Heating it's going to be in the teens this week.

[Ohmyheart]

Just remember that a draft in a chicken coop is not the same as a draft inside a house. In chicken coop terms, a draft is when the birds at roost are in the direct path of the airflow. As long as they are out of the main airflow, and their feathers are not getting blown causing their body heat to escape, they will be just fine.

I've been sneaking out there when the wind was strong to see if their feathers were moving. They all looked good then. Barely any wind tonight. Thank you again.

 

[Ohmyheart]

Thank you all so much. Funny how I was all set to not heat the coop till my husband got me all worried.

 

[aart]

Yes the front eave is 8 inches and the back one is 4.

Excellent! Cracking open one of the lower vents will make it even better.
You don't need heat.

 

[Hokum Coco]

You put even my fears to rest. Can you tell us once again, what your coop set up is like?

Size of coop, 4'x8' amount of ventilation? two 9"x12"hinged windows left open year round to some degree for the most part (plus left hand door has ¼ hardware cloth second screen door left open on milder days in winter.) Left open year round? ¼ hardware cloth screen door spring summer and fall for the most part How many birds? Now 15 Breed? Golden Comet.

I also supply an extra feeder of whole corn through out the winter. My coop has 3 levels this picture gives you some idea. I have kept as many as 24 birds over winter with no problems. Where it is a converted metal shed it needed to be insulated. Each bird generates heat equivalent to a 40 watt bulb.

 

[lazy gardener]

30 X 40 = 1200w! Better than a heat lamp, yes!!!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I don’t heat any of my coops because of the potential fire hazard and because the chickens won’t grow the necessary down feathers to keep them warm. If a person heated their coop and it was 40F inside the coop and 10F outside if there was a power outage the chickens would die because they didn’t grow down feathers and because of the rapid change in temperature.

 

[aart]

30 X 40 = 1200w! Better than a heat lamp, yes!!!

Well...not really.

 

[lazy gardener]

????

 

[aart]

30 X 40 = 1200w! Better than a heat lamp, yes!!!

Well...not really.

????

Most of that heat is trapped by the feathers,
it's not like turning on heat lamp or other heater.
Another 'wives tale' that chickens can heat a coop.

 

[lazy gardener]

!