Heat the coop or not to heat

[LCchickens71]

I have 27 chickens in a 8x8x10 coop. I have open eves and 2 air vets at the top. Most of them roost at night in their roosts, I have 2 that love to roost in the raftors, I have 4 that insist on laying on the floor in the same corner. That being said. I have vinyl flooring down in the wood floor, sand on top of that, and with falling temps have added shavings. I have an auto door on the time mode.
I don’t put food or water in the coop, but I’ve worked so hard on this flock I don’t want to lose any of them due to this nasty cold weather and SNOW headed our way. So do I panic and try to get a heater, which would cause me to have to run a cord from the house to the coop, or what does everyone suggest?

 

[thecatumbrella]

Whereabouts are you located and what temps are you expecting? What have the temps been like the last week or so? Chickens seem to suffer more if there's a big jump in temperature (up or down) and they don't get a chance to acclimate.

Do you have a garage, basement, or mudroom? Worst case scenario, you could always bring them in the house depending on how long the cold snap lasts. People will use puppy playpens, camping tents, or dog crates to keep them contained. It's not ideal, but neither is losing birds to weather.

My only concern with getting a heating panel is the potential to lose power. That would negate the whole thing and you'd be bringing them inside anyway (or shutting them in the coop to ride it out).

 

[LCchickens71]

Whereabouts are you located and what temps are you expecting? What have the temps been like the last week or so? Chickens seem to suffer more if there's a big jump in temperature (up or down) and they don't get a chance to acclimate.

Do you have a garage, basement, or mudroom? Worst case scenario, you could always bring them in the house depending on how long the cold snap lasts. People will use puppy playpens, camping tents, or dog crates to keep them contained. It's not ideal, but neither is losing birds to weather.

My only concern with getting a heating panel is the potential to lose power. That would negate the whole thing and you'd be bringing them inside anyway (or shutting them in the coop to ride it out).

I’m in the metropolitan area of Kansas City MO. They are calling 40 degrees tomorrow low of 9. Saturday high of 12 low of zero, Sunday high of 16 low -3. All with a chance of 3-7” (depends on which weather you watch) of snow! I’m ok with adding more shavings. I get that adding a heater can cause humidity. I have 3 younger one I will be bringing inside.
My outdoor run is not covered YET. So I will be shoveling.

 

[Rangergord]

The good news is they are unlikely to actually die of the cold, although it is natural to believe they might. Shavings are a great idea. Close up some vents if excessive but leave some open. Keeping them dry is most important. If the coop goes below freezing that actually helps to keep it drier because any humidity turns to ice. I have a panel chicken heater that I use when it’s really cold. It heats your birds as they huddle near it, not your coop. A warm coop is a humid coop, not healthy for your birds. My birds become uncomfortable and complain when temperatures below, -15C/4F are sustained. That’s when I use my heater. The coop is only a handful of degrees warmer but the chickens are comforted by access to a heat source. The heaters are about 200 watts, the same warmth as twenty chickens.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I’m in the metropolitan area of Kansas City MO. They are calling 40 degrees tomorrow low of 9. Saturday high of 12 low of zero, Sunday high of 16 low -3. All with a chance of 3-7” (depends on which weather you watch) of snow! I’m ok with adding more shavings. I get that adding a heater can cause humidity. I have 3 younger one I will be bringing inside.
My outdoor run is not covered YET. So I will be shoveling.

Good to know. I didn't know if you were in the path of the ice storm. The weekend will be colder than usual for them, but like @Rangergord said, they're not likely to be at high risk if kept in a dry, ventilated area that's wind protected.

You can try to grab a panel heater (my local Tractor Supply carries them, not sure about MO) just to have on hand. More importantly, do you have a plan to keep the water defrosted? If not, you'll be making frequent trips out to check on them anyway, and can monitor their behavior.