Coop - whinter season.

[Alexey]

Hi, dear all!

I've just joined this forum - here is my first thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/821336/hello-from-moscow-russia

Could somebody answer these questions:

1. How many hens can live in 1 m x 1,3 m coop?
2. How have should I insulate the coop (we have -20 C with peaks down to -30 C in winter) or may be just light insulation + some electrical heater?
3. OSB inside - alright for hens?

Alexey

 

[Hokum Coco]

1) Three in a perfect world.
2) Not necessary to insulate.
3) Could not ask for much better.


I have been around the sun 63 times.

It is not my first "Rodeo!"

Nobody "I know" heats a chicken coop.

Healthy "cold hearty" chickens die from heat not cold.

I live in Canada last year was subject to -40º (C or F take your pick) no light or heat in coop NO PROBLEMS.

Chickens have been raised on this continent for over a hundred years without heat.

If you feel you must supply heat to your chickens I suggest keeping your chickens in the house that way you can huddle with your birds when the hydro goes out.

Chickens will die from cold if not given the chance to acclimatize. Hydro is more apt to go out in an ice storm or blizzard when subject to below 0º temperatures in my opinion.

How would you supply heat then to your un-acclimatized birds ???








Check out my Link:

Chickens Arctic Conditions

Prolonged Periods


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738994/chickens-arctic-conditions-prolonged-period

 

[Alaskan]

I love the fact that I just insulated my coop, because before I insulated it, the coop was very drafty! I have a great deal of wind, and even though ventilation is good, gusting ice cold blasts are bad.

Other than that, I totally agree with Hokum Coco. And maybe Hokum Coco has better built buildings than I do.

I don't heat my chicken's coop either, but I do use electricity to keep their water unfrozen.

 

[countrydream7]

what do u use to keep water from freezing getting jersey giants chicks tomorrow first time raising chicks

 

[Alaskan]

I am not thrilled with how i keep my water unfrozen.......

Last year i used a stock tank deicer that is safe to touch plastic, and put it in a small (foot and a half diameter i think) black rubber horse feed dish.

That worked because when my power went out 1. You can kick that black plastic dish about to knock out the ice, and it never breaks and 2. The stock tank deicer is a. Powerful enough to thaw the water after the power outage has caused it to be encased in a block of ice and b. as a stock tank deicer it only turns on when the water gets pretty cold, so considering the fact that it puts out lots of power, at least it doesn't cost a giant fortune to run.

The problems with the above method is that the chickens can and sometimes do run through the water, making it nasty, so it has to be dumped, rinsed and refilled. It is hard for me to do this all winter long and not end up encircling the coop with giant icebergs and ice slicks.

I like the idea of the heated base under a standard metal waterer, but then when my power goes out, you have to thaw the entire thing before you do anything. Kicking a metal waterer about breaks it.

Heated dog bowls have very low electricity to them, so when the power goes out they freeze to the ground, and you can't pry them loose without breaking the bowl, and you need to bring them inside to thaw them.

I have tried putting the different waterers on all different types of surfaces, but they always freeze solid.

 

[Hokum Coco]

@ Alaskan
I have the icebergs and rubber buckets.
On the up side; April seems to look after both problems.