Heating the Chicken coop in Winter.. Any suggestions

[cheeptrick]

OK...it was a VERY long winter last season and seeing this thread beginning of JULY makes me shiver!! Please do not jinx us New Englanders in JULY!!~ LOL

 

[JennsPeeps]

I've already ben surprised how warm my chickens are. When they sit on me I start to overheat! Good to know that corn will keep them warm enough.

 

[Mrs MIA]

As long as they have a draft-free area to get out of the elements, they're fine.

We have a bantam rescue that we got in February last year... she had been outside in the snow and ice, no heat, no water, and no where to go to get out of the cold. It was -25°F. Her toes were badly frosbitten at the time, but we didn't know it until a few days later when she warmed up and I noticed they were bleeding. The all turned black, and she's lost the last knuckle on all but one or two toes. Not cool. She would have been ok had she been able to go into a coop or shed to get warm(er).
The single comb birds need to have their combs watched, too, and if the tips start to turn white, slather them with petroleum jelly.

 

[jjthink]

Footnote -
It also depends on the bird and its particular constitution. I have one that does not do well in cold - but fares better in the heat than the others.
So I always opt to keep their winter environment at or above 40 degrees if possible. Other birds are fine at lower temps. Go with a temp that works for your most sensitive bird and hopefully all will be well.
JJ

 

[ButtonQuailBoy]

red heat lamps are the way to go!

 

[spook]

Here in Maine I have NEVER insulated or heated my coop. These birds will grow enough feathers to insulate them. Keeping the coop to air tight will create a over load of amonia fumes (my belief), creating health issues. For years I had a chicken house with aluminum roofing (no insulation), it was 5 feet high (to keep the heat down into the coop) and wide boards. In the fall I would put plastic over 3/4 of the outside walls to stop drafts and NEVER lost a single hen.
Now I have a shingled front and where its "in a shed" so it has tar paper around the back side of it to stop a draft.
If your power goes out, you must realize that this is when your flock is at its highest risk of freezing to death. You are killing them with kindness.
I can see if you heat your water or leave a light bulb on to lengthen days, but my power goes out several times a winter, often weekly and I want my girls to know how to suggle up.
Oh, hand I have about 2 1/2 ft of clear plastic for the human door so that when I go in, not all heat is lost when I open the door. This is also another reason the "deep litter" method is best for Northern climates.
Good luck on your choices!

 

[KrisRose]

I used 2 red heat lamps in my coop last winter. They worked good except they messed up my chickens sleep cycle. I would open the pop door before work at 5:30 in the morning when it is pitch black outside and they would be up having a party. I started using a wall mounted heater that dosn't produce light and was very happy with how it worked. Can't remember the name but I will look it up.
If you heat you have to remember that during the worst of the cold weather that the heaters will only bring up the indoor coop temperture about 10 to 20 degrees. When we had that blizzard with 50 mph winds and -12 degrees my coop was 10 degrees. Therefore the old wives tale of heat making your chickens "weak" is BS. You are not using a furnance and heating the coop to 70.
Certainly the best way of handling the cold weather is a combination of tricks the other posters have listed with heating element the last you use. If we have a mild winter this year then you may not have to use it at all .

 

[rustycowboys]

Hello - we are having an extreme winter here in Montana and although I do have two heat lamps directed at their roost, I had one of my hens freeze to death. Can you tell me what kind of heat you have?

Teri

 

[KrisRose]

Very sorry about your hen Teri.
I use a flat panel heater which mounts right on the wall. I also have also red heat lamps(250 watt).
I am surprized you lost a chicken, can you tell me what your coop is like and how old she was??

 

[jubylives]

This came from the archives. lol Anyway are you sure it died from freezing? Sometimes they just drop dead for no apparent reason. Funny how people will say not to heat when the quwestion was what to use to heat not whether to or not.

I use the 250 watt red heat bulbs. I normally use only one but since it's been dipping down to below 0 F most of the time I turned on the other lamp. Some will say these are evil, will destroy the planet from their wasting of electricity and will scorch the face of the planet with wildfires. If installed properly these are safe to use. Shoot McDonalds uses 375 watt bulbs for warming their fries and I haven't heard of any McDs blowing up.

I do think that there is a line to when it is too warm in the coop. I keep my lamps near the waterers and near the roosts. I do not try to make it toasty warm in there by any means as I still allow them to go outside when they want.

My advice is find what works best for your space and what your coop (electrically) can handle and use some simple common sense when install the heat source. Hope this helps some.