A warning from a firefighter about winter heating....

[WYchicks]

I'm planning to rebuild our coop this spring - as with many first-timers, I've decided on many changes to make it better for our four hens (& us!). One thing I'm planning is to create some extra space for a waterer & feeder in the coop; here in WY, we have our fair share of cold days in which the ladies won't step foot out the coop & the water won't stay thawed. I've been throwing around different ideas for keeping thawed water - either the heated dog dish (which still runs the potential for not staying clean) or the bucket w/nipples & a bucket/bird bath de-icer (NOT the aquarium heater). Unfortunately we do have to use an extension cord, but we have the heavy-duty outdoor grade extension cords & all connections will remain dry & free from weather. Are these ok? We've been using the heated dog dish for their run. I'm leaning toward a bucket w/nipples for their coop b/c so many people have written how much they like them - and a bucket/bird bath deicer will be safely in the bucket & out of the way of the hens.

(Btw, we don't heat or provide light)

 

[EweSheep]

Stack straw bales outside of the coop works!

 

[calista]

Another pat on the back to Woodmort. He's right.

We always raised chickens in unheated open-air coops and they did just fine as long as the moisture problem was handled correctly in the roost area where they could get up off the ground -- even in the snow and ice.

I understand the pampering mentality when the birds are considered pets, however.

 

[GottaLuvChicks]

Quote:
Sorry for the delay in answering...actually, all I have done is make sure the coop is draft free, and I am starting on the deep litter method. I keep tons of straw and wood shavings down, and have good secure doors that get closed up at night. It has gotten down to the teens here, and the chickens are actually warmer than I imagined. Without the wind, it is not that bad. They really show me that in the daytime when the doors get opened and they are starting to refuse to go outside in the wind!!

 

[iluvmichickens]

Quote:
Sorry for the delay in answering...actually, all I have done is make sure the coop is draft free, and I am starting on the deep litter method. I keep tons of straw and wood shavings down, and have good secure doors that get closed up at night. It has gotten down to the teens here, and the chickens are actually warmer than I imagined. Without the wind, it is not that bad. They really show me that in the daytime when the doors get opened and they are starting to refuse to go outside in the wind!!

Great! I'm glad to hear it's going well with keeping the "kids" warm! I'm doing what you're doing too and am amazed at how great the chickens can do with cold temps. It's been down to zero here at night and when I go check on them in the morning, they look just fine. I see no frost bite or any other signs. As soon as I open the run door, they all hop out and stay outside all day until bedtime. But you're right, they do stay out of the wind!

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
Wow! Your set-up sounds safer than the woodstoves in our home! The only thing you didn't mention... You said the extension cord is heavy duty. Is it rated/marketed for outdoor use??

 

[greyhorsewoman]

I agree with Woodmort. MOST of the time, heating your coops is not only a waste of time, money & resources, but is not in the best interest of the health of your chickens. I have chickens both in coops and others that freerange our barnyard area (free to roost anywhere they see fit). I have a mish-mash of breeds and crosses, large & small.

The chickens in the barn often roost along the top of a few stalls (I've blocked them from doing it in most places to keep the poop out of the horse stalls). It is amazing to watch them. They sit close and slightly fluffed out in the cooler/cold temperatures. When things drop to zero and below, they sit FURTHER apart and fluff up to look twice their size, burrowing their heads and covering their feet. Same for the chickens in my corner barn coop. Same for the ones in a 10x10 coop behind the house. (We do line the base of that with hay to cut draft under the floor.) They barely look like a chicken at ALL. I've not had problems with sick chickens or frostbite on combs or wattles. They all come running bright and happy in the morning, no worse for wear.

We switch to a small bucket for water in the winter for the barn coop and supply the chickens with lukewarm water morning and evening. (We use a bucket heater to heat a muck bucket of water that we split between all the animals.) Another trick that I used in the past is a plastic water bottle of hot water placed in the bucket, it actually keeps the water from freezing as quickly. We also use a base water heater in the shed coop with the regular waterer with success.

 

[Chickenaddict]

Because of the breeds I keep I have to heat the coop. I do take extra precautions tho and wire the heat lamps up so there is no way they can fall even if I was hanging from them. I dust off the bulb and the metal piece that sits over the bulb everyday. Awhile back I watched a video on how different types of bedding burn. I believe it was straw verses pine shavings. The straw went up in flames in no time while the pine shavings never caught fire but just smoldered. I have also tested this using my fire pit, the pine shavings didn't burn unless I added straw. Last winter I wasn't so smart and didn't hook up the heat lamp in the coop good enough, the birds knocked it to the ground. Luckily I was using pine shavings in the coop at the time so no fire there but it was tooo close for comfort for me and since then I have been extra careful.

 

[Naughty]

So I am curious - has anyone ever tried to use one of the pop can solar heaters for a coop? I have a pretty tree free area here and was thinking about trying it.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Ill stick with my heated roosts. It is 120 watts divided in to 24 bulbs across five feet an is thermostat controlled at 100*F. I only use it in my brooder but I think its way safer than a heat lamp. Being a firemen my self for 13 years I can tell ya there is no such thing as safe heat. If you have power you have a fire hazard. Everything you do has a risk to it. Even the deep litter method has a fire danger to it. Same with hay bales.

What chickens can an cant take is more complicated than picking a temp an saying that's to cold everywhere.