Heating chicken coop when power goese out?

[peanutbutternje]

I have a bunch of mutts. That doesn't matter really.

I have been getting instruction from an old timer for 15 years that has always used heat in these parts. The coop stays between 30 and 40 degrees on these warmer days of winter. The oldtimer spoke of hanging lanterns in the coop and if big enough used wood stoves and a number of other things to keep the coop above freezing. I will trust him before I trust a bunch I know nothing about.

I also wasn't thinking about the more open unstable versions of the candle powered heaters. There are several variations. I am also not such a fool as to leave something like that in a fashion that would bring my babies any harm. IE caging and firebrick to protect walls, floor and feet, ventilation because of co2(?) etc.

It was only a thought and see now that the holier then thou people would rather attack then discuss.
And I think if done properly it would work in a pinch. Tis absolutely not something I will consider if I do not need to protect my babies. Maybe when it is 20 below zero, I should just bring them all in the house and put them in my spare bedroom. Maybe that would make everyone happy.

And guess what. If that is my only choice to make sure the survive these crazy *** temps then that is exactly what I will do!!!

 

[peanutbutternje]

And rather then attacking. Why not try giving suggestions?

 

[aart]

Where are you located and can you post a pic of your coop?

I seriously doubt you'll find anyone here who heats without electricity, maybe you need a generator if you live where it gets and stays that cold for extended periods of time. Any kind of fire, and alot of electrical options, are fraught with risk so most folks avoid heating....even in Alaska and the northern plains of the US. But if you find a way, feel free to share you success, or failure, here so others can learn.

Heating is a hot topic(haha) and you've stumbled onto a specific old debate that escalated on your thread, happens on most internet forums and it's too bad that it was your first experience here. But like most internet sources you have to take what you need and leave the rest.

You might try searching on your state and find other people nearby who deal with the same situation.

Try the advanced search option

Advanced search>titles only>alaska

Advanced search>titles only>heat without electricity

 

[RonP]

X2

Excellent advice.

 

[helios]

I'm leery of electric heat in the coop, and my SO is terrified of it! Here's what I've come up with for the coldest months...

I have a "cozy" coop: it's designed for 3-6 hens to keep somewhat warm with body heat (about 4'H, 2.5'W, 4'L). I added 1" styrofoam insulation on the ceiling and all of the walls except the doors/windows and covered that with double-bubble reflective insulation to protect the tasty styrofoam (even on the doors, and covering the window behind the roosts) and sealed all of the seams with aluminum ductwork tape to catch drafts. [In hindsight, I wish I'd caulked all of the seams when I originally built the coop.]...If you have a larger coop, you can always build a "huddle", which can be as simple as a cardboard box around the roosting area to catch body heat...a little insulation wouldn't hurt (double or triple cardboard layers, covered styrofoam, etc.) I got rid of a few pesky drafts around the doors last week with some trusty 3/8" thick weatherstripping.

I have a gable which is vented along the length of the small coop. In the winter, I stuff the gable vent with straw (not packed too tightly, just enough to baffle a strong wind), and I close off the half above the roosts with a strip of plywood along the peak of the interior roof, leaving the other half partly open for ventilation. I often worry most about ventilation, as moist air will promote frostbite in freezing temps. I do, on the very coldest nights, wrap the gable and roof with a few blankets, although this will cut ventilation down.

The coop portion is elevated about 18" above ground and the floor is open hardware cloth in the summer time. To winterize, I add tongue-and-groove planks over the hardware cloth for a wood floor, and put down a few inches of pine shavings topped with 6" or so of thick straw bedding. I also wrap the enclosure under the coop with plastic and on the coldest days, I close the bottom up (like a mini solarium) and they can get a little sun in the 3.5'x4' area underneath. I also leave the East plexiglass window uncovered by insulation so the sunrise can warm the coop in the morning.

Last winter, I had several more chickens, and I built a lean-to type "sunroom" off the back of the coop, cutting out a small pop door for access. It was a simple frame of leftover cattle panel covered in painters plastic (.3mil?), edges held down by old straw bales, and covered on the back (north side) and part of the top with a sturdy tarp, black side in to catch solar heat inside, lined the floor with chicken wire, had a plexiglass section on the south side sealed up to the plastic with plain package sealing tape, and made a ramp off the pop door for access. I put down lots of straw and they had a lovely time scratching around. I haven't gotten around to the solarium yet this winter, as I'd really like to upgrade to a 2x2 wood collapsible frame with plexiglass (acrylic) panels.

My chickens get the hottest water from the tap twice daily in freezing temps. They are usually in bed by the time they get the second hot 1-gallon waterer, but the dissipating heat of the water will give an extra boost to their body heat. Last winter, I think the body heat/hot waterer method kept the coop about 15-20 degrees warmer than outside. I don't really worry about them until the temp inside the coop is in the teens.

A few weeks ago, I had an idea that seems to have worked out great the last few nights...I got a couple lids for my 5-gallon buckets and I have been filling them with hot water from the tap (actually, I fill two half-full to carry them out easier and dump one into the other at the coop). I snap the lid tightly onto the almost full 5-gallon bucket and put it on top of the bedding in the coop. The lid prevents spills/wet chickens and adding humidity to the coop. Last night, it was about 14 degrees F outside when I put the heated bucket in at about 5PM when I locked them up. The remote thermometer read 23 degrees inside the coop within a few minutes (I didn't check before), and within an hour, it was 47 degrees in the coop! It was about 20 degrees this morning and the minimum temp only got down to 28 degrees overnight, and had warmed to 33 in the morning sun by the time I checked again. I'll be monitoring this, but I think the extra heat does take the chill off and heat up the coop much more quickly when I lock them down. This might only be as effective in "cozy" coops or in a huddle box in a larger coop.

I'm realizing that some of this might be hard to picture...I'll try to take some snaps this weekend.

 

[RonP]

What cold sensitive breeds are you housing?

Pictures of your flock would be great.

 

[MeepBeep]

I'm leery of electric heat in the coop, and my SO is terrified of it!  Here's what I've come up with for the coldest months...

There are some very 'safe' electrical heat options that pose little to no risk if installed properly...

Wired properly (this is very important) a 'pig blanket' heater poses an insignificant fire risk... They are solid fiberglass mats that only get +35°F over ambient air they never get hot enough to ignite a fire even on the hottest summer day...

http://www.osbornepetsupply.com/heat-pads/

As I have said multiple times I recommend these pads be mounted on a wall behind the roosting area, spaced off the wall about 1-2" to allow air to flow front and back instead of heating the wall itself... Protect the cord from 'pecking' and wire it properly using a single cold weather rated heavy gauge extension cord, or better a proper overhead or buried electrical supply to the coop... The plug should be secured in the socket, be it a plug in socket or extension cord, secure it so it doesn't pull out and pose a risk...

I have been using these pads for over 20 years now, and never had a single issue and in many of my years gone by they were using inside the house in reptile enclosures and even against recommendations covered with bedding or newspaper... Not that I recommend you bury or cover them, but I have seen it done many times without issue...

 

[helios]

What cold sensitive breeds are you housing?

Pictures of your flock would be great.

I have Silver Sebrights.
I'm happy to report that my 5 gallon bucket heat sink worked great for me in my small coop! It routinely raised the coop temp 20 degrees F from where the hens' body heat was keeping it. It even kept their water from freezing most nights. I kept a data sheet for a few nights. I'll post it when I'm not so exhausted. We're supposed to have some nice weather (again!) this weekend.
I have old photos when my flock was larger, but my SD card died this week and I only have them on a backup at work...We've had some devastating predator losses over the past year,so I'll nearly be starting from scratch this spring with the chickens.
At least I have a plan for frigid nights with only two little banties putting out body heat!

 

[RonP]

Silver Sebrights, I love the look of these birds...

 

[Hokum Coco]

This is what some chicken coops look like when you attempt to heat them.
You would not be the first to burn down your coop.
Good Luck peanutbutternje.