Heating a coop in bitter North Dakota winter

[featherz]

We had this same bunch of threads last year. We were VERY cold last winter (sub zero) and all my chickens did well with no heat at all, even in our amateurish coops. We minimized drafts, used 2x4 for roosts to prevent frostbite on the feet and used heated dog bowls for water. I had banties in one coop, leghorns with huge combs in another, and a mixed bag in a third. Only one who had permanent frostbite damage was my roo - just the tips. Make sure you have adequate ventilation, other than that my birds hardly even noticed it was cold. - (MINUS) 26F and they were pecking around in the coop as usual. And these are not 'cold hardy' birds - skinny white leghorns and d'uccles.

I do use deep litter, which may have helped as well. All my coops are plywood, no insulation.

 

[ZOELLERofND]

I'm also concerned about my chickens. This is also my first winter on a farm in Central ND ( I was raised on a ranch in Oregon so I'm no amateur to normal farm life) but what people don't understand is that we typically get -40 degree weather!!! Not just below freezing or -20 but -40 or more. We're considering using the straw bales to insulate but where my coop is there tends to get huge snow drifts so I don't think we'll have to since snow will block the drafts where the birds will be and that is my biggest concern. We don't have any ventilation in our coop, our chickens are free-range during the day in the good months so I've never had to worry about that yet but that'll change once we have to close the coop up.

I've had various people tell me to just let them be... not to worry about heat lamps, straw bales or any extra supplements.

But I've also been told that people add bone and meat meal, which I refuse to do, but I do add wild bird seed... not sure if it helps but my chickens sure love it and my eggs are better than they've ever been. I was also told Barley is a great help in the winter and I think I'll also add that soon but I'm going to do more research before I add that.

I'd love to know what you decide!!!

Also what part of ND are you from??? I think that also makes a difference.

 

[potluck]

I know it gets cold in some of these northern states your replies are coming from, but I wonder if it is as windy as it gets in ND. I'd ask your neighbors.

 

[Deanner03]

I live in Canada...it's cold here, and we have no trees around for windbreak so we have lots of wind/snow drifts. We don't heat. We make sure the coop is free of drafts, and do use a heated water base, but had no problems last year even in the EXTREME cold.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I just took a page from history. The settlers and pioneers brought chickens to the new world and kept them successfully, without electricity, for hundreds of years. All the chickens we have today came from that stock, for the most part. The North American breeds we love were mostly bred and developed in cold places like Maine, Rhode Island, Up State New York, Ohio and Canada. We have descendants of those very birds.

I live in northern Michigan and -30 is common, and happens with regularity, not a rare, once-a-decade kind of thing. Wind? Oh yes, we can be quite windy to boot. My top priority is to provide them a shelter that is dry, without drafts and is well vented. It is indeed moisture that causes issues, not temps by themselves. If a chicken is dry, well fed, and cozy, they do just fine. The Amish and Mennonites keep chickens and do not use electricity. How about that!!

Our fore-bearers did this, thus, that knowledge gives me confidence.

 

[ejb3810]

I live in a cold climate. -20 to -30 is fairly common in January, sometimes for a week or two without let up. Generally chickens adapt well to cold if they are in a situation where the humidity is not too high. If you attempt to close things up too tight you will have elevated humidity which you do not want.
Breed of chicken is definitely a factor. Single comb roosters and hen with large floppy combs will probably experience frostbite problems. Some breeds are more affected by cold especially some of the small bantam breeds.
Here my birds are closed in the coop at night and when there is snow or rain in autumn, but the coop door is open when the sun is shining for sure. My birds will be outside during the day even if below 0 if the sun is shining.

 

[Crackshot]

will they be ok if they walk in the snow? I am planning on building my coop out of an hold horse stable stall and they will be able to have the run of the penned in area, this will be my first experiance with chickens but i would think that they would get frostbite on their feet, I live in Colorado and our temps get to -30 in February.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Everyone's birds are different, but my birds detest walking in or on snow.

 

[Dar]

Quote:
same here... I have a small space heater that I do use but on a very low wattage I take a human heating pad and use bungie cords to hold it on the side of my plastic waterer to keep it just above freezing.. I only have a few chickens that will roost next to the heater the rest go on their normal roost spots. I use the deep litter method... I will clean my coop for the last time of the year as late in the year as i can so there is fresh clean dry bedding because come january I wont be able to turn it because its all frozen. My biggest battle is keeping my eggs from freezing.

 

[ragnar1107]

They will be fine in the snow. Make sure you get a breed or breeds that are cold hardy and let em go. We shovel out our fenced in run and that's it. Chickens like the cold better than the heat, there covered in feathers and under the feathers is a thick layer of down. Watch this winter and it's -10 out and your freezing your you know what off going out to to coop to feed and water your chickens are going to be chompin at the bit to get outside just like they would on a 70 degree spring day.