Alternative Coop Heat

[TexasJ]

Heating the coop with what ? A bulb is fine but I believe the chickens are keep awake longer than they need to be and seem to lounge more in the day because of this so my goal is to have a list of different methods to heat a coop all ideas welcome and needed by more than just myself this would help all of us here. Please show us your ideas or alternatives to the bulb thank you I'm sure there's some great ideas out there....

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

Daub the Bulb with Paynt, only be ware to burn off the Fumes of the Covering out of the Coop.

 

[TexasJ]

Haven't heard of paynt is it a type of paint?
I'm looking at mb compost heating with pipe inside to raise heat

 

[Ridgerunner]

I took this photo when it was 4 degrees above zero Fahrenheit. I just open the pop door and let them decide what they want to do. If there is a cold wind they will find shelter but if it is just temperature, well you can see what they chose. I can't tell you how to heat your coop because I don't heat mine and have no experience doing that.

I don't know where you are in Texas, but are you sure you are doing it for their benefit or more for yours? Whatever you choose, be careful. This is the time of year coops burn, usually when the chickens did not need the extra heat to start with.

 

[Kirklandchick]

I use a heated dog dish to keep their water out in the run from freezing, but other than that they have no heat. The coldest temp that the coop thermometer has read so far this winter is 10°F, and they were all still excited to go outsude and start their day as soon a I opened the pop door. I'm not sure about your idea of compost heating, would they be breathing some possibly harmful fumes?

 

[trooper]

I took this photo when it was 4 degrees above zero Fahrenheit. I just open the pop door and let them decide what they want to do. If there is a cold wind they will find shelter but if it is just temperature, well you can see what they chose. I can't tell you how to heat your coop because I don't heat mine and have no experience doing that.

I don't know where you are in Texas, but are you sure you are doing it for their benefit or more for yours? Whatever you choose, be careful. This is the time of year coops burn, usually when the chickens did not need the extra heat to start with.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I was using a heated water dish (no need to supply water 12 hours of the day when they are roosting). Now I just use warm water in a rubber bowl and change it 2 times a day "NO" chance of an electrical fire (something that periodically happens when electricity is supplied). I live in Canada today it is -4 Fahrenheit and about 1 foot of snow. No heat, No extra light, the Golden Comet coop is insulated with plenty of ventilation water was not frozen hard there this morning., I get 3 eggs a day from 6 hens that are going on 4 years old.

I also have homing pigeons and ring-neck pheasants living together who get the same treatment only their loft is uninsulated (my water there was harder than a brick this morning).

 

[Ridgerunner]

While I doubt adding heat is really necessary (keeping water from freezing is a separate problem) if you are doing it for your benefit and enjoy the challenge, I'll mention that there might be a problem with compost that will make it harder or more complicated than you might first think. Compost heats up for a fairly short period then cools off. You need to remix it or add new nitrogen/carbon to get it started again. You may find that you will need to have two or three separate compost bins working, timing them so one is always warm.

I envision a pipe running through the compost, either with water slowly circulating or maybe air. I'd tihnk water would be the most efficient if you can keep it from freezing and bursting the pipe. It would need to be well insulated to keep from losing the heat before it got ot the coop. It would be an enclosed system so the gasses from the c ompost would not be a danger to your chickens. They have a fairly delicate respiratory system so you would not want the methane or other gasses produced by the composting process to enter their atmosphere.

This could be a fun project to engineer and build but I doubt it will be very efficient.

Good luck!!!

 

[TexasJ]

Back in the day that's how barns were warmed but what I'm thinking of doing is, you can get compost to warm to 130 degrees of chores mine won't be that hot .if you cap a 4"pipe about 4' long buried under compost with a 90 glued to it and pipe extending up to coop no gas would travel in pipe and the heat from compost will warm pipe allowing heat to travel up pipe to opened end to coop when not need simply cap the pipe in theory free heat

 

[RWD]

Chickens are one of the most insulated animals on earth. If they have shelter out of the wind and rain, they will be fine. You are in Texas which usually does not get below zero. Far more risk of fire with light and even some compost methods than it is worth.