Heat mats under nesting boxes

[Orprahlorp]

Has anyone ever used heat mats underneath nesting boxes in the winter to keep eggs from freezing?

 

[Farm Girl 1]

Sorry that I don't have any advice. I was wondering the same thing. My only concern would be that all the hens would want to be warmed up so they just sit on the nest all day. But I haven't done it before so maybe someone can say if they would do that or not.

 

[RonP]

My seedling mats are keeping the nests, and eggs, 19F degrees above ambient nest temperatures.

The mats are fairly inexpensive as compared to other heat sources.

This should (hoping) help keep eggs unfrozen to temps as low as 10F.

 

[RonP]

Update:

We have had an unusually cold February for my area, many day temperatures only in the teens.

My schedule allows egg collection once around 8AM and once around 8PM.

The heated nest boxes are working as designed, flawlessly!

This year to date I have had 0 frozen eggs, whereas last year I had literally dozens...

My coldest recorded egg temperatures was 33F, significantly above the 28F threshold for egg freezing.

That particular day, daytime high temperatures in the coop were in the low teens, and the eggs were collected at 8:30pm.