Heating coop in below zero temps

[Zoey..]

I’ve never heated my coop, ever. But the next week Iowa is expecting night temps to be -16 to -24. Anyone deal with this and add heat to their coops at night? Was thinking of doing a heat lamp later at night until early morning. The girls have been fine in 10 and below the past few weeks, but it’s going to get pretty darn cold. Access to water with a heated base and food, bedding and straw in coop. Coops about 6-7 ft High so lamp can be high enough. Also no drafts,
Does have ventilation along ceiling. Wondering your opinions!

 

[Mrs. K]

A couple years ago, we hit 35 below, temperature, and while that was the coldest there were several days where it was well below -25 at night, when it warmed up to zero, we were outside in jackets!

Thing is, you are all worrying and thinking about warmth, and what you need to think is DRY. Dry birds in a wind break are going to do just fine if they are healthy to begin with, if you have an old bird, it might be too much.

Good ventilation, will allow moisture to escape, which is what you want, keeps birds dry. Dry birds are warm birds. Deep bedding, sprinkle bedding with scratch so that they keep it turned over and fresh will help keep them dry with good ventilation. Wind protection outside in the run, and mine will spend several hours outside even in bitter cold.

Mrs K

Mrs K

 

[21hens-incharge]

I agree that there are temps that are just to dang cold to survive.

I cannot advise on heating other than to say if using a heat lamp do NOT rely on the pinch clamp to hold it at all.

Secure it, secure it again, and then secure a third time.
Chain, screw eye, a second chain, whatever it takes to keep it from getting knocked down or falling.

We have read many posts of people losing coops and birds to hear lamps.

Use extreme caution so yours isn't next.



Oh and small coops or prefabs have additional issues trying to use heat lamps. For those perhaps a flat panel heater would be better.

 

[chickens really]

I use this type of heat lamp and 250 watt red bulbs and secure it with rope, chain and zip ties.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We are in those temperatures now, and have them most years through January and into March. I have never added heat and no one has ever died from the cold. I even have open doorways that face east and south.

At night birds will sit close and share body heat. A lamp may interfere with that. Hens will also tuck her head under a wing to keep her face warm. Roosters will not and are more prone to frostbite on combs and wattles. Wide roosts will help birds cover their toes properly to prevent frostbite on them.

I don't heat because for me it's not worth the risk of a fire. I also do want my birds becoming dependent on a heat source. Everyone does things differently. I'm just telling you your birds won't freeze as long as the housing is adequate. I personally feed more scratch and corn in the winter as I want a bit more fat on my birds, and for them to have more calories from carbs in order to stay warm.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

I heat mine all day and it's only been down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.. they still get frostbite if I don't rub petroleum jelly on their Combs every other night.

 

[PirateGirl]

I'm not sure how big your coop is, other than the 6-7 feet high that you mentioned. A heat lamp isn't going to heat the air in a large area, especially starting at such low temps. I would brainstorm ways to create a warm area within the coop that the birds can huddle around. You can see that @chickens really has done this in a corner of the coop, but I'd bet the other side of that coop is a bit cooler. A panel heater is another tool that people use for birds to cozy up to. This is not my image, but will give you an idea, you could build a cinder block heater pretty easily and economically. The cinder block will hold the heat from the light bulb and act more like the panel heater. Personally I like this idea because the bulb and wiring are hidden and cannot easily be broken by a chicken or chewed by a rodent or have water splashed on them or have shaving on them to ignite, etc. It's a bit safer overall than an exposed bulb.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
On T, W, Th, here in western PA it is getting sub zero. I have my Sussex in 2 small fresh air coops but too small for that kind of cold. I think I will take them inside the garage. I have several large cardboard boxes from Lowes. I have the white bale of pine shavings from Tractor Supply. I think I will duct tape a couple of the boxes together and fill them with 6-8 inches of shavings each. Fit a chicken wire cover over the boxes and hang brooder lights from the rafters so they shine thru the chicken wire but don't touch it. I need to keep these roosters combs from freezing. I really don't want to wait until May again to hatch because I had to wait for the combs to heal. This is only for 4 days so it should work out ok. I also have several 8.00 hygrometers from Walmart I used for the brooders this year. I can place them around the boxes to check temp and humidity. Being in the garage will make it easier to feed and water. I am not using any metal in the sides ( think dog exercise pen) because it's going to be so cold, I don't want the birds up against metal.
Best,
Karen

 

[judevie]

We live in eastern Iowa, and I'm also worried about the coming bitter cold. I've had chickens for 6 years, and we've had below zero temps without heating our coop. Expect frostbite, but they have done fine otherwise. We are trying to come up with a way to add supplemental heat for next week, as we are expecting -30 with wind chill -50. I worry about heat lamps and fire. I'm curious if anyone has safe heating ideas as -30 to -50 is too cold!

 

[judevie]

I heat mine all day and it's only been down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.. they still get frostbite if I don't rub petroleum jelly on their Combs every other night.

How do you heat? We are worried about fire hazard.