Heating the coop

[Hokum Coco]

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[joan1708]

@ Joan I see your point my northern climate is naturally more harsh coupled with cold and your climate does not offer the same transition for the birds to naturally acclimatize.

Canada is different than Texas.

Thank you, I agree Canada is different than Texas.

 

[Rooster Rules]

Thank you, I agree Canada is different than Texas.

Very true, those areas that get cold say down to 0f, then few days later 40f, then 50f, then back to 10-20f, that may be hard on the birds too.
My part of Canada directly north of Texas just along side of ND and Minn, is where I am located, a very cold climate in winter, even colder than Minneapolis, much colder than Chicago.
It is around 30f, with a very cold west wind of about 30 mph, most of my chickens, Barred Rocks,Bantams, are all out in the run, it is covered in tarps and sheet ply, but they have no trouble with it. They can go back into the coop if they wanted to.

 

[sourland]

When acclimated to a heated coop, chickens can have a big problem during extended periods of power loss. For me this is an even greater problem than the possibility of fire - that I can take precautions against.

 

[chickie farmer]

If you stop and think, a bird is smaller and doesn't need heat. yet they survive. If electricity goes out, the chickens wouldn't be used to the quick drop in weather. If they get cold, they do what birds do. fluff out their feathers for warmth. I also use pine bedding on the floor. I have a 5x8 coop with 7 hens and a rooster. plus a 12' run with the coop in the corner of it so they can bath in the sand. they do fine in the winter. I open the north vent and crack open the south window to keep the frost from forming on the windows. the frost would tell me the combs and waddles would freeze and turn black, which is painful to the hens. I also have poop boards and clean them every day. I have VERY little smell. I made a shovel out of some siding that I had and shaped it into a little shovel plus a thick plastic scraper to use with the shovel. keep the drafts off of them and they would be fine. I give them scratch to help put some fat on them which will help to keep them warm in the winter.

 

[bdjh]

A topic that can be debated forever.

I live in Winnipeg, where it doesn't generally get WARMER than -30 for all of January. Unless you have a large number of chickens to keep the space warm, you simply HAVE to heat your water at a minimum. A tub of warm water at -30 or -40 will be frozen within half an hour. Unless you change your water 3 or 4 times a day, your birds are going to be hurting for water.

Also, at such cold temps, the moisture from their breath will freeze to the inside of the coop and cause frost and water damage, not to mention making for a very damp condition inside the coop, whcih could lead to respiratory problems.

So, for me, I HAVE to heat the coop.

I tried a 250-watt lamp, and a 250-watt infrared lamp, and found that neither one threw enough heat at -10C (about the coldest its gotten here so far) to keep the water thawed unless it was inches from the waterer, which was too much of a fire hazard.

So, I've installed a small electric forced-air space-heater (1500 watts) attached to a thermostat that will come on any time the temp goes below 4 degrees. It seems to be working great so far.

We will still let them out into their run most days, untill they tell us that it's just too cold to do so, so they should still be acclimatized to extreme cold in case the power ever go out.

It's been -10C (10 degrees F) a couple of times, and they continue to go outside and do the same chicken stuff they did in the middle of summer, so the cold isn't bothering them too much, Though they're not pleased that someone turned off the constant supply of bug they got used to over the summer!

 

[bdjh]

Very true, those areas that get cold say down to 0f, then few days later 40f, then 50f, then back to 10-20f, that may be hard on the birds too.
My part of Canada directly north of Texas just along side of ND and Minn, is where I am located, a very cold climate in winter, even colder than Minneapolis, much colder than Chicago.
It is around 30f, with a very cold west wind of about 30 mph, most of my chickens, Barred Rocks,Bantams, are all out in the run, it is covered in tarps and sheet ply, but they have no trouble with it. They can go back into the coop if they wanted to.

Hey, Rooster!

You're in St. Andrews! I'm live right across the river from you!

Small world!

 

[JackE]

A topic that can be debated forever.

I live in Winnipeg, where it doesn't generally get WARMER than -30 for all of January. Unless you have a large number of chickens to keep the space warm, you simply HAVE to heat your water at a minimum. A tub of warm water at -30 or -40 will be frozen within half an hour. Unless you change your water 3 or 4 times a day, your birds are going to be hurting for water.

Also, at such cold temps, the moisture from their breath will freeze to the inside of the coop and cause frost and water damage, not to mention making for a very damp condition inside the coop, whcih could lead to respiratory problems.

So, for me, I HAVE to heat the coop.

I tried a 250-watt lamp, and a 250-watt infrared lamp, and found that neither one threw enough heat at -10C (about the coldest its gotten here so far) to keep the water thawed unless it was inches from the waterer, which was too much of a fire hazard.

So, I've installed a small electric forced-air space-heater (1500 watts) attached to a thermostat that will come on any time the temp goes below 4 degrees. It seems to be working great so far.

We will still let them out into their run most days, untill they tell us that it's just too cold to do so, so they should still be acclimatized to extreme cold in case the power ever go out.

It's been -10C (10 degrees F) a couple of times, and they continue to go outside and do the same chicken stuff they did in the middle of summer, so the cold isn't bothering them too much, Though they're not pleased that someone turned off the constant supply of bug they got used to over the summer!

No, you do not HAVE to heat the coop. Read the link below, and see how it was done back in the day, like 100yrs ago. Open air coops, in use in Canada, with -40 temps. You have frost in your coop because it does not have enough ventilation. Open it up a bit. You have to do something to keep the water founts thawed, but you don't HAVE to heat the whole coop to do it.





http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/n0/mode/2up

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: A "cookie tin" would probably work fine with just a 100 Watt bulb, because it's BELOW the water and in direct contact

Heating something from above is always counterproductive, since heat rises

 

[Rooster Rules]

A topic that can be debated forever.

I live in Winnipeg, where it doesn't generally get WARMER than -30 for all of January. Unless you have a large number of chickens to keep the space warm, you simply HAVE to heat your water at a minimum. A tub of warm water at -30 or -40 will be frozen within half an hour. Unless you change your water 3 or 4 times a day, your birds are going to be hurting for water.

Also, at such cold temps, the moisture from their breath will freeze to the inside of the coop and cause frost and water damage, not to mention making for a very damp condition inside the coop, whcih could lead to respiratory problems.

So, for me, I HAVE to heat the coop.

I tried a 250-watt lamp, and a 250-watt infrared lamp, and found that neither one threw enough heat at -10C (about the coldest its gotten here so far) to keep the water thawed unless it was inches from the waterer, which was too much of a fire hazard.

So, I've installed a small electric forced-air space-heater (1500 watts) attached to a thermostat that will come on any time the temp goes below 4 degrees. It seems to be working great so far.

We will still let them out into their run most days, untill they tell us that it's just too cold to do so, so they should still be acclimatized to extreme cold in case the power ever go out.

It's been -10C (10 degrees F) a couple of times, and they continue to go outside and do the same chicken stuff they did in the middle of summer, so the cold isn't bothering them too much, Though they're not pleased that someone turned off the constant supply of bug they got used to over the summer!

I am right in your neighborhood and have window opened a slight bit in the coop no heat on, no heat lamps and water is not frozen, coop temp is around 35-40f, even at -6c, which is the lowest I have recorded.
My coop is built for Manitoba, or heck Alaska or NWT too, insulated floors walls and ceiling. My coop is close to the ground too, bank with snow in winter.
Is your coop insulated? Get a heated dog bowl, and place a pail in there for water or go to Canvasback, they will have heated waterers in stock next week.Or as Bear Foot farm has suggested make the "cookie tin heater", but do it with safety in mind. i have used a 250 watt heat lamp before, and in my coop can keep water thawed at very frigid temps.
I have bantams and more delicate OEG bantams with big combs, they have never been frost bitten in this coop, it stays dry and air quality good too. PS we have plenty of overnight in January with -30, but day time highs if niot windy can be much warmer than that, it is worse when it is -26 and a -42 windchill than if it gets down to -30 with no wind, and goes to -16 in the light of day. Folks in the USA metric at -18c is 0f.
Be careful with the space heater, a small oil filled rad from Wallyworld is the safest, and you can cage it in like I did. Pics in my run, they go out and sy there all day it seems, unless laying eggs. I am putting some type of heated waterer out in this are.
What type of chickens do you have?.....How Many? How big is the coop? I have had many relatives, both sets of grandparents, nobody heated the chicken coops, probably lots of chickens, plenty of fresh air no doubt