How do you heat your coops

[Jeepman]

I'd try gutter thermal tape. Not pipe tape. There is a difference.

I was out of town for 2 weeks and I left the water on to my pig stall watering can. It was subzero for highs during most of that time and my neighbor who was feeding them said the water was still flowing out of their drinker no problem.

 

[Our Roost]

well, If your nipple water feeders are inside the coop, they shouldnt freeze. Mine are fed from a water barrel outside the coop thru PVC piping inside the coop. I have to install a floating electric heat ring inside the water barrel to keep that water from freezing. Winter snow runoff from the coop roof to the gutters and into the rain barrel "should" keep me stocked with water. Dont ask how many polutants are in the water, because I dont know. I have a filtered screen on the water barrel, but it doesnt catch everything. All I know is that they drink it.

 

[blondiebee181]

Boise is way cold like here in Montana, frost bite and using vasoline ? Maybe you could make a few sides hard to block more cold. I hate when folks seek the answer to frost bite is vasoline, how about them not suffering in the first place by being no so cold?

I just wanted to keep it on hand for the reason others have stated...so their comb and wattles are a bit waterproof...not as a frostbite be all end all.
The run has a nice, solid hardwood fence on one 20 ft side that will be a fine windblock, as well as the tarps I'm planning on tacking down also keeping it dry.
I don't know where you live in Montana but most people I know say Montana is colder, but idk. I plan to monitor them carefully this first winter and make any adjustments necessary, I've talked to a lot of people in my area and read a lot of winterizing threads....I think I'll be okay, but thanks for the concern. Stay warm!

 

[Minniechickmama]

well, If your nipple water feeders are inside the coop, they shouldnt freeze. Mine are fed from a water barrel outside the coop thru PVC piping inside the coop. I have to install a floating electric heat ring inside the water barrel to keep that water from freezing. Winter snow runoff from the coop roof to the gutters and into the rain barrel "should" keep me stocked with water. Dont ask how many polutants are in the water, because I dont know. I have a filtered screen on the water barrel, but it doesnt catch everything. All I know is that they drink it.

I'd try gutter thermal tape. Not pipe tape. There is a difference.

I was out of town for 2 weeks and I left the water on to my pig stall watering can. It was subzero for highs during most of that time and my neighbor who was feeding them said the water was still flowing out of their drinker no problem.

Do either of you have pictures of your set-up? If I could run nipple waterers through winter, it would make my life SO much easier! The dog bowls work as far as keep water, but they poop in and it gets nasty and I have to clean them out every day. It is something I have trudged through, but it is time consuming, and when I need someone else to do chores - it just sucks for them. If I can keep nipples unfrozen in the pens, it would be SO great. So, please share?

 

[Our Roost]

Sorry, I have tried to down load pictures on here but had no luck. Lacking BYC software I guess. Take a look under watering and feeding your flock forum. Some good picks and ideas from Hawgons water barrel setup can be used. He went a little excentric, but it will give you the basic idea. Good luck!

 

[Gifa]

Our girls' first night below freezing...

• tucked them in with oatmeal filled crops/ bellies
• coop windows in the full down position
• spread more fluffy straw down in the run
• brought the emptied waterers in for the night, left a pan of water out for them in the morning if it manages to stay thawed
• will provide fresh water and warm oatmeal for them first thing in the morning.

40 degrees currently and falling... Snow expected on Sunday. It was 80 degrees on tuesday, it will be 80 degrees again next week.

Weather in the midwest is hilarious.

 

[blondiebee181]

Our girls' first night below freezing...

• tucked them in with oatmeal filled crops/ bellies
• coop windows in the full down position
• spread more fluffy straw down in the run
• brought the emptied waterers in for the night, left a pan of water out for them in the morning if it manages to stay thawed
• will provide fresh water and warm oatmeal for them first thing in the morning.

40 degrees currently and falling... Snow expected on Sunday. It was 80 degrees on tuesday, it will be 80 degrees again next week.

Weather in the midwest is hilarious.

Oh, trust me the weather in Boise this time of year is just as unpredictable....
I just got done covering the East side of my 10X20' run today with a tarp. I'm going to cover the top soon too. Changed all the mason-type waterers out for rubber bowls that can be stomped and frozen and that sort without cracking. Also changed the large kiddie pool out to the shallower, smaller one for the ducks. I can just dump that one when I need to empty it instead of cyphening. Willow gave me this look today after I filled it like "Are you serious? Downsizing my pond?" LOL silly duckies.

 

[karlamaria]

It's down to 19 here now, cold cold, and time to wrap my pen up in 6 mm clear plastic. I spent good hard earned money to get my pen redone this spring and I know it will be money well spent. I had a huge kennel last year, had the cross bars on top and them tarped the top and all the way around, but what a pain that turned out to be. The top got laid down with snow, we kept jumping up and knocking it down, it melted and made water, the tarps on all sides of the kennel blew in the wind and no matter what we did they flapped and blue in the wind. We were forever zip tying them down lol. This year I had a pen built, with a slanted roof, heavy hard wire, and bigger . Today we wrapped half the pen up in the plastic, making sure it was stapled down well, and tolorrow the other half, then I'm going to go inside and do the same. I want my girls out of the wind and I do not want to have to be doing this in sub zero weather ! Getting out the tin can heater and I'm so glad I got an electric door opener this spring. No more getting up at 7:00 ( it's still dark here at 7:00 am lol ) to go out in the freezing cold to let the girls out and unfreeze the water. Best use of my tax money I ever spent! Increased the coop, rebuilt and had the pen made bigger, added electricity, and an electric door opener. It was expensive, but well worth it!

 

[Gifa]

I just purchased some clear tarps on the cheap tonight from TarpaFlex US's website. https://www.tarpaflex.com/acatalog/clear-heavy-duty-tarps.html

I got a 10'x20' for the Top and West and North side of the run for $20 and two 7'x10' tarps for for the East faces on either side of the door for $11. After shipping and handling et. al. it came out to just under $65.

 

[blondiebee181]

It's down to 19 here now, cold cold, and time to wrap my pen up in 6 mm clear plastic. I spent good hard earned money to get my pen redone this spring and I know it will be money well spent. I had a huge kennel last year, had the cross bars on top and them tarped the top and all the way around, but what a pain that turned out to be. The top got laid down with snow, we kept jumping up and knocking it down, it melted and made water, the tarps on all sides of the kennel blew in the wind and no matter what we did they flapped and blue in the wind. We were forever zip tying them down lol. This year I had a pen built, with a slanted roof, heavy hard wire, and bigger . Today we wrapped half the pen up in the plastic, making sure it was stapled down well, and tolorrow the other half, then I'm going to go inside and do the same. I want my girls out of the wind and I do not want to have to be doing this in sub zero weather ! Getting out the tin can heater and I'm so glad I got an electric door opener this spring. No more getting up at 7:00 ( it's still dark here at 7:00 am lol ) to go out in the freezing cold to let the girls out and unfreeze the water. Best use of my tax money I ever spent! Increased the coop, rebuilt and had the pen made bigger, added electricity, and an electric door opener. It was expensive, but well worth it!

Electric door opener, that sounds awesome....

My run is peaked in the middle so I'm hoping the tarps do okay, they are heavy-duty and strapped down with bungees. I just don't have any money to go fancy. I'm a poor recent college grad who only just got promoted at my store (not even doing what my degree is right now because the teaching market sucks)