Heat in the winter?

[aart]

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.

Well what plans are you using?
Show us those.
Now's the time.

 

[Lillycat918]

Well, I am slightly going off of this. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-coop-4.49731/

I am tweaking it as my boyfriend builds it.

 

[Alaskan]

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

Great ventilation is very important. A huge vent on the side of the coop that connects to a roofed run is nice since then they get lots of air but no rain or snow.

Here is my article on cold weather housing... lots of good pointers

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

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.

People keep saying that... but that hasn't been my experience. Maybe if the eaves on only one side are open?? But not all of them?

Or maybe because I get a crazy amount of wind.. it blew in one side and out the other and brought in a bunch of snow.

I blocked most of the eaves up, and have other ventilation under the perches... works better. Now the perch area has no draft or snow.

 

[aart]

Well, I am slightly going off of this. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/the-coop-4.49731/

I am tweaking it as my boyfriend builds it.

Well, that's a pretty small coop, but there area some great ventilation aspects to it.
The inner baffles for the eaves vents are great.
The louvered vents near the roosts only work for winter because that side of the coop is right against the house..so we can assume there will be no heavy drafts there.

 

[RoosterML]

At first I was with the NO heat gang. Now I will turn the heat on when about 15-20*. Your large comb birds will likely get frost bite. So I like to possibly lesson the chance with a heat source. My personal belief is that heat lamps don’t cause fires. Cheap half arse setups do. If you purchase a quality fixture and attach it securely with a quality bulb you can great reduce if not eliminate the potential fire harzard. Also keep the dust build up off the bulb and fixtures also. Common sense goes a long way. Now let the naysayers chime in.

 

[Yoshih]

I live in Wisconsin, It can get down to - 30 in the winter. The coop is draft free. I use a milk house heater on a shelf in my coop, It turns on automatically, I have it on a shelf, fastened with metal grate around it so it can't be knocked off. I have used it for about 4 winters. I know lots of people say it isn't necessary but - 30 in an unheated space is just unhealthy for them.

 

[twendt]

I live in Wisconsin as well, I put the Prima heat lamp with a red bulb in this past winter with the -40F we had, I only had it on a few nights and days, it was secured by hooks and chains for safety. All my girls were comfortable and I could sleep at night. I have an draft free, insulated coop with ventilation high above their roosts and still thought it was necessary. I also put up a clear tarp material around the entire run for wind block.

 

[Alaskan]

I think blocking the wind is a huge help.

As to heat bulbs... I have had a cold gust of air hit a hot bulb... and shatter the bulb. So.... I agree that some temps require heat.... but heat bulbs are not the way to go.

I think maybe the ceramic bulbs are less likely to break if a gust of freezing air hits them? But I haven't tried them... so don't know.

There are multiple ways to safely heat a coop.

And it is always important to note the normal sustained temps reached. I have family in Texas who think that 40F will kill off humans if they aren't bundled up quick.

But yes, sustained temps of -30f are cold enough that some heat would be nice.

 

[Yoshih]

I live in Wisconsin as well, I put the Prima heat lamp with a red bulb in this past winter with the -40F we had, I only had it on a few nights and days, it was secured by hooks and chains for safety. All my girls were comfortable and I could sleep at night. I have an draft free, insulated coop with ventilation high above their roosts and still thought it was necessary. I also put up a clear tarp material around the entire run for wind block.

I do the same thing, that way I can open the coop in the winter and they still can go outside for as long as they wish

 

[RoosterML]

I think blocking the wind is a huge help.

As to heat bulbs... I have had a cold gust of air hit a hot bulb... and shatter the bulb.

If you have a draft free coop how do you get a gust of wind strong enough to take out a heat bulb? Doesn’t sound like an ideal setup.