Biggish coop, few birds, will it stay warm enough?

[MiaS]

So far my birds have never been without water during the winter. I use an 11 quart tote with lid (others use all sorts of containers), horizontal nipples, and a stock tank deicer that is okay to use in plastic. At -22 F the water is still thawed. My container is not insulated. I am sure that with some sort of insulation around the container the water would say thawed to...well...who knows how cold? The best part of my waterer is that it only needed filled up once a week for a dozen chickens. They could probably go another couple days before running out of water. I am also fortunate to have a faucet that is usable in the winter and near enough to the coop to use a hose to do the refill every week.

By the way, the water is kept outside in the run. The run has a roof. Three sides of the run are covered in clear shower curtains for winter. This allows a draft free place for the birds to be outside all day. With the sun shining on the run it actually feels warmer in there than outside.

Great to know, this is pretty much what I'm planning for the winter. I've ordered reinforced clear tarps for 2 of the 3 exposed run sides (the other side is the coop proper so already protected. I was intending to keep the south side open for the sunshine and ventilation. I can close it in a pinch with a less perfect tarp if needed. Which stock tank de-icer are you using?

 

[gtaus]

I use an 11 quart tote with lid (others use all sorts of containers), horizontal nipples, and a stock tank deicer that is okay to use in plastic. At -22 F the water is still thawed.

I have heard good things about those stock tank deicers. Unfortunately, I learned about them after I bought my metal waterer base heater. So I'm going to use what I have, and if that proves to be insufficient, then I think I'll go with a 5 gallon bucket and horizontal nipples with the stock tank deicer.

 

[slordaz]

I worried about mine, but they need unfroze water, so got extra rubber feed things as they help hold heat better and freeze later and rotated them out, yeah I froze my ass off going out and chancing so they had access to unfroze fresh water and they were as cozy looking at me like wth is your problem. I had some even in negative 30 temps that they refused to sleep in the coop, was a cross between a Jersey Giant rooster and a gold laced Wyandette or barred rock hen, and none of them suffered from frost bite or died

Most poultry water heaters aren't any good below -20

 

[MiaS]

I worried about mine, but they need unfroze water, so got extra rubber feed things as they help hold heat better and freeze later and rotated them out, yeah I froze my ass off going out and chancing so they had access to unfroze fresh water and they were as cozy looking at me like wth is your problem. I had some even in negative 30 temps that they refused to sleep in the goop, was a cross between a Jersey Giant rooster and a gold laced Wyandette or barred rock hen, and none of them suffered from frost bite or died

I just keep reminding myself that the wee little chickadees make it all the way through the winter here...

 

[slordaz]

I just keep reminding myself that the wee little chickadees make it all the way through the winter here...

yeah I was suprised though they didn't get frost bitten and loose their toes, that's just how well they are insulated, they insisted no matter what i did on perching on top of a metal dog run, that's just how much a bird that isn't raised with heat produces on their own, Natural design protects them

 

[wamtazlady]

Great to know, this is pretty much what I'm planning for the winter. I've ordered reinforced clear tarps for 2 of the 3 exposed run sides (the other side is the coop proper so already protected. I was intending to keep the south side open for the sunshine and ventilation. I can close it in a pinch with a less perfect tarp if needed. Which stock tank de-icer are you using?

I use this deicer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TZ5A8I/?tag=backy-20

It has worked flawlessly for 4 winters.

 

[Alaskan]

Down to -20F is bad, but doable for chickens as long as they always have feed, and water is brought out at least 3x a day.

It is AMAZING how much more they eat when they are cold!

And.... they will not eat if it is not light.

I really find that once I am below zero F, the birds need a 10 hour day in order to eat enough to stay healthy.

Also... fat helps... so bacon grease mixed with pellets, salmon scraps, etc.

I have written an article on cold weather housing and chicken care:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

Yes.... -30 F and below for extended periods... some heat would be nice.

 

[aart]

So I wonder if many of the lost birds got dehydrated, cold, and then died.

Exactly!
If they are not drinking and hydrated they won't eat, vicious spiral.
Why I now give electrolytes in winter, it has helped reduce cold stress significantly.

horizontal nipples with the stock tank deicer.

Are they using HN's now?
If not, get them started asap, it can take time for them to get the hang of them and you don't want to do that during temps extremes.

I have used this DIY heated waterer for 5 years now, very happy with it.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-heated-waterer-with-horizontal-nipples.67256/

 

[tayjamieson]

Others may chime in and probably will ask for pics of your coop, but in general, as long as your birds don't get wet and high humidity is not a factor, leading to frostbitten combs, they should be fine. So if you have adequate ventilation and no drafts, no worries.

Your coop sounds wonderful! As you have heard, consistent ventilation without making your coop drafty/breezy, keeping them off the cold ground by putting down hay, wood chips, etc. whatever you prefer, and keeping their coop clean are most important. The chickens will huddle when they need to so don't worry about the space between them right now. I'm not sure if you have any nesting boxes, but maybe creating a little boxed area for them all to cuddle and roost inside your coop in the winter and you can eventually put down one of those heating mats in it that you mentioned on super cold nights in the future.

 

[tayjamieson]

Your coop sounds wonderful! As you have heard, consistent ventilation without making your coop drafty/breezy, keeping them off the cold ground by putting down hay, wood chips, etc. whatever you prefer, and keeping their coop clean are most important. The chickens will huddle when they need to so don't worry about the space between them right now. I'm not sure if you have any nesting boxes, but maybe creating a little boxed area for them all to cuddle and roost inside your coop in the winter and you can eventually put down one of those heating mats in it that you mentioned on super cold nights in the future.

also I have been told that high fat foods like scratch feed for example are great to give to your chickens in the winter, high fat helps them stay warm.