Heat...am I just a softie?

[bleith]

Quote:
It does to me. No heat here. Suburbs of Chicago.. Regular outdoor night temp in hi teens to low 20's. if you don't heat, nobody should. besides, its a waste of energy

 

[maizy'smom]

I posted this link (I hope it attaches!) on here a couple of weeks ago. This is how I'm planning on handling the cold weather this winter.
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If it doesn't, search this site for "flower pot water heaters." Hope it comes through for you! Good luck!

edited to add:

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[Tracydr]

I would not heat, especially with the dry cold in CO. I lived north of Wellington, CO, which is much colder than Parker, for four years and had chickens and peafowl. I never heated and they did fine, even with blizzards and a record cold spell when it got to -30 (actual) with bitter winds.
Your chickens are just getting acclimated. Give them time to adjust and they'll be fine, no worries. Plenty of good feed, lots of healthy fresh scraps and they'll stay in good health. Keep an eye out for parasites during the winter. Staying cooped up they can sometimes get lice/mites.
I always opened my coop during the day and allowed them out, unless it was a raging blizzard. My peafowl roosted in a big, open barn without insulation and even they were fine.

 

[Wyogirl]

The only "heat" I use in the winter is a heated dog bowl for water, other than that I have the door open in the morn and close it at night (I have an automatic door opener)
And Wy does get cold especially with the darn wind!!!
Ayda

 

[laseterlass]

Read this thread. 421122

 

[jmagill]

I think of it this way.

My chickens can not put a coat on when they leave the coop!
They are far better off not going back and forth from a warm environment to a cold one. It messes with their internal thermostat.

 

[Azriel]

Last winter my chickens were in a large 36'x80' metal pole barn, I did give them a covered 8x8 4' tall area to roost in, but even in -40 temps they all roosted in the rafters. They never had any frostbite and all were happy, healthy and very fluffy. All day they would scratch in the dirt, hay, and straw, and in the evening up in the rafters they would go. They did have 2 heated water founts, and plenty of feed. I will not be heating this winter.