat loss and include ventilation to keep things dry.
- using deep-litter method
- I want to include some well-insulated windows to draw in heat from the sun.
- I want to raise the coop off the ground and build a raised man-entry (Dutch door?) to account for snowfall/ease of access during winter months.
- We plan to get winter-hardy breed(s) from locals.
My question is- would this be enough to keep chickens warm in the dead of winter? Does anyone have experience with temperatures that low without having any electrical heat in the coop? We would prefer not to use heat lamps as I've done lots of research about how they're so dangerous, but I'm not sure that we can get away without using heat when our temperatures get that low- a lot of the articles I read account for 'cold' temps being MAYBE -20c max, whereas we get much lower than that.
I know chickens will produce their own heat- does anyone know statistics on insulating/retaining head vs. heat loss given the temps outside etc? I feel like I'm doing crazy science or calculus here but my worst nightmare is getting a flock of chickens and having the poor things freeze to death/start losing legs mid-winter.
I would prefer not to have to run electric out to the coop as we are planning to place it a bit away from the house/source of electricity and running extension cords that far isn't feasible.
Has anyone ever used solar panels to produce electricity for de-icing water or possibly running a heater if absolutely necessary? They seem pricey but might be a good alternative to trying to get electricity out to the coop.
We are brand new to this whole thing so my apologies if I've overlooked something obvious or have missed a perfectly helpful article on the subject!
I've read quite a few articles and helpful posts etc. regarding keeping chickens in the cold. A few things I'm planning;
- to insulate the coop on all sides and the roof to prevent heat loss and include ventilation to keep things dry.
- using deep-litter method
- I want to include some well-insulated windows to draw in heat from the sun.
- I want to raise the coop off the ground and build a raised man-entry (Dutch door?) to account for snowfall/ease of access during winter months.
- We plan to get winter-hardy breed(s) from locals.
My question is- would this be enough to keep chickens warm in the dead of winter? Does anyone have experience with temperatures that low without having any electrical heat in the coop? We would prefer not to use heat lamps as I've done lots of research about how they're so dangerous, but I'm not sure that we can get away without using heat when our temperatures get that low- a lot of the articles I read account for 'cold' temps being MAYBE -20c max, whereas we get much lower than that.
I know chickens will produce their own heat- does anyone know statistics on insulating/retaining head vs. heat loss given the temps outside etc? I feel like I'm doing crazy science or calculus here but my worst nightmare is getting a flock of chickens and having the poor things freeze to death/start losing legs mid-winter.
I would prefer not to have to run electric out to the coop as we are planning to place it a bit away from the house/source of electricity and running extension cords that far isn't feasible.
Has anyone ever used solar panels to produce electricity for de-icing water or possibly running a heater if absolutely necessary? They seem pricey but might be a good alternative to trying to get electricity out to the coop.
We are brand new to this whole thing so my apologies if I've overlooked something obvious or have missed a perfectly helpful article on the subject!