Heat lamp or no heat lamp for cold weather?

[featherz]

Here is a bad picture of my large coop made out of the horse run-in last winter. It's hard to see, but on the right hand side you can see there's a triangle at the top - that's open to air on both sides, just covered with hardware cloth. Coop also has several vents and windows, which were open most of the winter. No frostbite there, no dead chickens.. =)

Oh, and I do deep litter. Shavings get changed out in April or so. =)

Happy chickens in the snow! =)

 

[Missa Chickabee]

I'm thinking deep litter is giving off some heat, too?

 

[maidenwolfx80]

What about my bantams, will they stay warm with my other birds? I'm not going to add a light or heat but I am worried about them..

 

[Nicole01]

Your bantam should be fine in the coop. My big girls sleep over my one bantam. It gets pretty cold here too. There's another well known poster here that lives in the same town/city as I and she has a few serema's(sp).

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Oh great to hear, This is my first year with bantams and I just love them!

 

[featherz]

Two winters ago, when it was REALLY cold here (last winter was barely even a winter), I had four little (bantam) d'uccle pullets in a plywood coop we made out of a trailer. It was shielded from weather, but had wide open windows and no heat. Those little girls never even noticed the cold - matter of fact, they seemed less cold than some of the others. =). And that was with minus single and double digits. Can't speak for teenier chickens, but remember the sparrows have no heat lamps.

 

[7L Farm]

Well, two winters ago believe it or not it was freezing cold here in Texas. My hens did fine but the big ol roo got frostbite. It was totally my fault. My coops are pretty much wide open for the long hot summers. The mistake I made was tarping off too many windows. From now on I just block the harsh winds from blowing on them.

 

[Nicole01]

It gets bitter cold! -30-40F with -60-70 windchill at the coldest. This could go for weeks at a time. Covering the run in plastic has been a savior! However, I do make repairs as the wind can rip it off. It holds up pretty good, but the hens love the space of the coop and run all year. We put roosts in the run as well adding more space. It's worked out beautifully! I love the heater. My coop is built inside my garage, so I never have to walk through snow to clean it out or grab eggs. I keep Vasoline on hand for the combs this year. I'll be free ranging in the snow. Some snow gets inside the coop through the ventilation. Next year I'm thinking of turning my run into a permanent coop since we have it roofed and side panels for shading. Our 3 acres of fenced property will be their run.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

That is what I was going to do is wrap it in plastic sheeting like the kind you use on the outside windows of your house. Featherz I have d'uccles and a sebrite and a pheonix all about the same size so they should be good. My coop will be shielded from drafts and they will be just fine. Good comment about the sparrows

 

[Nicole01]

No, I use this and use 2-4 layers stapled.

The thicker, the better. I curl it were its stapled, so it tears less.