Do You Heat Your Coop? (Poll) LATEST UPDATE PG 15

[gritsar]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Quote:
Well bluey from what I've noticed the northerners (I wanted to use another word, but didn't want to start the Civil War all over again) think it just doesn't get cold here in the south. The truth is that it gets plenty cold, just not for months on end like it does in the north.
Anyone that doesn't believe that is invited to the snow party that we will be having at my house come Wednesday morning.
I don't use heat and won't. My chickens are far better off being acclimated to cold temps naturally then to get used to a warm coop only to have the power go out; which it does quite regularly this time of year.

I, for one, believe it... there are times when y'all Outsiders are colder than we are.

But we have our moments.

True, we can stay well below 0°F for all of Jan/Feb, so if our chickens can do it, yours can too... but like you said, they need to ACCLIMATE. Our birds have so much down on them right now, they don't need any extra heat.​

OT - Here's a good one for you Mrs. AK, out of this month's Reader's Digest:

An Alaskan was on trial in Anchorage. The prosecutor leaned menacingly toward him and asked "Where were you on the night of October to April?"

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
I, for one, believe it... there are times when y'all Outsiders are colder than we are.

But we have our moments.

True, we can stay well below 0°F for all of Jan/Feb, so if our chickens can do it, yours can too... but like you said, they need to ACCLIMATE. Our birds have so much down on them right now, they don't need any extra heat.

OT - Here's a good one for you Mrs. AK, out of this month's Reader's Digest:

An Alaskan was on trial in Anchorage. The prosecutor leaned menacingly toward him and asked "Where were you on the night of October to April?"

That would apply to anyone above the Arctic Circle! LOL!

 

[Akane]

There's cold and then there's cold. If you haven't spent a winter up north you have no idea the difference. Just like until I spent a summer in GA and Texas I didn't know what hot really was. How many southerners have seen -20F? Probably never. Florida's record low in recorded history is -2 and that's stood since 1899. A lot of southern states have similar records set around 1900 and not broken since. Iowa where I am breaks it's own record more often than that with a current record of -47 set in 1996. The average low for Jan in most southern states isn't even below freezing. How often do you guys worry about frostbite on yourselves? Not just cover up cause it's cold but cover up in 3 layers cause you can get frostbite in 5mins of skin exposure.... and that's how it will be for a month. When you guys lose power for a winter storm do you have the number of deaths from hypothermia and open flame heat sources due to trying to avoid hypothermia listed in your local newspaper next week? Really there is a huge difference between northern and southern winters. Even just over the arkansas border they don't run snow plows cause it never stays cold enough and snows often enough to have it stick around for more than a couple days. I can't even imagine being able to do that.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Just for the record, our county here in the southwestern corner of the state has three snow plows and they were up and running last winter.
And I have been up north. That's why I make my home in the south.

 

[cyrixlord]

No (Monroe, Wa)

 

[chilisweet]

not yet, but then we are considering it. Outside it is in the low 20's and our two coops are not insulated. 5 fluffy gals in one, and 8 in the other. All cold weather breeds. No clue how cold/warm it is inside their coops, but maybe I should get a thermometer?

Our waterer's we leave outside and just refill with clean non frozen water in the morning, so no heat needed there, but unsure if heat is needed inside the coop.

Can anyone give pros and cons on the subject?

~caran

P.S. we can go as low as teens outside for about a week straight, but mostly in the 20s. Thx

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

Being that it gets 50 to 60 below zero F. Jan/Feb here in the interior, and I've seen it get down to 72 and 80 below, I'm not taking any chances on freezing my sweeties!! Besides, we all enjoy being out there for great lengths of time, they may have their down feathers, but I sure don't!

Wait- I guess I do too, in my "parka"

We also have doves and quail in the coop, and so we keep it warm enough for them as well.

We like our eggs comin' even in the winter- our 3 1/2 year old RIR/Aracaunas even manage to produce 2 eggs per day on occassion, all other days an egg each, 7 days a week. (Not bad for senior citizens!

) All of our other breeds lay an egg a day, 7 days a week as well. This family of 8 eats lots of eggs, let me tell you!!! (I take care of my mom and hanicapped brother, and my daughter and her husband live in their own apt. with us.)


Sorry, to those of you who insist on "what did they use to do in the olden days?"

I'll tell you what they probably did up here!! They probably slept with them-that's what!!

 

[Wildsky]

Quote:

 

[Cetawin]

Not really... heat lamps over waterers.


I am going to insulate the coop next spring...

 

[GaDawg]

No....