I'm in MA and do not put heat lamps in my coop. I've never had a chicken or quail with a case of frostbite.
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X2!You do NOT need a heat lamp in your coop. God gave them the tools to survive. I live in Ohio, have lived in Connecticut and while cooler, not by much.
What you do need is adequate space, ventilation but not a draft. Draft is a direct wind which the birds cannot get away from which causes the frostbite. Ventilation carries away breath and is moving air which keeps the problems of dampness away.
Direct air, and dampness are the enemy.
I would rather have it -30 and dry, than 15 and damp.... At least for the birds....
Shawn
Frost on the walls could indicate too much humidity. I'm in MN, and it's supposed to be in the double-digits below zero tomorrow night. No heater in my coop. You are actually doing your chickens a disservice by heating the coop. By using supplemental heat, they don't get acclimated to the cold. What if you lose electricity for some reason? You'll have a bunch of birds trying to deal with the cold that aren't used to it. Do you have songbirds where you live? I'm guessing that if you do, they don't have little heated birdhouses to keep them warm in the winter. They survive just fine. So will your chickens. Really, they will.How do I know if it's too damp? I touch the pine shavings and they feel dry; we also cover the coop with a tarp when it rains/snows just in case of any leaks. We had the coop built and I am assuming it's a well built house for the chickens. We have a door to the run that we close every night so the birds don't have a draft. I bought some straw to also put on top of pine shavings because I read somewhere that straw gives off some heat. It just feels strange to leave them outside in this freezing weather! any other thoughts on keeping the chickens warm? We are nervous that they are going to freeze!