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

[Heidi]

Nope, I don't heat the chicken pole barn. They snuggle together at night and I have yet to have one sneeze or freeze. BTW it's been in the 20's during the day here and colder at night.

 

[Reinbeau]

No heat here in southeastern MA. Insulation, ventilation, but no heat. They are fluffy little balls in the morning when I go out there.

 

[PAJerry]

No heat. Good insulation and ventilation, and a heated waterer. My hens spend most of the day outside in a shoveled out section of the run - no matter how cold it is. If it's snowing though, they stay in the coop or the covered porch I built for them.

 

[Jenski]

Yep.

For those who want more info (and because I am a woman and cannot answer in single-word sentences), I am experimenting with three different heating methods in three different coops:

1) reptile heat pads sandwiched on ceramic tiles (portable mini coop, 4' x 30", 2' high interior)
2) ceramic heat lamps (small/med coop, 5 x 4, 3' high interior)
3) sealed oil-filled heater (largest coop, 8 x 6, 6' high interior)


Ed. to add: My flock is very small, we only knock the ice off for 20s/below with the heaters, we are in the burbs, and if power goes out we will all huddle together under a blankie near a woodstove.

 

[ChickaD]

no

 

[corydonald]

you can actually lose your whole flock overnight if your heating suddenly stops for some reason. so no.

 

[Tony K T]

What do you think will happen when your elecricity goes out?Your birds are in a nice warm coop and out goes the electricity.This warmth you have provided for your birds has slowed down or even stopped your birds from producing the down that keeps them warm.With no down to keep them warm without the heat,they make not make very long.Birds will climatize to any climate,just give them a shelter to get out of the drafts and they will be fine.Remember to give them a round perch so that when they sit down at night their toes will be tucked under them.At least a 3" round perch is good,but the bigger the better.My pens are completely covered on the top and I poly all the sides for the winter months.The poly keeps the drafts out and lets the sunlight in.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[miss_jayne]

no way, no how.

 

[sunnychooks]

No, but the coop is insulated.

 

[pdpatch]

Yes, 1 chicken 1 turkey,

Both are in a 50 ton concrete solar heat sump as a back up if the power goes out.


Tom