Heat in Winter

[KMurphyVT]

Hello,
I have 8 hens who are 22 weeks old. We live in Vermont, and I’m wondering if I need to have supplemental heat, or will they keep each other warm enough?
Thank you,
Kelly

 

[Weeg]

No, supplemental heat will do WAY more harm then good. They will just to he heat, and no longer be able to survive the chilly months and then, your power goes out, you loose your whole flock in 1 night. They down need it, it would be like you, putting on a puffy, down winter coat, (which is made of bird down), and going outside for a while, your fine, there fine!

 

[wamtazlady]

Gets down into the -20s F here in NW Montana. Birds do just fine. They spend all day out in their run that is protected from breezes. I have no heat. I have no insulation. What I do have is lots of ventilation. Have about 10 square feet of ventilation that is never closed in a 6 by 8 foot coop. Ventilation is mostly up high while I keep the roosts down low to keep breezes off the birds. Never lost a bird to cold in winter. Don't have a frostbite problem. A bird can get frostbite at close to 32 degrees in a closed up humid coop. A bird can live perfectly fine at -20 with no frostbite in a coop with lots of ventilation. A warm chicken is a dry chicken.

 

[Weeg]

A tip on frost bite, you can cover combs and wattles in Vaseline to prevent it! No need for heat, but you did a great job coming for research!

 

[KMurphyVT]

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[jreardon1918]

The coop looks great. Do you have a few more pictures? Inside the run, looking at the coop? Other sides?

 

[Ted Brown]

A tip on frost bite, you can cover combs and wattles in Vaseline to prevent it! No need for heat, but you did a great job coming for research!

DO NOT USE VASELINE, does more harm than good.

 

[Wyoming chick]

Gets down into the -20s F here in NW Montana. Birds do just fine. They spend all day out in their run that is protected from breezes. I have no heat. I have no insulation. What I do have is lots of ventilation. Have about 10 square feet of ventilation that is never closed in a 6 by 8 foot coop. Ventilation is mostly up high while I keep the roosts down low to keep breezes off the birds. Never lost a bird to cold in winter. Don't have a frostbite problem. A bird can get frostbite at close to 32 degrees in a closed up humid coop. A bird can live perfectly fine at -20 with no frostbite in a coop with lots of ventilation. A warm chicken is a dry chicken.

What do you do for ventilation? We live in Wyo and have never had a problem with frostbite or comb problems nor losing a hen to the cold -however we are building a new coop and my husband is going back and forth about insulation. In our old coop I believe he had used cardboard for insulation and they had straw and shavings in their coop. He is now considering fiberglass insulation between the plywood wall and yucca board "paneling". We are now considering sand for bedding but don't know how well this will work in Wyo as well!

 

[ShiviBear]

[View attachment 2398566

That looks SO much like a black bear in the left bottom corner there!
Is it a bear or a dog?

 

[Weeg]

DO NOT USE VASELINE, does more harm than good.

Oh, thank you! I have heard that before, but I guess It was incorrect?.... Glad I could get correct info!