Heat lamp or no heat lamp for cold weather?

[featherz]

I use heated water bowls, but no heat in the coops. We got as low as -26 one year and I had no losses, even with small bantams and leghorns. Frostbite was minimal, just a little on the tips of a few of the largest combed birds, but it healed without any intervention. I see too many coops burn down each winter with heat lamps so I'd really think hard before using one (heck, I don't even use one for baby chicks, I have an ecoglow)..

 

[dainerra]

there is a thread here about chickens in Alaska. Most of those people don't use any heat lamps.

The important thing is ventilation and no drafts. You would be amazed at how much body heat birds actually put out. Another factor you need to consider is - do you let them out into the run in the winter? If so, it is MUCH better to have no heat. Otherwise the extreme switches in temperature can make them sick. The heated building will also cause them to not feather out as fully as they would if they had to deal with colder temps.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

I use a heater in my coop. If I didn't, their waterer would freeze, even in the day. I use a radiator heater and keep it on the lowest setting once the water starts to freeze. We cover our run in plastic, which creates the greenhouse effect and keeps the ground from freezing. It worked well! If it breaks, I'll go out and buy a new one.

I know it's not necessary, but I spend a lot of time in my coop too visiting my girls, sometimes for hours at a time
Are these wide boards what you use for perches? I would bet your girls love them.

 

[HEChicken]

I use heated water bowls, but no heat in the coops. We got as low as -26 one year and I had no losses, even with small bantams and leghorns. Frostbite was minimal, just a little on the tips of a few of the largest combed birds, but it healed without any intervention. I see too many coops burn down each winter with heat lamps so I'd really think hard before using one (heck, I don't even use one for baby chicks, I have an ecoglow)..

x2. I also use a heated water bowl so I know they always have fresh water, but I don't heat my coop. In addition to the fire risk, another consideration is loss of power. If your birds are accustomed to heat in their coop and you have a power loss that lasts for days, the sudden loss of heat will hurt them more than if they never had it in the first place. If they don't have heat, they acclimatize to the cold, but if you add heat, they become reliant on it and don't tolerate the sudden loss of it very well.

there is a thread here about chickens in Alaska. Most of those people don't use any heat lamps.

The important thing is ventilation and no drafts. You would be amazed at how much body heat birds actually put out. Another factor you need to consider is - do you let them out into the run in the winter? If so, it is MUCH better to have no heat. Otherwise the extreme switches in temperature can make them sick. The heated building will also cause them to not feather out as fully as they would if they had to deal with colder temps.

x2.

Regarding the OP's post about insulation and removing poop, keep in mind that the humidity in the coop primarily comes from exhalations rather than from the poop. The poop does contain moisture so removing it is better than nothing but you will still have humidity in your coop as long as you have birds breathing in there. I've never used PDZ so can't comment on that, but I've heard its good stuff.

Regarding insulation, I wouldn't consider insulating a coop as it often causes more problems than it solves. But yes, you do still need good ventilation in the coop, without drafts. A draft blowing on a bird sitting on a roost will be very detrimental to their health, but getting a GOOD air flow going is crucial. I would suggest putting vents up high where there is no risk that air coming in through the vents will blow directly on them.

Chickens actually tolerate cold much better than they tolerate heat. Their layers of feathers do a good job of protecting their skin from cold, and of trapping the heat their body generates and keeping it close to them. Air that feels cold on our bare skin, is hardly felt by them because they have those pockets of warm air surrounding them. By contrast they have to work hard to stay cool in the summer, holding their wings out from their body to lose heat, and panting like crazy.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

there is a thread here about chickens in Alaska. Most of those people don't use any heat lamps.

The important thing is ventilation and no drafts. You would be amazed at how much body heat birds actually put out. Another factor you need to consider is - do you let them out into the run in the winter? If so, it is MUCH better to have no heat. Otherwise the extreme switches in temperature can make them sick. The heated building will also cause them to not feather out as fully as they would if they had to deal with colder temps.

Wow. That is something I had not considered. But I've yet to be totally convinced to use no heat ever in my huge coop. It certainly will not be toasty in there.....just a little to take the edge off and ONLY when it gets really nasty cold.

I use heated water bowls, but no heat in the coops. We got as low as -26 one year and I had no losses, even with small bantams and leghorns. Frostbite was minimal, just a little on the tips of a few of the largest combed birds, but it healed without any intervention. I see too many coops burn down each winter with heat lamps so I'd really think hard before using one (heck, I don't even use one for baby chicks, I have an ecoglow)..

Again, what is the square footage of these coop? That is the huge determiner and I'm glad some are concurring. I don't want to deal with frostbite. Maybe I'm silly, but I love all my birds and don't practice the survival of the fittest way of thinking.

If my coop were small enough I would consider no heat, but in mine they can't capture the heat their bodies are producing. I will use EXTREME caution for any heat lamp. I may just screw it into the light bulb socket itself.

(My husband is a building contractor so he can't do anything small. Never mind we went into debt for this coop. The girls don't give a rip)
utility heater set at the lowest setting, set on a a timer and caged up in place where it's inaccessible to the birds or other mishap. (A licensed electrician wired our coop, too.)

BTW I sure do value your experience and comments. And all this said, I still have to say: 'you could be right'. Have learned that sometimes I can let my own opinions shout so loud I can't hear others.

Could you tell me how big your coop is? (you just might convince me yet.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I use a heater in my coop. If I didn't, their waterer would freeze, even in the day. I use a radiator heater and keep it on the lowest setting once the water starts to freeze. We cover our run in plastic, which creates the greenhouse effect and keeps the ground from freezing. It worked well! If it breaks, I'll go out and buy a new one.

I know it's not necessary, but I spend a lot of time in my coop too visiting my girls, sometimes for hours at a time.

I too spend hours with my birds they are my therapy

.. I am just concerned about having a heating element in there with straw and other combustible things.. And I alos worry about getting them used to warm and then lie mentioned before a power outage which living out of city limits it happens alot and takes awhile for them to get it back on. Any suggestions or tips????

 

[featherz]

Could you tell me how big your coop is? (you just might convince me yet.

My coops (3) are pretty big and uninsulated. One is an old horse run-in that's about 12 feet by 14 feet, and I have 25 or so birds in there. Another is 6x6 and I have 6 or 7 in there. My third is 7x8, have 15 in there (several are smaller types). The latter two coops are plywood with no insulation, the horse run-in is thick wood planks and a tin roof but it's open at the top so it's a very 'open air' coop. My only frostbite was on my leghorns, and I just left it alone - was nothing serious. I'm in upstate NY, so we do get winter here.

Read through the alaska thread where they have -40+ and have no heat. =)

Also, when it was minus double digits here, I can say I saw no dead songbirds, sparrows or other birds dropping from the sky. I was a little surprised my bantams did so well, but they didn't even seem to notice. I think the main person in the alaska thread did mention a possible heat source when it was minus 60 but won't swear to it. =)

 

[Tigertrea]

I'm in southern Ontario, so south of the OP. This will be my first winter with chickens. I have a 8X4 8'high coop that will have 10-11 chickens in it this winter. (yes, I know it is tight, they have constant outdoor access also)

I am not planning on a heater at all. I have tons of venting some that can close, some that cannot. I have a huge window and people door that will be left open as much as possible but, can close tightly when necessary. For their water I will just be changing it a couple times a day (not looking forward to this during our few snow storms lol)

I plan on letting my chickens "tell" me what they need. I will close my vents/windows/doors as necessary if they look cold. I don't have easy access to electricity in my coop so I am really, really hoping they will not want a heater. If they do I'll work something out though.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

x2. I also use a heated water bowl so I know they always have fresh water, but I don't heat my coop. In addition to the fire risk, another consideration is loss of power. If your birds are accustomed to heat in their coop and you have a power loss that lasts for days, the sudden loss of heat will hurt them more than if they never had it in the first place. If they don't have heat, they acclimatize to the cold, but if you add heat, they become reliant on it and don't tolerate the sudden loss of it very well.

x2.

Regarding the OP's post about insulation and removing poop, keep in mind that the humidity in the coop primarily comes from exhalations rather than from the poop. The poop does contain moisture so removing it is better than nothing but you will still have humidity in your coop as long as you have birds breathing in there. I've never used PDZ so can't comment on that, but I've heard its good stuff.

Regarding insulation, I wouldn't consider insulating a coop as it often causes more problems than it solves. But yes, you do still need good ventilation in the coop, without drafts. A draft blowing on a bird sitting on a roost will be very detrimental to their health, but getting a GOOD air flow going is crucial. I would suggest putting vents up high where there is no risk that air coming in through the vents will blow directly on them.

Chickens actually tolerate cold much better than they tolerate heat. Their layers of feathers do a good job of protecting their skin from cold, and of trapping the heat their body generates and keeping it close to them. Air that feels cold on our bare skin, is hardly felt by them because they have those pockets of warm air surrounding them. By contrast they have to work hard to stay cool in the summer, holding their wings out from their body to lose heat, and panting like crazy.

Thanks, Ashely B for starting this thread. It's a really important one. Whatever we each decide to do or not to do, we're making the decisions based on all the good contributions here. Things I had not even considered coming up. I guess my chickens will survive the insulation if I keep the coop ventilated (I have cross ventilation at the top...two small ones on each side) Having a "duh" moment now: What's insulation for if we keep the windows open anyway and the temp equalizes to the outdoor temp ??
The joke's on us!

Whoever could have known so much goes into chickens!

 

[Missa Chickabee]

AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO INSIST ON PERSISTING.......EVERYONE SHOULD PRINT THIS OFF, FRAME IT AND HANG IT IN THE COOP!!!!!!

To help with the extreme winter cold, we install foam insulation with 1/4" wood paneling inside the coop. wood paneling is facing the chicken side. This is to keep the chicken from pecking and eating the foam insulation. No heat lamp.

We also increase the amount of carb in their diet, more soy and corn.

You also need to winterize the waterer so it doesn't freeze.

Close off any draft and make sure that the litter is dry!!

Our chicken do quite fine.

----IF YOU DECIDE TO USE A HEAT LAMP----

1. DO NOT USE THE ELECTRICAL CORD TO HANG THE LAMP.
2. DO NOT USE A SPRING CLAMP THAT COMES WITH THE CHEAP LAMP TO INSTALL THE LAMP.

1. Heat lamp must be hung with minimum of two cable/chain. This is in case one of them break or gets loose. Each chain must have its own anchor on the ceiling.
2. Electrical cord from the lamp MUST BE SHORTER than the length of chain and must have a plug on the end.
3. Electrical power coming down from the ceiling must be attached at the ceiling with a strain relief and a the plug on the end must not touch the floor.
4. the total length of the electrical cord from the lamp and the length of cord hanging from the ceiling must be less than the height of the ceiling.

The whole set up is a fail safe mechanism so that in case both chain fails and the lamp does fall to the ground, the lamp will unplug itself as it is falling to the floor.