How do you heat your coops

[fuzzybutt love]

I have a camper coop, and i have set up a double roost by the back bay window area. At the top, up by the roof there are little crank windows that provide ventilation and keep the humidity down. I also put down deep bedding at the beginning of winter. I don't use heat, but the windows allow themselves to sun themselves, and the double perch system lets them pass each other without anyone having to jump down. It was very cozy during the day! An added bonus of the deep litter was that i could toss corn in there and they would dig around all day, which helped with the winter boredom.

Most of my girls are EE's, and don't lay during the winter, but i had one orpington and she layed an egg nearly every day with no added light or heat! The only downside to the bay windows is the need for them to be shaded during the summer, but an awning would do the trick if you don't have trees like i do.



This is as far as they went when it snowed! I threw a few out there but they liked their cozy digs better!

 

[americanvalkyrie]

We rarely get below 10 degrees, but I don't feel comfortable without some source of heat. But I also don't want to put electric heat out there... I've read about too many fires! So this is what we built:

The mini-run is open ventilation during the summer. If you look close, you'll see how the chickens go in the pop door, then around a u-shaped space before they get in the actual coop. In the winter, we cover all of that (except for the door) with 6mil plastic. The sun comes down on the plastic and warms the air, which is drawn into the coop and up high, where the chickens are actually hanging out. The u-shaped entrance serves as a windblock, which is a HUGE problem here! A perfectly warm coop can get frigid when the winter winds come in at 50mph. We also cover most of the top vents with plastic in the winter, leaving open the spaces which aren't in direct lines with each other, to reduce drafts. For instance, those little ones on the lefthand end stay open, but the big long ones get covered.

Please excuse the lack of a roof! We're working on that!

 

[dragon16]

It was recommended to me NOT to heat a coop. If you lose electricity, you lose your flock because they are not used to the cold. As long as they have food and unfrozen water they'll be fine.

 

[semillion2]

We heat our Chicken Coop for the Winter with a infra Red Lamp that puts out heat. The Winters in Utah can be brutal dropping a slow as minus 22c, 18f with snow and bone cutting wind. We keep them in the coop when the conditions are bad. Also the light is on a timer, it does not run all the time.

 

[Gifa]

Wasn't planning on doing much more than wrapping their run with some clear plastic to take advantage of the greenhouse effect during the day and keep the wind off of the north side of the coop and any snow out of their run.

Will also be able to keep the north window (in the run) open while keeping South and East coop windows down at night and possibly adding a canvas baffle to the roof vent just over their roost.

Might run a little electricity out to the waterer in their run to keep that from freezing mid January through mid February if I need too, but that's about it.

A 60 degree week in January is not unheard of in Kansas City and we painted our Coop a relatively dark color for heat trapping in the winter as well.

This is our first year... we'll see how it goes.

 

[IkeArrumba]

I live in central Minnesota and it gets pretty cold here. I specifically selected breeds that are good in cold climates. I have a heater for their water to keep it from freezing. I also use a heat light on a timer. The light is set to come on at 5:00 AM and off at 9:00 AM. Then it comes on again from 4:00 PM until 9:00 PM. It helps heat their coop (which is all enclosed and well insulated) but also gives them light which keeps them laying all winter long. I also throw a good amount of straw in the coop so they can burrow into it and stay warm. During those two or three weeks in January where it goes to -30 all day and night I leave the light on all the time. Seems only fair.

 

[Shimmana]

I live in Vermont, and the temperature can get down to 25 below . I use heat lamps for the chicken house. Just have to be careful that they do not knock it down. Good fire starter. I also put a tarp over and around their run so they can be out of the bitter wind. I also have a heated water bowl.

 

[Cass]

No heat here. Don't want a fire, don't want the added humidity that comes from heated air. Repiratory illness can result from the humidity getting to high, so better cold than dead. I DID put my roosts the 4" side of the 2x4 flat so they can spread their feathers over their toes and my coop is pretty darn draft proof. (Ask Ray, he ducks in there when snowblowing to warm up.) I shut the door at night. Last year (a very mild winter) I never shut the pop door all season. My rooster slept in the floor next to the pop door all winter. (He has a LOT of feathers and must have been too warm)

There are chickens in ICE LAND that survive outdoors and Sumantras in my friend's yard just take to the trees all winter. My problem with a heated coop is making the chickens dependant on that heat source and if there is a power failure (which almost always happens around here in the winter) they will suffer from the cold because they haven't bothered to grow their winter feathers.

Has anyone ever seen a crow or robin or sparrow dead cuz of the cold weather? Neither have I. So no heat here, my chickens have it better then the tiny wild birds in my yard.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

This is my first winter with chickens and I'm in Virginia. We don't normally get brutal winters but will have cold snaps that will go to -5 or so not to mention the occasional ton of snow. However, I do lose power quite often.

I don't plan on heating my small coop due to potential fire danger as well not wanting to get the girls used to the heat and then us losing power and they not be used to the cold. Hopefully the smaller coop will help in retaining heat.

I do plan on going to the deep litter method which - as I understand it - will help with warmth. Our coop is well ventilated and I will be adding a bit of minor insulation as well as protecting the run from the elements via heavy plastic. Also plan on using bales of straw as windbreaks around the sides of the coop and run.

 

[vickiw]

First, I think it needs to be pointed out that I doubt any of us that are 'pro-heating" are talking about keeping the coops at a toasty 65o or some such nonsense. Many of us on here aren't blessed to live south of about anywhere

so at least some heating becomes necessary for part of the worst days/nights when temps get down well below freezing, or even -0. I am going to be heating my coop to keep it just above freezing on the worst nights. Don't remember who said what but one of you said our flocks would get sick if we heated. sorry, but that has no basis in fact unless you were assuming we were going to really "heat" the coop like our homes!

We northern folks fully understand the meaning of 'adapting". The statement about losing power killing our flocks? Come on, really???? Our toes may get frozen up here but not our brains!

Seriously, if you maintain proper ventilation (which is done differently in the north than in the south), keep your coop draft free, dry and CLEAN, doing the best you can to provide a safe and reasonably protected outside access (and for you southern folks, trust me, up here where we can get 5 ft drifts on a regular basis is no easy feat) there is nothing wrong with preventing your birds from freezing to death or losing combs, wattles or toes by providing a moderate heat source when needed.

Ok, got to go now. Speaking of bad weather, I am watching it sleet/rain out my window and there is a call for snow flurries tonight so I have to get outside and harvest the last of my herbs. Hope you southern folks are having a longer autumn than mother nature is giving us!!!