Wow were do you get it?
Heat lamp or no heat lamp for cold weather?
- Thread starter AshleyBickle
- Start date
Are these good statements for a summary of some of what's been shared so far re winter? (I'm doing this for me)
1. With great extremes in temperatre, good insulation or plastic sheeting in some conditions are OK as long as there are openings (perpetual) for good cross-ventilation to get rid of the coop air's moisture and fumes..at any time of year. Keep the vents high so the birds don't get a draft.
2. Heating is optional but not necessary in almost all cases. Any heating system utilized should be SUPER-SAFE... with zero chance of fire hazard ensured (if that's possible)
3. Birds should be acclimated to colder weather and not kept 24/7 in temperatures we as humans would be comfortable with. Otherwise a sudden loss of electric, ie heat, can be their demise (remember the wild birds)
4. Watch the birds. Dealing with ultra cold might be just too much stress to put on a bird that might be fighting an infection. Get advice from experienced Chickeneers.
5. Feed corn for warmth in the winter (Avoid it in hot weather)
6. Window panes bring in a lot of daytime warmth, esp a south exposure (you can shade the window in summer/
7. Let them out in the snow for exercise.
8. Try not to crowd up the coop . (4sq ft per bird is ideal for those that spend an lot of time in the coop, bu they can do with less)
12" per bird of roost space is the ideal.
9. Keep your coop dry.
10. Find ways to reduce boredom during "lockdown" times.
11. Remember extreme conditions may call for some flexibility.
Cpmments,please. Add or subtact. Thanks!
1. With great extremes in temperatre, good insulation or plastic sheeting in some conditions are OK as long as there are openings (perpetual) for good cross-ventilation to get rid of the coop air's moisture and fumes..at any time of year. Keep the vents high so the birds don't get a draft.
2. Heating is optional but not necessary in almost all cases. Any heating system utilized should be SUPER-SAFE... with zero chance of fire hazard ensured (if that's possible)
3. Birds should be acclimated to colder weather and not kept 24/7 in temperatures we as humans would be comfortable with. Otherwise a sudden loss of electric, ie heat, can be their demise (remember the wild birds)
4. Watch the birds. Dealing with ultra cold might be just too much stress to put on a bird that might be fighting an infection. Get advice from experienced Chickeneers.
5. Feed corn for warmth in the winter (Avoid it in hot weather)
6. Window panes bring in a lot of daytime warmth, esp a south exposure (you can shade the window in summer/
7. Let them out in the snow for exercise.
8. Try not to crowd up the coop . (4sq ft per bird is ideal for those that spend an lot of time in the coop, bu they can do with less)
12" per bird of roost space is the ideal.
9. Keep your coop dry.
10. Find ways to reduce boredom during "lockdown" times.
11. Remember extreme conditions may call for some flexibility.
Cpmments,please. Add or subtact. Thanks!
I believe my husband bought this from a Lowes or Menard's store.
This is great. I like to go out to the coop in winter to get out of the house but our coop is unheated except for the dog dish. It is much warmer in the coop than outside even without heat. Chickens put off a lot of heat.
I’ll give my take on these, but remember this is my opinion not absolute laws of nature. Many of these will be different for different ones of us. We all have different conditions and many people will have different opinions.
1. With great extremes in temperatre, good insulation or plastic sheeting in some conditions are OK as long as there are openings (perpetual) for good cross-ventilation to get rid of the coop air's moisture and fumes..at any time of year. Keep the vents high so the birds don't get a draft.
Agreed. But in summer vents lower down are extremely good. Heat is more of a danger than cold.
2. Heating is optional but not necessary in almost all cases. Any heating system utilized should be SUPER-SAFE... with zero chance of fire hazard ensured (if that's possible)
Agreed.
3. Birds should be acclimated to colder weather and not kept 24/7 in temperatures we as humans would be comfortable with. Otherwise a sudden loss of electric, ie heat, can be their demise (remember the wild birds)
Agreed.
4. Watch the birds. Dealing with ultra cold might be just too much stress to put on a bird that might be fighting an infection. Get advice from experienced Chickeneers.
Agreed.
5. Feed corn for warmth in the winter (Avoid it in hot weather)
I personally don’t agree with this and certainly don’t follow it. Chickens need a balanced diet year round. They get calories from any feed, not just corn. I see no reason to avoid corn in hot weather. Just like any other time of year, feed them a balanced diet. Don’t make this any more complicated than it has to be. It can be really simple. Feed them a balanced diet year round.
6. Window panes bring in a lot of daytime warmth, esp a south exposure (you can shade the window in summer/
Or even better, open the window in summer to provide additional ventilation as long as it is predator proof.
7. Let them out in the snow for exercise.
Give them the option. Most chickens don’t like change. They will probably avoid the snow for a few days when they first see it. But after they get used to it, most will walk in it. But each chicken is different.
8. Try not to crowd up the coop . (4sq ft per bird is ideal for those that spend an lot of time in the coop, bu they can do with less)
4 square feet per bird is not ideal. How much room the chickens actually need will vary depending on a lot of different things, the bird’s individual personality, the flock dynamics, how many chickens you have in the flock, how many roosters, age of the chickens, how you manage them, climate, time of the year, whether you integrate new birds or not, whether you want a broody to raise her chicks with the flock or not, and a lot of additional things. How hard you want to work adds into it. The more room I give them, the less hard I have to work to maintain them. 4 square feet per bird in the coop with 10 square feet per bird in the run will keep most people out of trouble under a lot of different management techniques. It is more than the absolute minimum many people need. In some cases, it is not enough room. I don’t look at it as ideal. I look at it as numbers that will work for most people. To me, the ideal is as much room as you can stand to give them.
12" per bird of roost space is the ideal.
It is a good number, but with living animals, there is no ideal. It can vary for each of us. In setting up a coop, it is a good number to start with, but with different flock make-ups you can probably get by with less or you may need more. That “more” may be some separation between the roosts if you have a bully on the roost or if you regularly integrate new chickens. Just more roost space may not be the answer.
9. Keep your coop dry.
Yes!!! If you have good ventilation a little rain blowing in is not a big deal for many of us. We can just rake it or throw some scratch on the bedding and let the chickens rake it for us and it will dry out, but the coop does need to stay pretty dry. Avoid as much water in there as you reasonably can.
10. Find ways to reduce boredom during "lockdown" times.
I don’t worry about this since I give them plenty of space. But if space is tight, then you have to work harder.
11. Remember extreme conditions may call for some flexibility.
Yes. But I plan for the extremes, not just when things are going great. I build flexibility in by having extra room to start with.
This stuff is not a cookbook with set recipes. You have to adjust as you go to get what works for you. In practically everything I can think of, err on the “make it too big” side. Don’t look at it as how many can I shoehorn in there. Look at it as how can I give them enough room.
I realize if you don’t have the experience you need numbers to start with. But you are dealing with living animals in a fluid world. Each animal is different and your conditions change. Be flexible, but give yourself room to be flexible.
1. With great extremes in temperatre, good insulation or plastic sheeting in some conditions are OK as long as there are openings (perpetual) for good cross-ventilation to get rid of the coop air's moisture and fumes..at any time of year. Keep the vents high so the birds don't get a draft.
Agreed. But in summer vents lower down are extremely good. Heat is more of a danger than cold.
2. Heating is optional but not necessary in almost all cases. Any heating system utilized should be SUPER-SAFE... with zero chance of fire hazard ensured (if that's possible)
Agreed.
3. Birds should be acclimated to colder weather and not kept 24/7 in temperatures we as humans would be comfortable with. Otherwise a sudden loss of electric, ie heat, can be their demise (remember the wild birds)
Agreed.
4. Watch the birds. Dealing with ultra cold might be just too much stress to put on a bird that might be fighting an infection. Get advice from experienced Chickeneers.
Agreed.
5. Feed corn for warmth in the winter (Avoid it in hot weather)
I personally don’t agree with this and certainly don’t follow it. Chickens need a balanced diet year round. They get calories from any feed, not just corn. I see no reason to avoid corn in hot weather. Just like any other time of year, feed them a balanced diet. Don’t make this any more complicated than it has to be. It can be really simple. Feed them a balanced diet year round.
6. Window panes bring in a lot of daytime warmth, esp a south exposure (you can shade the window in summer/
Or even better, open the window in summer to provide additional ventilation as long as it is predator proof.
7. Let them out in the snow for exercise.
Give them the option. Most chickens don’t like change. They will probably avoid the snow for a few days when they first see it. But after they get used to it, most will walk in it. But each chicken is different.
8. Try not to crowd up the coop . (4sq ft per bird is ideal for those that spend an lot of time in the coop, bu they can do with less)
4 square feet per bird is not ideal. How much room the chickens actually need will vary depending on a lot of different things, the bird’s individual personality, the flock dynamics, how many chickens you have in the flock, how many roosters, age of the chickens, how you manage them, climate, time of the year, whether you integrate new birds or not, whether you want a broody to raise her chicks with the flock or not, and a lot of additional things. How hard you want to work adds into it. The more room I give them, the less hard I have to work to maintain them. 4 square feet per bird in the coop with 10 square feet per bird in the run will keep most people out of trouble under a lot of different management techniques. It is more than the absolute minimum many people need. In some cases, it is not enough room. I don’t look at it as ideal. I look at it as numbers that will work for most people. To me, the ideal is as much room as you can stand to give them.
12" per bird of roost space is the ideal.
It is a good number, but with living animals, there is no ideal. It can vary for each of us. In setting up a coop, it is a good number to start with, but with different flock make-ups you can probably get by with less or you may need more. That “more” may be some separation between the roosts if you have a bully on the roost or if you regularly integrate new chickens. Just more roost space may not be the answer.
9. Keep your coop dry.
Yes!!! If you have good ventilation a little rain blowing in is not a big deal for many of us. We can just rake it or throw some scratch on the bedding and let the chickens rake it for us and it will dry out, but the coop does need to stay pretty dry. Avoid as much water in there as you reasonably can.
10. Find ways to reduce boredom during "lockdown" times.
I don’t worry about this since I give them plenty of space. But if space is tight, then you have to work harder.
11. Remember extreme conditions may call for some flexibility.
Yes. But I plan for the extremes, not just when things are going great. I build flexibility in by having extra room to start with.
This stuff is not a cookbook with set recipes. You have to adjust as you go to get what works for you. In practically everything I can think of, err on the “make it too big” side. Don’t look at it as how many can I shoehorn in there. Look at it as how can I give them enough room.
I realize if you don’t have the experience you need numbers to start with. But you are dealing with living animals in a fluid world. Each animal is different and your conditions change. Be flexible, but give yourself room to be flexible.
Ridgerunner,
Thanks much for taking the time. Learning lots here.
You've made me glad our coop is on the large side. 120 sq. ft inside for 19 birds with more floor space captured by making elevated poop shelf under the roost. Outside run is not covered but it's about 50 ft X 15 ft or thereabouts. They have a couple of shade trees near the back of it. I planned to get up to 25 or 30 birds in the next few years, slowly. But after reading this, maybe not.
The high ceiling 9ft is not good for the birds warming themselves, though.
Some folks on the BYC site push for corn supplement in the winter. (they say it makes them warmer???) I don't trust corn too much. GMO just about all of it, I understand.
I'm not going to be perfect at this.
Thanks much for taking the time. Learning lots here.
You've made me glad our coop is on the large side. 120 sq. ft inside for 19 birds with more floor space captured by making elevated poop shelf under the roost. Outside run is not covered but it's about 50 ft X 15 ft or thereabouts. They have a couple of shade trees near the back of it. I planned to get up to 25 or 30 birds in the next few years, slowly. But after reading this, maybe not.
The high ceiling 9ft is not good for the birds warming themselves, though.
Some folks on the BYC site push for corn supplement in the winter. (they say it makes them warmer???) I don't trust corn too much. GMO just about all of it, I understand.
I'm not going to be perfect at this.
yes, corn is a "hot feed" and it warms them up
I'm not gonna argue about the corn. Corn has very little protein & will reduce the protein level your feeding. If you believe that corn keeps your birds warm thats great. Just wait & feed it to them right before the chickens are gonna go on their roost. This way they will have eaten their lay pellets & giving them the corn right before roost time will ensure their crop is full on a cold night. Thats what I do but everybody raises birds different.
Who turns on the heat lamp for the chickadees and other birds outside?? It just isn't necessary, but do whatever you like.
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