Heating Coop for chicks in the winter...

[JoCoKS]

So what I've been told is that heating your coop is kind of a double edge sword so to speak. If you heat it, they don't grow as many feathers, and then if the power goes out you have chilled chickens. I am in Canada (southern Ontario) so we get pretty cold up here. I have 3 sex links. Their coop is insulated but no heat. I also have coworker that has 6 and she doesn't heat her coop. I think its totally up to you how you want to handle it. Maybe something like a heated perch is a good compromise and adding insulation to your coop so their heat stays in more. Lots of shavings on the coop floor for insulation too. And I'd keep them inside for the full 6 weeks. Good luck!!

Is it true they will not grow as many feathers? I had 3 Rhode Island Reds till they were stolen for years with a Cozy Coop Heater and they did not seem to have problems being outside in the cold even when it was a bitter cold. If it snowed I shoveled an area for them so the could come out without trying to get thru the snow and everything seemed okay and I never had a sick hen. I do not fill the coop with hay or anything else like it, I always had newspapers on the floor that I could pick up each day and place fresh papers because I felt it was cleaner. The idea of hay and other materials that could be moved around and not removed was something I did not want for my girls. My girls still were laying eggs like crazy all year long and age did not really slow down their egg laying.
Everyday they got fresh water and winter it was heated so they could get a drink no matter how cold it was outside.

 

[Foxinthehenhouse]

Are the reptile bulbs safer to put in a coop than a heat lamp bulb?
I used one in my brooder cause they are much more economical to uses and also not that glaring light a heat lamp bulb puts out.
Could she use it in the coop?

 

[aart]

Are the reptile bulbs safer to put in a coop than a heat lamp bulb?
I used one in my brooder cause they are much more economical to uses and also not that glaring light a heat lamp bulb puts out.
Could she use it in the coop?

Do you mean the ceramic ones or the incandescent bulbs?
Maybe, it actually is more fragile glass and may react to cold gusts of air..... still not a good idea, IMO.
I like those bulbs for indoor brooder use tho.
Found the ceramic ones to not 'throw' heat very far.

 

[wyoDreamer]

@JoCoKS Where are you located? how cold are your winters?

My chickens love to scratch around in their wood chip litter looking for tidbits. Scratching around is such a natural activity for chickens that I would feel bad it they couldn't do it. In fact, on really cold windy days when they won't go outside, I will toss a handful of scratch in their coop for them to search for - just to give them something to do.

 

[ellend]

Yes that’s definitely an option...my only reasoning for having them all in their now was that I wanted them to get used to each other ASAP, as that was the advice I was given was that I should get them together as soon as possible as it can be harder later down the road. My hope was to take that divider out in the next week or two, have them all get along in the current set up and then move them out to the coop together. I could move the bigger ones or sooner, but I’m not sure how I’d then integrate the smaller ones to the coop, as it would be harder for me to do a see but not touch set up out there. Plus then the big girls may feel like it’s their turf already whereas if I move them all together it’ll be neutral ground for all. Thoughts? I’ve never done any of this before so it’s all hypothetical to me!

I let my flocks (started at different times) to get to near same sized before integrating; when the smaller chicks are large and smart enough to be wary of the bigger ones, I let them out into the yard (back yard chickens) during the day, but not penned, so they have plenty of room, obstacles to run around, and distraction. If you move the bigger ones out into a house first, you might set it up in a way you don't intend to be the final layout--roosts in different places, food & water in different places than you intend to be final. Then when you think the small ones are ready, give the little ones some time in the house & coop (without the big ones. I'd do it for several days) to learn not to be terrified of the new surroundings, then put the little ones in at night with the big girls after everybody's asleep. First thing in the morning, arrange the house & coop the way you want it to stay. The big girls will be flummoxed to find the new ones in the coop in the morning, and then when it's bedtime, they will no longer have staked-out roosting spots in the re-arranged coop, so that will occupy them some. Keeping the bigger ones confused diffuses their focus on the new chicks.
I worry about having any animal touching heat mats. Even "low" temperatures against skin can burn. Skin becomes used to the heat, and doesn't feel the slow burn. I've done it to myself...fell asleep with a hand-warmer in a breast pocket. Woke up and removed it, and then felt pain and had reddened skin (yes, I knew better....) I LOVE my SweeterHeaters. Have one in each coop. Mine happen to be wall-mounted out of necessity; they can move away from it any time. They're off the floor; no fire hazard. Because my houses have this heat, I can use sand on the floors, so cleaning is a breeze, with no shavings to deal with; just sift the sand and send the poop off in feed bags to my community garden compost pile.

Once your chicks are fully feathered, they can move out to the coop. I would keep on with the integration, maybe use some of the wire to make a fence around a "safe" area for the chicks by making a small opening that they fit through and the bigger girls can't. When you remove the divider between the 2 sets of birds, add a low roost bar for them to hop up on, play on, sleep on, etc..

One option for the chicks when you move them out into the coop is a small animal heat mat ( ~ $25). It is flat, hard plastic so easy to clean and sits on the floor of the coop. They will pile together to keep warm, so a heated mat to sleep on may be all that is needed until they roost. After they don't need it anymore, you can use it in your nest box to keep the eggs from freezing, under your waterer to keep that from freezing, for your barn cat for cold nights, etc.

 

[ellend]

Are the reptile bulbs safer to put in a coop than a heat lamp bulb?

I have used reptile bulbs, both glass and ceramic, for heat. The ceramic heats a very localized area right around the bulb and reflector, but I didn't find it satisfactory for creating a larger heated area. MUCH prefer my SweeterHeaters, hooked up to a Thermocube to turn them on at freezing and off somewhere around 45F. Of course, they are not cheap. Between reptile bulbs and heat bulbs, I prefer the heat bulbs; I think they "throw" the heat better.

 

[JoCoKS]

@JoCoKS Where are you located? how cold are your winters?

My chickens love to scratch around in their wood chip litter looking for tidbits. Scratching around is such a natural activity for chickens that I would feel bad it they couldn't do it. In fact, on really cold windy days when they won't go outside, I will toss a handful of scratch in their coop for them to search for - just to give them something to do.

My girls have a coop to sleep in a big fenced yard to do their scratching around in and in the years I have had pet chickens I have never had a problem. When they are in their yard they have a great time scratching especially when I throw scratch, meal worms, etc. out for them so they can go crazy looking for them, now in the leaves.
Since we have just had Thanksgiving I want to see what others think of me putting the large turkey skeleton or bones out for them to clean off. Mine love doing all the pecking and you cannot give it to my dog so I let them have fun but I do not leave it out at night.
When I clean their coop everyday I replace the newspapers and give them fresh water with my girls having a great time helping me place the newspapers in their coop or what I call their house. Their coop is like a house because I built it like a real house with all the walls, floor and ceiling filed with batt insulation and painted inside and out to be able to keep their house clean. I even have vinyl tile on the floor with a baseboard.
The Cozy Coop Heater is under the nesting boxes to also help keep the eggs I do not get from freezing along with heated water provided by a bowl that looks like a dog dish.
I built them a scare crow that turns (if it did not move the predators would figure it was not going to hurt them so they could go after the chickens) to keep predators away. I even bought a face stocking at the party shop to make him look real and put a baseball cap on his head I move around also.

 

[Lilyput]

View attachment 1973408 View attachment 1973407 Hey there,

Curious what some people with experience think about my current situation. I have 10 chicks that are 2.5 weeks old and 3 little pullets that are 9 weeks old today. I have them all in my heated work shop as of now. I’d love to get them out of there sooner rather than later. I’m working on integrating them all now with a see, but don’t touch situation. The babies are being raised under heating plates are are feathering out rather quickly! My pullets that I did under a light took FOREVER.

For context, I am in Longmont, Colorado. We have fairly cold winters but nothing like farther north. It will be in the teens most nights. I am generally against heating chicken coops, especially with a heat lamp. I have no plans of doing that. But I’d love to get them in the coop in the next few weeks and the littler ones will need some sort of supplemental heat. I have been looking at mounting a sweeter heater in there. It’s more than I want to spend, but I am not willing of doing anything that risks fire. Thoughts? Do I have other options? I could of course put their heating plate in there, but I think they will have outgrown it by then. The coop is 3x8 feet. I don’t plan on keeping them all in there together once their big. I’ll be picking my favorites. I also have a second coop. But for winter they will all be in there.
Pic of current situation that they will quickly outgrow attached as well as coop (and yes I’m adding more ventilation).

Thanks!

I wouldn't put them out until they are feathered. I put the chicks out in a dog crate within my coop and covered run with the heating plates, but I only have about 6 chicks at a time. Once fully feathered I remove the plates. I only get my chicks in spring or fall never in winter. I am in Raleigh NC. My nights can get to 20, but I rarely see below freezing during the day; but I still don't do chicks over the winter.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

I wouldn't put them out until they are feathered. I put the chicks out in a dog crate within my coop and covered run with the heating plates, but I only have about 6 chicks at a time. Once fully feathered I remove the plates. I only get my chicks in spring or fall never in winter. I am in Raleigh NC. My nights can get to 20, but I rarely see below freezing during the day; but I still don't do chicks over the winter.

Yeah I definitely don’t plan on doing chicks in the winter EVER again. It sort of happened by accident. My first batch who is 9 weeks now, would have been fine. But I lost over half the batch to an awful respiratory infection and the breeder was willing to replace them so I ended up with this second group. I definitely did think through all of the logistics before hands. Whoops. Haha

 

[NaperLix]

A few cozy coop panels would work well,if you have insulation on outside.200 watts each.ext.cords ok,by manufacturer.
My 3 small coops have some side insulation and 3-6 inches on roof,styrofoam.can stay 50 degrees at zero.i have 2 hanging in each coop.
For the 40 below and many 20 below we had last year,they weren't enough.dubuque area.moved to heated garage.
Normal cold,cozy coop works well,safely.being comfortable ,they lay eggs most of winter.