heating chicken coop?

[teach1rusl]

If you're just wanting a slight warmth, I've read positive things about the Sweeter Heaters (flat panel type heaters - very safe). A red heat bulb, even the lower wattage ones like 75 or so, would probably provide more (direct) heat though, depending on your goal. I use one of the contained old heaters (that look like a radiator) in my walk-in coop and a clay pot heater in my bantam coop (regular 75-100W bulb in a clay pot). But my area doesn't get a winter anything like yours...thankfully.

 

[dadthebaker]

I am here in the Los Angeles area, and lookn at some of these temperatures I gotta ask, why are you all keeping your chickens in an ice box for the winter??? -20? -10?

My Dilemma is what number SPF lotion should I use on my girls???

lol



Dad

 

[rhinomd]

I just got chickens this past spring. But a 500 watt halogen work lamp puts out small amount of heat if you have one laying around but will run you about $30 plus a month to operate.

 

[True Grit]

I use a Premier 1 heat lamp from Premier 1 as is is safer than the metal lamps. At the top I secure it both from around the bottom and top of the handle. It hangs over the roost and is one a thermocube that turns it on at 20 degrees and off at 30. I use a 250 watt red heat bulb. It won't raise the heat in the coop from say -10 to 20 degrees but it gives them a little radiant warmth ie warms them not the air. I tried a ceramic bulb but the metal base seemed to get so hot it kind of fried it.

Here is my water set-up, heat tape with thermostat and sitting on a flat plastic bird bath heater we had.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Quote:
Maine here... don't heat the birds. Well insulated coop where they can get out of drafts is the best. Even my banty and my other small chickens did well without heat. I even had chicks hatch under a broody in January. No heat for anyone.

Check this thread out: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5145213

Edited to add: I do have a heated water base so they can have unfrozen water. That's all I heat.

 

[bugkiller]

Quote:
I live in ontario and am going through the same problem right now. I have a very small coop ( adout 12 sq feet) From what i have read here if your coop is ventilated well and draft free you should be able to get away with no heat at all. How ever i do want a back up plan just incase. I think i am going to install a light fixture and just put a 100 watt bulb in it and that will provide enough heat for the short time they will need it.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Please read the above thread I mentioned. What happens if you heat your birds is they get used to the heat. What happens now if you lose electricity? Now your birds aren't used to the cold.

Winter temps gradually get lower and lower. The birds cope. Again, as long as they have somewhere to snuggle up in the coop they'll be fine.

 

[silvercat76]

Quote:
We run a generator for our house, so the chickens would have their heat lamp as well. We can be out of power for days here during the winter. When we had the snow storm Oct 29, we were two days without power except through our generator, THANKFULLY!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I don't have a generator here, but I do have 2 woodstoves. The humans will be fine in a power outage (and I can shower at work). I pay enough for heating my house, I'm not heating the coop, too! Specially since they don't really need it. They were fine and happy last winter, they'll be the same this winter.

 

[ridinglizzard]

Well, so far I haven't heated the coop, and it has gone down to -23C a few times already. The chicken (and duck) seem fine. The rooster especially, crowing away in the dark mornings like it's summer or something!