Getting the coop ready for winter!

[R2elk]

I hav't seen any -30s like R2elk has since I've had guineas but there have been plenty of -10's and some -20's that my guineas have seen and I'm amazed how well they do in that weather. I do put plexi glass on the windows and have caulked and foamed all the cracks in my uninsulated coop so there are no drafts. They do go out if the sun is shining even in minus weather(if there isn't to much wind), but i find guineas are like humans. They don't like the cold weather in the beginning of cold season but when spring comes around that 40 degree weather you were bemoaning in October feels awesome in March.

My guineas definitely do not like the wind.

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

Heat lamps are fire hazards, too.
I still use them - with hard wire cloth cages and tied to the ceiling studs - and away from the waterers so the wattle shakers don't splash cold water onto a hot bulb which could shatter them, and hot shards could start a fire.
Also, *****DO NOT***** use shatter proof bulbs in the coop - some of those are coated with a deadly fume producing coating that will kill the entire flock overnight.
Agree with all others: keep'em out of the wind and they will be fine.
Even though I heard of one Guinea frozen to a pole inside a coop once in NC. Not sure how that happened. I guess I do keep them from getting wet in the winter so they stay in when it rains. Maybe the frozen Guinea had gotten wet in the afternoon?

 

[MrsTush]

Heat lamps are fire hazards, too.
I still use them - with hard wire cloth cages and tied to the ceiling studs - and away from the waterers so the wattle shakers don't splash cold water onto a hot bulb which could shatter them, and hot shards could start a fire.
Also, *****DO NOT***** use shatter proof bulbs in the coop - some of those are coated with a deadly fume producing coating that will kill the entire flock overnight.
Agree with all others: keep'em out of the wind and they will be fine.
Even though I heard of one Guinea frozen to a pole inside a coop once in NC. Not sure how that happened. I guess I do keep them from getting wet in the winter so they stay in when it rains. Maybe the frozen Guinea had gotten wet in the afternoon?

Yikes! I was thinking more of the red bulbs that I used when they were babies. I have some industrial lights that were already in the shed that we turned into their coop. They don't get hot. As a matter of fact I have a writing spider making her web right in front of one who looks pretty cozy.
We're just going to cover the windows and door with thick plastic to make sure there's no wind blowing in.

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

Yikes! I was thinking more of the red bulbs that I used when they were babies. I have some industrial lights that were already in the shed that we turned into their coop. They don't get hot. As a matter of fact I have a writing spider making her web right in front of one who looks pretty cozy.
We're just going to cover the windows and door with thick plastic to make sure there's no wind blowing in.

The brooder heat lamps are the ones I use. In a hard wire cage. Home made wire cage. Wired to the ceiling, too.
There are some "shatter proof" bulbs people have used with heart-breaking consequences, when they meant well, they killed all the birds in the coop.

 

[R2elk]

The brooder heat lamps are the ones I use. In a hard wire cage. Home made wire cage. Wired to the ceiling, too.
There are some "shatter proof" bulbs people have used with heart-breaking consequences, when they meant well, they killed all the birds in the coop.

I believe those were the Teflon coated bulbs.

 

[My2butterflies]

My coops are converted grain bins; all metal and no insulation.
Last year we did have a heat lamp set up to turn on at night and left on during the day when day temps were in the negatives. This year I’m not planning to use them. I must confess that I do have them out in the coops *just in case*. Talking to family and some local farmers it sounds like no one uses supplemental heat for their poultry.
It just makes me nervous when temps go down to -40 and lower

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

My coops are converted grain bins; all metal and no insulation.
Last year we did have a heat lamp set up to turn on at night and left on during the day when day temps were in the negatives. This year I’m not planning to use them. I must confess that I do have them out in the coops *just in case*. Talking to family and some local farmers it sounds like no one uses supplemental heat for their poultry.
It just makes me nervous when temps go down to -40 and lower

WOW! -40 F!

What are you feeding them to keep warm - turbo jet fuel?

Sorry, I'm gonna catch R2elk's wrath for this, but I cut heat lamps on when it gets to +20F around here, and when the temps flucutate by more than 50 F for a day or so, with the more and more erratic weather we are getting. So if it goes from 80 F to 30 F in two days, I will cut the lamps on at 30 for a day - the temp usually bounces back to a more gradual seasonal decline after a hick-up.

Oh, your bids just sent me a text saying I should post that all this is essential for their survival but, I dunno, their are not contributing enough to my campaign...

 

[My2butterflies]

WOW! -40 F!

What are you feeding them to keep warm - turbo jet fuel?

Sorry, I'm gonna catch R2elk's wrath for this, but I cut heat lamps on when it gets to +20F around here, and when the temps flucutate by more than 50 F for a day or so, with the more and more erratic weather we are getting. So if it goes from 80 F to 30 F in two days, I will cut the lamps on at 30 for a day - the temp usually bounces back to a more gradual seasonal decline after a hick-up.

Oh, your bids just sent me a text saying I should post that all this is essential for their survival but, I dunno, their are not contributing enough to my campaign...

Haha
The guineas didn’t use the heat lamp as much as I expected them to last year. Though that could be because I had the lamp setup in a wood box to keep the heat more concentrated. But then they couldn’t roost if they wanted to use it. The hens did lay their eggs in there though.
Mine would be way too spoiled if I gave them heat once we hit 20. Heck I’d be Turing the heat on this week and not Turing it off till next April

I hate that our weather has gotten so extreme the past few years. I never thought I’d see temps with the “real feel“ set at -60f. I hate the cold.

 

[R2elk]

WOW! -40 F!

What are you feeding them to keep warm - turbo jet fuel?

Sorry, I'm gonna catch R2elk's wrath for this, but I cut heat lamps on when it gets to +20F around here, and when the temps fluctuate by more than 50 F for a day or so, with the more and more erratic weather we are getting. So if it goes from 80 F to 30 F in two days, I will cut the lamps on at 30 for a day - the temp usually bounces back to a more gradual seasonal decline after a hick-up.

Oh, your bids just sent me a text saying I should post that all this is essential for their survival but, I dunno, their are not contributing enough to my campaign...

You are going to do what you are going to do because you do it on your emotions about how the temperature changes apply to yourself. Nothing I can say will change your mind.

Your temperatures do not get cold enough for your birds to ever need any heat. The best thing you can do for them is to not provide heat and allow them to properly acclimate themselves to the ambient temperatures.

If your temperatures got down to -40°F, you might have reason to warm them up a little. My temperatures have gotten down to -30°F with fluctuations in excess of 40°F in a couple of hours without any ill effects to my flock.

The key is to provide a draft free, well ventilated environment without high humidity.

 

[BennieAnTheJets]

You are going to do what you are going to do because you do it on your emotions about how the temperature changes apply to yourself. Nothing I can say will change your mind.

Your temperatures do not get cold enough for your birds to ever need any heat. The best thing you can do for them is to not provide heat and allow them to properly acclimate themselves to the ambient temperatures.

If your temperatures got down to -40°F, you might have reason to warm them up a little. My temperatures have gotten down to -30°F with fluctuations in excess of 40°F in a couple of hours without any ill effects to my flock.

The key is to provide a draft free, well ventilated environment without high humidity.

Yeah - I admit - I put the heat on at +20F to make **myself** feel better, so I sleep better at night - though our birds do huddle under the lamp and some are thin and old and it may do them some good, too - maybe I should ask how old your birds are or get or if you eat them or let the foxes grab them when they are past their prime

Overall, though, I am soooo glad you and others from 'up north' are on the forum to provide valuable input and data on what the birds can tolerate!!! Thanks for that! Makes me sleep better at night, too!