Serama question

[Litewings]

OK Serama breeders, I've got a big question. To raise Seramas do I need to have a heated chicken coop? I live in Summerfield, North Carolina. (Just north of Greensboro, NC.) I love the appearance of these birds and they appear (from my reading) to have a great personality. But I don't want to put them into a situation where they cannot survive. If I tried to raise them in this area of North Carolina would I need to keep them in a heated area?

Litewings

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Mine are outside in their own little unheated coop, but if the weather gets below freezing, I stick them in a cat carrier and bring them inside. I only have 3 though and they're very, very spoiled. I'm sure you'll get a lot of differing opinions.

 

[ems_chick]

I live in N GA and we had a horribly cold winter this year... That said, I don't heat my coops and nobody died. I live too far out and we loose power alot, didnt want them to get used to the warm and then have to go without it

To me that would be a GIANT shock to their system. I do feel a little guilty as we did loose some tips of combs on some of the little guys, but no toes thankfully! They are in a nice coop that keeps the wind off them and they roost on 2x4s.

 

[catwalk]

I live in mid Ohio, and it was stoopid cold this February! My coop/workshop is insulated, but their water still froze regularly. I did not provide extra heat in general, but the Seramas and other chicks enjoyed the "hot plates" I made for them!

 

[Akane]

Mine just survived weeks in the negatives including -20F. In an 8x8 coop with 1 single heat lamp bulb tied up high and they never roosted under so it only made a difference of about 3 degrees or less.