Heating a coop in bitter North Dakota winter

[Dar]

Quote:
mine like snow.. they will chase the snow flakes if it happens to be snowing I give mine oatmeal in the winter to make them come out of the coop. On the really windy and cold days I will not even open my run door for them and they dont seem to mind. If I open the door the waters will freeze.

 

[TDM]

I make a living with my chickens, and insulating the hen houses helps prevent frozen eggs. They lay at all hours throughout the day, and I am not always around to collect. All my neighbors in the Michigan UP insulate their coops because we are located inland and not along the shore where it is warmer.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

We're considering using the straw bales to insulate

For insulation to be effective, it needs to be in contact with the wall to block ALL heat transfer and air circulation.

Straw bales even 1/4 inch AWAY from a wall is the same as no insulation at all.

If you don't stop ALL airflow, you've accomplished nothing.​

 

[kittycooks]

Howdy, Neighbor! I live in Minnesota and after two winters with hardy breeds agree the coop does not need to be heated. Wrapping your building in plastic will keep out drafts, but there does need to be some ventilation or the humidity will build up inside. Here are some pictures of my winterized coop .

 

[heatherindeskies]

Quote:
If your flock is not huge and you have enough room, you could put a heat lamp on which they would use as needed. I have a large open area and just use straw and a couple of heat lamps in an area with no straw present (fire concerns). Rarely do i see them under the lamp.

 

[AlaskGirl]

Hi, I live in Interior Alaska where we get -50 during a bad winter. I do insulate my 8x10 coop and in addition to deep litter, I provide a red-bulb heat lamp and a regular shop light for lighting to ensure egg production (they need 14 hours of light). Everything I learned was from this site and I'm grateful. My chickens do need some kind of heat supplement, if not just for my peace of mind. I also stack the coop with more chickens than I need but I suffered a monthly mystery loss that seems to have gone away. This intended to provide more body heat in the coop. I hope you find the best solution for your area and I hope you have a great winter with your birds, they're so rewarding!

 

[Crackshot]

Quote:
mine like snow.. they will chase the snow flakes if it happens to be snowing I give mine oatmeal in the winter to make them come out of the coop. On the really windy and cold days I will not even open my run door for them and they dont seem to mind. If I open the door the waters will freeze.

Thats got to be funny to watch

 

[Crackshot]

Quote:
I plan on getting RIR and BO, I am learning alot here on theis forum, alot of great people and greae advice.
Thanks

 

[geepers6]

Featherz that's very encouraging. I live in Washington County NY and I was worried about my hen's first winter. I'm going to look into the heated dog bowls. I am trying to figure out how to rig up the extension cord so the girls won't get at it. Thanks for the information.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: Use a heavy duty cord, and don't worry about the birds bothering it
They will ignore it altogether