Coop heating options?

[537264]

I am back into chickens after about 10 years. I have a question about moving my chicks, about 5 weeks old, out to my coop. They have all their feathers except a few on their necks. Once these come in I would like to move them out. The temperature is still unpredictable here until mid-May. I have old rabbit nest box heaters that I thought I could maybe use in the coop? They provide some heat, but not too much, and you have to be pretty close to them to feel the heat.Do you think this is a good option for providing some heat? My coop is not large, I only have 6 chicks. There isn't enough room to hang a light and not cook them. The ceiling peaks between 3 and 4 feet. The coop is insulated. Thanks!

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

They will be fine with no supplemental heating.....

 

[Folly's place]

x2. Are they at room temperatures now? Have they been outside? Fully feathered birds should be fine out there, with shelter from wind and weather. Make sure that there's ventilation, but not wind blowing through the structure, and that they have unfrozen water.
Pictures of your coop and run? Dimensions?
Mary

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Welcome to byc!! Glad you could join the Flock! Let me know if you need anything!

 

[537264]

x2. Are they at room temperatures now? Have they been outside? Fully feathered birds should be fine out there, with shelter from wind and weather. Make sure that there's ventilation, but not wind blowing through the structure, and that they have unfrozen water.
Pictures of your coop and run? Dimensions?
Mary

They are currently in the basement. I still have a light on them. They seem to be cold and sleep together under the light, some on a perch under the light. The light is probably 3 feet from the floor.
Will get some pics and dimensions in the next day or 2.

 

[537264]

The coop is about 33*34, nest box area is 13*34. I will only have 3 adults in the coop, but will have 6 youngsters until the end of May. The run area past the coop is maybe 36", but I have an extension that is 87"*40" that I will attach once the chicks move outside.
Outside temp is swinging back and forth, this morning it was 40 with wind chill near freezing. That is why I feel I need to heat the coop if I put them out. They are in the basement which is probably about 68.

 

[kklowell]

You could use a ceramic heat emitter. They screw in like a light bulb, but they don't make any light. Amazon has them for around $10. They come in different wattages, down as low as 60.

 

[debid]

They are currently in the basement. I still have a light on them. They seem to be cold and sleep together under the light, some on a perch under the light. The light is probably 3 feet from the floor.
Will get some pics and dimensions in the next day or 2.

It is time to shut off the lamp and let them acclimate indoors for a week and then move them out. They are treating the bulb like a warm, sunny spot but that doesn't mean they are cold without it. When I switched to a heating pad hen, I was a bit surprised when my chicks chose the cold roost over the hen at 5 weeks. I'd always thought they had to be fully feathered, every inch. It just isn't so. The Brahma (slow feathering by nature) still had a downy head but there they were on the roost in temperatures below freezing at night. By choice. So, yeah, I know we all worry but they'll be fine!

 

[Jandsloch]

I have the same coop at 4 weeks I kicked mine to the coop....they were mostly feathered I juse checked on them at night and was looking for signs of being cold. One night it got down to 35 but they did fine. I blocked off the nesting box area so it made a smaller area to help keep warm. Hope this helps