Arctic Blast Coming - Any Suggestions?

[littlecoopnextdoor]

That will definitely help, as the a warm object will emit radiant heat. A heating pad literally uses the same type of heat - radiant heat. It doesn't blow hot air, it just warms up the pad. It's an odd material, idk how to describe it, not quite metal but not quite plastic.

But anyways, a hot water bottle will definitely emit heat. Although one single water bottle will make little difference. Even ten hot water bottles won't make a huge difference but would be much better than one. You would also have to keep refilling them with hot water every 30 minutes or more. Probably every 15 minutes.

You might be better off using something that can hold more heat, such as bricks. Obviously be careful with how you heat the brick and transport it to the coop. You might want to find a way to prevent them from touching the bricks directly so you can get them very hot. The whole reason they put bricks or stone around fireplaces is because they absorb heat and then emit radiant heat for a day or more after the fire goes out. You can buy specific types of bricks for emitting more heat but you don't have time to order online and must buy what you can find locally. The cold starts on Friday so you must prepare TODAY.

do you think I should go buy an electric heat pad and attached it to the wall beside my roost? I could run an extension cord for just the one night. If so I can run and go at 8am when the shops open. The only ones I can find are 2 hour auto shut off... it seems it's going to start going really down cold around 5am friday

 

[triciayoung]

do you think I should go buy an electric heat pad and attached it to the wall beside my roost? I could run an extension cord for just the one night. If so I can run and go at 8am when the shops open. The only ones I can find are 2 hour auto shut off... it seems it's going to start going really down cold around 5am friday

If you are going out, and are going to run an extension cord - panel radiant heat is much better. Something like this...https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/cozy-chicken-coop-flat-panel-heater-200w

 

[jreardon1918]

Good morning all. We have been following the prediction of very cold weather in the U.S. Northeast. We prep our coop and run in the fall for winter. A few years ago (2018) the coop got down to -6F. We did not supply heat or move the girls. They all did fine. We did not even spot frostbite. Here is an article we did a few years ago.
Preparing the girls for winter
As the article says we will leave the windows and pop door open as we are trying to keep the humidity as low as possible.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

If you are going out, and are going to run an extension cord - panel radiant heat is much better. Something like this...https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/cozy-chicken-coop-flat-panel-heater-200w

I don't have tractor supply here because I'm not in the US and my local farm store had radiant panel heaters but they only had very large ones that would not fit in my coop. I'll check out that for next year if it seems like this is going to keep happening (this winter has been wild..)

Good morning all. We have been following the prediction of very cold weather in the U.S. Northeast. We prep our coop and run in the fall for winter. A few years ago (2018) the coop got down to -6F. We did not supply heat or move the girls. They all did fine. We did not even spot frostbite. Here is an article we did a few years ago.
Preparing the girls for winter
As the article says we will leave the windows and pop door open as we are trying to keep the humidity as low as possible.

Thanks for this. My girls so far have been good with really cold temps, and it's luckily quite dry this week. I have followed your advice from the article in prep for this winter. I was researching

 

[jreardon1918]

I don't have tractor supply here because I'm not in the US and my local farm store had radiant panel heaters but they only had very large ones that would not fit in my coop. I'll check out that for next year if it seems like this is going to keep happening (this winter has been wild..)

Thanks for this. My girls so far have been good with really cold temps, and it's luckily quite dry this week. I have followed your advice from the article in prep for this winter. I was researching

You are welcome. Did you mention your general area? I am hoping my "casual" attitude with respect to the cold will work. I am concerned about the dog's paws when We let him outside.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

You are welcome. Did you mention your general area? I am hoping my "casual" attitude with respect to the cold will work. I am concerned about the dog's paws when We let him outside.

I'm in Canada across the lake from Buffalo

 

[ccoscina]

do you think I should go buy an electric heat pad and attached it to the wall beside my roost? I could run an extension cord for just the one night. If so I can run and go at 8am when the shops open. The only ones I can find are 2 hour auto shut off... it seems it's going to start going really down cold around 5am friday

Well didn't I say that I bought a heating pad and will use it? So of course I think you should get one! If I'm using a heating pad then obviously I think it's a good idea. Heating pads don't use a ton of electricity and they get hot but not very hot, so even if it fell over it is unlikely to ever start a fire. Of course, because the heat is mild it won't make a huge difference, just gives a boost to help your chickens get by and survive the brutal winter. It isn't much, but chickens tend to be pretty hardy so you really don't need to provide heat at all most of the time. Once the temps go into single digits or below zero then chickens can freeze to death and at that point even a little boost can make the difference between life and death.

At Tractor Supply they suggested that I buy a infrared heat lamp or a space heater. Infrared heat lamps aren't too bad as long as you secure them, they'll actually produce more heat than a heating pad. But if they do fall on a floor of straw and wood chips (and we all know chickens get into mischief) then they can and do start fires. Regarding the space heater - I'm honestly shocked that a tractor supply employee would suggest I put a space heater inside of a chicken coop. He is a solid candidate for a Darwin award. DO NOT put a space heater in a coop - if you have a big barn then a space heater could make sense provided it is well secured and there are no major hazards. A space heater produces way too much heat for a regular chicken coop.

I only turn on the heat when it goes below the teens (12 or lower). I've noticed they don't even struggle in the teens unless it is windy - my breeds are cold hardy. I believe it is best to avoid making them too comfortable because otherwise you will destroy their resistance to cold, and then if the heat goes out they will not be well adjusted to winter weather. Plus heat costs money and there's no reason to provide it when it's 40 degrees outside. If you're just a regular chicken keeper then you don't have to be too obsessive about keeping them cold hardy, but if you ever want to do your own breeding then you definitely want to keep your breed strong and not degrade it via over-domestication. That's why I kind of like heritage breeds - domestication is great but it becomes counterproductive when a breed can no longer live in harmony with nature.

 

[ccoscina]

I'm in Canada across the lake from Buffalo

Omg, if you are in Canada you should have bought a coop heater before you even bought a coop! But I've read an article from a guy in Alaska that provides no heat and they all survive. They are amazing creatures and can survive lots of things that we can't. Although on a certain level I don't really want them to be TOO uncomfortable, as my chickens are a part of my family.

But still, Canada is really really cold. You should get some heat! I should add that my heat pad can be setup in different ways and I have it standing up as a panel. I'll post a link to it, it only costs about 50 bucks and doesn't use much electricity. There is a 40 watt setting and a 200 watt setting, so on low it uses less than a regular light bulb.

Here is a link to the same heater I have which you can order online:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-brooder-and-coop-heater

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

Omg, if you are in Canada you should have bought a coop heater before you even bought a coop! But I've read an article from a guy in Alaska that provides no heat and they all survive. They are amazing creatures and can survive lots of things that we can't. Although on a certain level I don't really want them to be TOO uncomfortable, as my chickens are a part of my family.

But still, Canada is really really cold. You should get some heat! I should add that my heat pad can be setup in different ways and I have it standing up as a panel. I'll post a link to it, it only costs about 50 bucks and doesn't use much electricity. There is a 40 watt setting and a 200 watt setting, so on low it uses less than a regular light bulb.

Here is a link to the same heater I have which you can order online:
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/producers-pride-brooder-and-coop-heater

well, parts of canada are cold. but I'm actually in a pretty southern region of the country so it's never *that* cold. This week is an outlier. Usually it's pretty regularly -10c in the winter here, not too bad. Canada is a -huge- country and I'm sure some folks would need heat that are north of me but I don't think my region does. But I do want to protect the ladies for the extreme this week. I am hoping a heating pad cycled on a few times helps. We shall see!

 

[ccoscina]

well, parts of canada are cold. but I'm actually in a pretty southern region of the country so it's never *that* cold. This week is an outlier. Usually it's pretty regularly -10c in the winter here, not too bad. Canada is a -huge- country and I'm sure some folks would need heat that are north of me but I don't think my region does. But I do want to protect the ladies for the extreme this week. I am hoping a heating pad cycled on a few times helps. We shall see!

I doubt you can get it shipped to you before the cold snap hits. Worst case scenario you could put them in bankers boxes and store them inside of your house overnight. Or you could just leave them be and hope they make it. Make sure to stop any drafts, any little thing you can do to increase warmth is wise when the temps get this low.

Bankers Boxes are how I transported my chickens when I moved to a new house over the summer. They worked great! They go to sleep when inside the box. Also there are two big holes in the box for handles, so there's already decent ventilation. I also add more little holes around the sides and on top. After putting on the lid i duct tape it down. Since the very severe temperatures will only last for a single evening I had considered this approach. Getting them inside of the boxes is challenging because they won't want to go inside the box. But once they are inside they relax and go to sleep. It would definitely piss them off but it definitely would not kill them. So if their lives are in danger you might consider this approach. If it's just overnight they will be fine in a box, one box is plenty of space for one chicken. You can purchase these boxes at Walmart for cheap.