Heat in the winter?

[Lillycat918]

So I have been getting into huge debates with everyone around me on whether or not you need to have a heat lamp in the coop when its cold. I am very new to the chicken scene and this will be the first winter dealing with that.

I have had people say "are you seriously not putting a lamp in there? they will die" and other saying "DO NOT put a heat lamp in there unless you want the coop to catch on fire". I obviously want the best for my chicks and I have a while until winter hits PA, but I need some honest answers here.

Do I need a heat lamp or not? I have had multiple people say they never put a heat lamp in their coop and came out to all the chickens dead (def don't want that to happen).

Help

 

[Wezdin]

What breeds do you have? that can make a difference. If the coop is not drafty they have an amazing ability to retain heat and should be ok. If frostbite is a problem because of huge combs then i would slather them with some Vaseline. People that dont like heatlamps but still want heat use a heater pad that they can stand next to for warmth

 

[PirateGirl]

I have lived in PA. If you have a well constructed coop, free of drafts, with ventilation and dry bedding. Also if your birds are healthy, fully feathered, full grown. They will do fine in winter without heat.

 

[PirateGirl]

Also roosts that are wide enough to allow them to fully sit/cover their feet

 

[Lillycat918]

What breeds do you have? that can make a difference. If the coop is not drafty they have an amazing ability to retain heat and should be ok. If frostbite is a problem because of huge combs then i would slather them with some Vaseline. People that dont like heatlamps but still want heat use a heater pad that they can stand next to for warmth

Honestly I am not so sure of some of the breeds I know one is a Silkie for sure. Here is a picture. I got them all from TSC, so they might be pretty common. I probably should have paid attention a little better.

 

[Lillycat918]

I have lived in PA. If you have a well constructed coop, free of drafts, with ventilation and dry bedding. Also if your birds are healthy, fully feathered, full grown. They will do fine in winter without heat.

That is the part I am having trouble with. Free of drafts, but ventilated My amazing boyfriend is building me a coop (just started) and he wants me to figure out where I want windows and the vents. I am trying to think ahead for the winter too though.

 

[wamtazlady]

I grew up just east of Pittsburgh in a place called Forest Hills. I now live in NW Montana. Winters in PA were never like winters in MT. I have been keeping chickens for 5 or 6 years here. No heat in the coop and no insulation. The run is covered on top and has sides covered with clear vinyl. The girls are outside in the protected run all day long. Water and food are kept in the protected run. Girls are outside even when it's -22 F. Heat is harder on chickens than cold.

If you have eaves on your coop it is best to tuck your ventilation just under the eaves where air can get in but snow and rain can not. The ventilation should be far enough above the roost so that no breeze blows on the birds. I have an L shaped house and the coop is built into that protected L shape so I was also able to put a 2' by 2' vent in the back of the coop that gets no breezes due to the house. House is also set into a hill to block direct wind to the coop. To check for drafts in a coop you can hang some light ribbons where your roosts are located. If the ribbons move when there is a breeze then you have a problem. You should have about 1 square foot of vent for every chicken.

Remember this important fact. A warm chicken is a dry chicken. Chickens make a lot of moisture in a coop when they poop and breath. Getting that warm but moist air out of the coop is important to keeping your chickens warm and comfortable. Chickens can get frostbite at 32 degrees if the coop is filled with moist damp air. You use the fact that warm air rises to vent that air out of the coop.

 

[PirateGirl]

That is the part I am having trouble with. Free of drafts, but ventilated My amazing boyfriend is building me a coop (just started) and he wants me to figure out where I want windows and the vents. I am trying to think ahead for the winter too though.

Think this way, a draft is when the air/wind can blow directly onto the chicken when they are on their roost, generally enough to ruffle feathers. If your vents are at lease 18 inches above your roosts it will help. If you have louvers or something you can adjust, even better, or if the vents are under the eaves of the roof then the roof line prevents wind from blowing in, but air can passively move out of the coop.

 

[rosemarythyme]

That is the part I am having trouble with. Free of drafts, but ventilated My amazing boyfriend is building me a coop (just started) and he wants me to figure out where I want windows and the vents. I am trying to think ahead for the winter too though.

Think high, as warm, moist air rises and it's that moisture you want out of the coop. So ideally you want to put a lot of ventilation up around the roof area. Ridge vents work well unless you get heavy snow fall. Under eave or soffit vents are probably one of the best as you can get quite a lot of ventilation in and a roof overhang will protect the area from rain, winds, etc. Gable vents with louvered covers work well high up on sides that might not have as much roof coverage.

Windows are also something I think people should have. If you get sliding or awning style windows, they'll provide natural light and you can open them when weather is nice and close them if there's a bad storm headed your way. I have 5 sliding windows (same as the ones in newer homes) and since I placed them away from the prevailing wind direction I can leave them open most of the year, even through rain and snow.

 

[Lillycat918]

Thank you everyone, this helps a lot! I know I am probably going to be extremely paranoid this first winter haha.