how do you keep your chickens warm ?

[chickchicks]

i have 5 chickens
2 bo who sleep onthe floor of thecoop
2 brown warren chickens nearpol and a 11 week barnevelderwho roost

the brown warren chickens who roost and the 11 weekold have the sniffles ( as i asked about ina previous thread)
i bought some nutri drops which stated too few hens dontproduce enough heat.

so my questionis how do i keep them warm

the have cardboard on the floor topped with bedding
they havedust free sawdust onthe shelves /poop board
and they havehay inthe nestboxes

what else sould i do ?
i have no electricity to the shed that is 6*4

any advice is good and i can see to try making the changes

thank you

 

[AlienChick]

Just make sure there are no DRAFTS on the chickens.

They should pretty much keep themselves warm by puffing up their feathers or huddling together.

Chickens are very well insulated (down feathers keep them very warm).

If you're worried, you could feed them a higher protein feed for the feathers and a little cracked corn for some calories.

 

[chickchicks]

thank you

i believe there are no drafts as its a new shed
no vents though , im working on how to cut one out at the moment,
and there is only the human size door no pop hole, they seem to like the door ,they have worked out how to open it! smart birds

they also have a run 5*4 ish with the floor covered in hay at the moment asits a little wet out there and they like hidingin the hay looking for bugs, it must keep them warm hiding in it .

 

[Beekissed]

I just make sure they have their feathers on when they go out to play and provide deep litter for the days they want to stay inside and play on the floor.

 

[KDK1]

Quote:
You MUST have ventilation. Chickens produce an amazing amount of humidity and humidity is the chickens worst enemy, especially in colder weather. As long as they're fully feathered and plenty of ventilation, they'll be just fine.

 

[jbourget]

Lol make sure they have thier feathers on,..good one haha but buy a few more chickens, teir body heat will warm them at night in winter when they are close. this works with all birds

 

[chickchicks]

i was thinking for the ventalation to cut out a hole near the top and put wire messa all aound to stop the pests getting in , but im still stuck on how to stop watergetting in .

im not the diy type !

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

im still stuck on how to stop watergetting in .

Use louvered vents:

http://www.famcomfg.com/foundation-vents/louvered-foundation-vent-aluminum.html

 

[mick261]

The good news is you really don't have to "keep them warm". They are built for the cold. Frankly, my flock of 30 (Red and Black sex-links and GP Hamburgs) seem to have greater hardship in the hot Minnesota summers than they do in the bitter Minnesota winters. That said, I think the best thing you can do is make sure there is air exchange in the coop. You do not want drafts or moisture but they need fresh air!
I keep mine on deep litter in an insulated coop with the only supplemental heat coming from a 60 watt bulb on a timer (on at 3:30AM) to keep them laying through the winter. -10 to -20 in the winters here is not uncommon. In cold like that my birds stay roosted or forage around on the coop floor. When not so cold, they love coming outside as long as I remove the deep snow for them.
In the winter, I do supplement feed with some scratch (especially in the evenings) to help maintain body heat and give them something to do during daylight hours when they stay in the coop.
Hope this helps!

 

[Sozoed]

Speaking of light bulbs in the coop, has anyone tried compact fluourescent bulbs (the curley cue ones)? Do they generate enough heat throughout the winter?