post your chicken coop pictures here!

[LJoWilly]

We are in the process of putting up their new run, will post pics when complete.

 

[pennyJo1960]

We are in the process of putting up their new run, will post pics when complete.

it will be great see when your done

 

[Latestarter]

Serama chickens are supposed to be the smallest breed of chicken...Thanks for the input guys and gals! Much appreciated! If anyone has any ideas...I'd be happy to hear about them....jan

I suggest that you (or anyone else worried about heating for chickens in the winter) pick a different breed of chicken... perhaps the latest fad... the Yeti chicken!

Good to go down to -100f for prolonged periods. No additional heat sources required. Not recommended for hot climate zones.

A few other drawbacks however... the coop space requirements and feed requirements are kinda prohibitive. Oh, and they're big enough to beat the crap outta you if you tick them off.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Quote: Seen those yeti chickens pretty dangerous breed eh

 

[perchie.girl]

Serama chickens are supposed to be the smallest breed of chicken...I've got an rooster that is about 8 inches tall....that's including his comb...about the size of a robin....he will fit into a parakeet cage....I can catch him with one hand.....thumb and middle fingers can almost touch around him with his wings folded...I'm considering a small radiant heat panel on the ceiling over the perches...I have in mind a nice little coop...with good ventilation, but not drafty. Maintaining the coop temp around 40 degrees? Warmer if they are on the perches. They will have free access to a covered enclosed run. With wind block on the north, east and west sides. The south facing side will be open to the sun....as much as we get. The floor of the run is a mixture of saw shavings, compost, dirt....sand...nice and dry...they are tolerating 40-50 degrees in the porch right now....I've got to do some more thinking on the design. I'm open to any suggestions! My flock of laying birds stay nice and comfy in their unheated coop, but some would feel that the coop is to small for 30 or so standard size birds....but they only sleep in the coop....and of course use the nest boxes. They spend the day out in the 10 x 25 ft covered run...with numerous perches...the little guys would be built into the other end of that run. Well gotta do some thinking. Thanks for the input guys and gals! Much appreciated! If anyone has any ideas...I'd be happy to hear about them....jan

Those Seramas are sooo small. As with all birds they put off quite a few BTUs on their own. There are a couple of issues with using heating elements in the coop. Fire hazard being the top one. Getting them dependant on heat is the other... what if the power goes out. they wont have coping skills to deal with it.

I like the idea of not having the element come on unless the temperature drops below a certain point. Oh and heat rises so youd have to crank it up to heat the space below. Youd need to have those perches up within a foot of the element....

I have thought about doing heated perches in the past. the heat would rise and the element would be poop free.

They make flexible heating elements for reptile cages... You could put something like that on a round perch then sleeve it with PVC...

Just thinking outside the box. If you do something like that you could keep the temperature down and just take the chill off.

For what its worth I am not an advocate of heating coops. But in this case I could see the need.

deb

 

[ShrekDawg]

Those Seramas are sooo small.  As with all birds they put off quite a few BTUs on their own.  There are a couple of issues with using heating elements in the coop.  Fire hazard being the top one.  Getting them dependant on heat is the other... what if the power goes out.  they wont have coping skills to deal with it. 

I like the idea of not having the element come on unless the temperature drops below a certain point.    Oh and heat rises so youd have to crank it up to heat the space below.  Youd need to have those perches up within a foot of the element....

I have thought about doing heated perches in the past.   the heat would rise and the element would be poop free.

They make flexible heating elements for reptile cages...  You could put something like that on a round perch then sleeve it with PVC...

Just thinking outside the box.  If you do something like that you could keep the temperature down and just take the chill off.

For what its worth I am not an advocate of heating coops.  But in this case I could see the need.

deb

I 100% agree. Regular chickens can keep themselves warm but I somewhat doubt the ability of something the size of a robin to be able to. Sure down keeps you very warm but body size and mass comes into play too. The more mass theoretically the more heat you could generate. And it'd be one thing if you had dozens of them but with only a handful I can see the need. I mean, why do you think robins and most song burds migrate? And theyre the same size. I can definitely see the need.

But that said, I also see the point about them becoming dependent on heat, if the power goes out they could die because they're not used to the cold.

I also advocate AGAINST using heat lamps. Fire hazard makes it a bad idea.

You could, however, always use a heating pad?

Idk if you've considered it but I used the MHP (mama heating pad) method with my chicks and it would surely work for a bird as small as that. That's ike a heating pad cave, there is a thread you can look up if you want. They go under when they need it.

Or you could put it below or above the roosts too and heat it that way.

All that said though, you said you are planning on keeping it around 45 as well as heating it? If doing that, I honestly don't think I would heat. 45 degrees is plenty warm enough even for them. Maybe almost too warm.

 

[Flock Master64]

I want somethings like this

 

[cavemanrich]

Quote:
Those Seramas are sooo small. As with all birds they put off quite a few BTUs on their own. There are a couple of issues with using heating elements in the coop. Fire hazard being the top one. Getting them dependant on heat is the other... what if the power goes out. they wont have coping skills to deal with it.

I like the idea of not having the element come on unless the temperature drops below a certain point. Oh and heat rises so youd have to crank it up to heat the space below. Youd need to have those perches up within a foot of the element....

I have thought about doing heated perches in the past. the heat would rise and the element would be poop free.

They make flexible heating elements for reptile cages... You could put something like that on a round perch then sleeve it with PVC...

Just thinking outside the box. If you do something like that you could keep the temperature down and just take the chill off.

For what its worth I am not an advocate of heating coops. But in this case I could see the need.

deb

Quote:

I 100% agree. Regular chickens can keep themselves warm but I somewhat doubt the ability of something the size of a robin to be able to. Sure down keeps you very warm but body size and mass comes into play too. The more mass theoretically the more heat you could generate. And it'd be one thing if you had dozens of them but with only a handful I can see the need. I mean, why do you think robins and most song burds migrate? And theyre the same size. I can definitely see the need.

But that said, I also see the point about them becoming dependent on heat, if the power goes out they could die because they're not used to the cold.

I also advocate AGAINST using heat lamps. Fire hazard makes it a bad idea.

You could, however, always use a heating pad?

Idk if you've considered it but I used the MHP (mama heating pad) method with my chicks and it would surely work for a bird as small as that. That's ike a heating pad cave, there is a thread you can look up if you want. They go under when they need it.

Or you could put it below or above the roosts too and heat it that way.

All that said though, you said you are planning on keeping it around 45 as well as heating it? If doing that, I honestly don't think I would heat. 45 degrees is plenty warm enough even for them. Maybe almost too warm.

I like the heating suggestions I high lighted in green.

As to the red high lighted power failure issue, SIMPLY BRING LITTLE ANGELS INTO HOUSE UNTIL POWER GET BACK ON.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I like the heating  suggestions I high lighted in [COLOR=008000]green.  [/COLOR] [COLOR=000000] As to the[/COLOR] [COLOR=FF0000]red[/COLOR] [COLOR=000000]high lighted power failure issue,  SIMPLY BRING LITTLE ANGELS INTO HOUSE UNTIL POWER GET BACK ON.   [/COLOR]

Good thinking, I never thought of that

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:

Those Seramas are sooo small. As with all birds they put off quite a few BTUs on their own. There are a couple of issues with using heating elements in the coop. Fire hazard being the top one. Getting them dependant on heat is the other... what if the power goes out. they wont have coping skills to deal with it.

I like the idea of not having the element come on unless the temperature drops below a certain point. Oh and heat rises so youd have to crank it up to heat the space below. Youd need to have those perches up within a foot of the element....

I have thought about doing heated perches in the past. the heat would rise and the element would be poop free.

They make flexible heating elements for reptile cages... You could put something like that on a round perch then sleeve it with PVC...

Just thinking outside the box. If you do something like that you could keep the temperature down and just take the chill off.

For what its worth I am not an advocate of heating coops. But in this case I could see the need.

deb

Quote:

I 100% agree. Regular chickens can keep themselves warm but I somewhat doubt the ability of something the size of a robin to be able to. Sure down keeps you very warm but body size and mass comes into play too. The more mass theoretically the more heat you could generate. And it'd be one thing if you had dozens of them but with only a handful I can see the need. I mean, why do you think robins and most song burds migrate? And theyre the same size. I can definitely see the need.

But that said, I also see the point about them becoming dependent on heat, if the power goes out they could die because they're not used to the cold.

I also advocate AGAINST using heat lamps. Fire hazard makes it a bad idea.

You could, however, always use a heating pad?

Idk if you've considered it but I used the MHP (mama heating pad) method with my chicks and it would surely work for a bird as small as that. That's ike a heating pad cave, there is a thread you can look up if you want. They go under when they need it.

Or you could put it below or above the roosts too and heat it that way.

All that said though, you said you are planning on keeping it around 45 as well as heating it? If doing that, I honestly don't think I would heat. 45 degrees is plenty warm enough even for them. Maybe almost too warm.

I like the heating suggestions I high lighted in green.

As to the red high lighted power failure issue, SIMPLY BRING LITTLE ANGELS INTO HOUSE UNTIL POWER GET BACK ON.

a Whole Hearted YUP if possible But you have to plan for contingencies.... its really best to not heat... and let their own body temperature stabilize the temperature in the coop.

deb