Coop heater

[Sammster]

We do get zero and slightly sub-zero (F) Temps on occasion, where we live. I have a pre-fab coop (yes, I know.... now), and have done my best with ventilation and insulation. I have done a lot of reading on the subject, and decided not to heat the coop for my winter- hearty girls - RIRs.

Then my husband bought me this for Christmas.

I'm not sure whether to try it or not. It would help to have some input from those who have actually used such a heater. ??

 

[azygous]

I use such a heater in my smaller coop, and oil filled electric heater in the larger coop. Last night and tonight are zero degree nights. The best the heaters can do in such cold is to elevate the inside temps around twenty degrees. That is normally enough to keep the coops above freezing so the poop can be scraped off the poop boards. But the poop froze last night, and it's still there to join new poop tonight.

My main reason for heating the coops is to prevent frost bite on combs. I do leave vents and pop holes open for air circulation so condensation doesn't occur.

A word of warning, though. If you do not have good air circulation and a venting system so water vapor can be exhausted before it condenses on surfaces, adding heat to this mix will actually increase the danger of frost bite because heat will make it more likely, without air movement, that condensation will occur.

 

[Sammster]

A word of warning, though. If you do not have good air circulation and a venting system so water vapor can be exhausted before it condenses on surfaces, adding heat to this mix will actually increase the danger of frost bite because heat will make it more likely, without air movement, that condensation will occur.

Thank you for this very good advice. I've actually had good luck with the ventilation I've added, so far. Because the coop is small, I use PDZ, exclusively, on the floor of the coop, as recommended by senior BYC members, when advising me on my new set-up. It has been excellent for absorbing moisture from the droppings, which I clean out, daily. But I will bear your warning in mind. I have a thermometer/hygrometer in the coop, to Guage the levels, and a coop cam to check in on the girls. If I decide to try out the heater, I would only do so on the very coldest nights, and only slightly supplement, so that my girls arent tempted to stay inside the coop and miss out on the fresh air of their covered and protected run.