I am one of the 'heat if needed' ones.
Everyone knows how much I spoil my babies here. I dont heat unless the temps fall below 30 or so. I use a light bulb in one of those metal 'cones' from my brooding area. I dont have chicks in the winter, so it's sitting there anyway. The colder it gets, the higher wattage I use. when it falls below 20 or so i usually plug in the heat lamp into it. My coop is a 10 X 12 shed with heavy insulation, walls, insulated roof,etc. My childhood play house that I never got as a kid. I am in there a lot with them and like a 'little' warmth for me too! My girls are on their thrid year some of them, and i have never had an issue with the in and out change in temps.
The tajmahal ends up always above freezing temps. I have a heated waterer, but I have never had to use it. I try to keep it above 40 most of the time. I know, I know..... they are SPOILED.... So be it....We each do what's best for us. Neither bad or good either way. Yup, does let me sleep at night knowing they are happy and warm.
If it gets below 0, and is snowing bad or blowing bad I usually keep them inside, but they have enough room sunshine, and stuff to keep them busy and they dont care anyway. When I get home from work, usually there is a path shoveled for them to an area out of the wind and snow to go play for a few hours or minutes depending on what they want. I also end up shoveling down to the grass and letting them 'chow down' on it.
I have a humidity gage as well as thermometer in the coop and watch it pretty close the last few years. I have never had any frostbite issues on their combs or feet. I do scoop the poop from the shavings daily in the morning and poop board too. I love the idea of covering their 2 X 4 roosts with carpet. THAT ONE I am going to do! Dont have an issue with poop on the roosts at all either.
My DH tells me i spend wayyyyy to much time down a the tajmahal. He calls it my time machine. I loose track of it when I am with the girls and 'Bird. That's ok, they keep me happy and sane - I keep them happy and sane....
On a side note, I purchased a pellet stove last fall for the house, and the furnace only came on four times last year. costs me 2.00/day to heat my entire home and it's a 2400 sq ft. colonial. We have a small generator that can back up the fan on it if the electricity goes out. It is safer than heck with a ton of safety shut offs. Never had an issue with it. I cant believe it heated the upstairs as well without any modifications too. I cant say enough about it (and i grew up with many woodburners in the house. One hooked up to the furnace blower and ducts in the basement and two in the main floors)
In the end it is all what we decide to do for them, neither one bad. As it was said, just what each one of us prefers. It stinks we gotta prepare for the cold already doesnt it???
The tajmahal ends up always above freezing temps. I have a heated waterer, but I have never had to use it. I try to keep it above 40 most of the time. I know, I know..... they are SPOILED.... So be it....We each do what's best for us. Neither bad or good either way. Yup, does let me sleep at night knowing they are happy and warm.
If it gets below 0, and is snowing bad or blowing bad I usually keep them inside, but they have enough room sunshine, and stuff to keep them busy and they dont care anyway. When I get home from work, usually there is a path shoveled for them to an area out of the wind and snow to go play for a few hours or minutes depending on what they want. I also end up shoveling down to the grass and letting them 'chow down' on it.
I have a humidity gage as well as thermometer in the coop and watch it pretty close the last few years. I have never had any frostbite issues on their combs or feet. I do scoop the poop from the shavings daily in the morning and poop board too. I love the idea of covering their 2 X 4 roosts with carpet. THAT ONE I am going to do! Dont have an issue with poop on the roosts at all either.
My DH tells me i spend wayyyyy to much time down a the tajmahal. He calls it my time machine. I loose track of it when I am with the girls and 'Bird. That's ok, they keep me happy and sane - I keep them happy and sane....
On a side note, I purchased a pellet stove last fall for the house, and the furnace only came on four times last year. costs me 2.00/day to heat my entire home and it's a 2400 sq ft. colonial. We have a small generator that can back up the fan on it if the electricity goes out. It is safer than heck with a ton of safety shut offs. Never had an issue with it. I cant believe it heated the upstairs as well without any modifications too. I cant say enough about it (and i grew up with many woodburners in the house. One hooked up to the furnace blower and ducts in the basement and two in the main floors)
In the end it is all what we decide to do for them, neither one bad. As it was said, just what each one of us prefers. It stinks we gotta prepare for the cold already doesnt it???