Heat or no heat?

[2468Chickensrgr8]

I only use heat on a cold January or Feb morning from lets say 3am to 7am and that is if the temperatures are very very cold and plus I give my girls a vacation from not laying because of the light change for a couple months ...I also use the deep litter method and 2 by 4's for roosts ....

 

[I have WHAT in my yard?]

Last two years there were babies in the coop so I heated it when the temp went below freezing consistently for several days (where the coop didn't warm at all during the day), but my rooster still got frostbite on his wattles and comb. He got his wattles wet drinking water. And he would go out in the rain...... then the temp would drop and he'd end up as ice covered as our electric lines!

Anything I can do to prevent that?

 

[MaransGuy]

When you have those borderline temps it is tricky. You do see more frostbite during "mildly" cold temps (just below freezing) then when it is really cold and all moisture is frozen. I would recommend trying a different waterer that has a more narrow drinking area to help keep the wattles dry. We are pretty lucky in that once it gets cold it typically stays frozen solid for a few months so we do not have to worry much about liquid moisture other than the drinkers and the moisture from the bird's breath and droppings. I do not keep my waterer inside the coop as I have it on a heated base and it would add far too much moisture to the building.

 

[bibliophile birds]

I have WHAT in my yard? :

but my rooster still got frostbite on his wattles and comb. He got his wattles wet drinking water. And he would go out in the rain...... then the temp would drop and he'd end up as ice covered as our electric lines!

Anything I can do to prevent that?

i've heard many people suggest coating wattles and combs in petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to reduce the risk of frostbite. i've not had to try it yet (we had our first freezing temps last night), but it's worth a shot.​

 

[briteday]

Our 20 birds are in an 8 x 10 shed, plenty of straw on the floor, good roosts with no drafts. I feel bad for them when I go out to lock up and they are all snuggled up together on 2 roosts, keeping close to one another. But in the morning they are all cheerful and anxious to go out into the sunshine and have stayed healthy.

Our shed has no electricity and no insulation. Our nights rarely go below 0 and the days are usually sunny, above freezing. But we have had stretches of below 0 nights and below freezing days. The chickens will tend to spend more time in the coop then. But they still seem fine, feel warm when I pick them up, and enjoy playing outside.

 

[ams3651]

Im near NE Pa and I only have one heat lamp pointed under the middle of the roost. I only turn it on when the temps get 25 degrees or lower and most only at night. I didnt really notice any difference in the light bill last year. My rir roo only had the littlest bit of frost bite on the very tips of his comb, none for the girls.

Just to add, my coop is pretty large too. Its a converted shed with a little ventilation in the eves and a roost right in the middle.

 

[PAJerry]

Here in NW Pa. it gets mighty cold and lots of snow and I don't have any extra heat in the coop and they did just fine. I think it is more important to provide good ventilation and plenty of quality feed and water. I always try to shovel out a section of the run after a snowfall and the girls ALWAYS loved to go outside as long as it was light. They are definitely a hardy lot! It might depend on the breed you have, but I don't think extra heat is needed.

 

[Missa Chickabee]

Ok. Here we go again. Seems I go round and round on this one. I thought I had decided no heat at all. BUT, we are in Northern MN on a platueau with a colder growing season than most of Alaska. Still, the old-timers had me convinced. Now, I'm not so sure again after hearing about a friend's daughter in the area whose chickens all froze to death in the coop overnight a few years ago. Sigh. So I will go by my gut. If it get to -20 I will likely add a bulb (safely) and not 'cull via the cold' to produce a survival-of -the-fittest flock" . Most folks up here keep a bulb in the coop. I will put mine in the light socket....not hanging. That's my compromise. With the good ventilation in the insulated coop it is 10 degrees warmer in the present weather (went down to 29 F last night). Chicken body heat.

So here is my philosophy: Learn, learn, learn but still go with your gut if you have a history of having good instincts.

I think we should keep this thread going through the winter.

Major point.....too many coop fires. So any lamp has to be soooooooo fail-proof safe.

 

[memechick]

What size light bulb would you use? A regular light bulb or red? I have a 4x6 coop with 4 hens ...... winters get pretty cold here in NH also. This coop is not insulated but well built.

 

[Mrs. K]

you are more in danger of a fire in your coop when adding heat. Mine have lived fine through lost of cold days. I do set up a 'sun porch' which is an outdoor shelter, with a window propped up against it at an angle on the south side. Rather amazing how much warmer it is in behind the glass, even with both the east and west side open. My girls often spend their days there, basking in the sunshine.