How do you keep your coop warm?

[silkiemelon]

We are in construction of our coop, but concerned on what we should do for the winter time.
I live in wa, and we get some pretty cold winters.

I've heard mixed opinions, some people saying not to use a heat lamp because of fires, some people say they do all the time because its easy.
Should I close the vents to keep warm air in?? I don't know!

 

[Darklingstorm]

No heat is necessary in a coop. I've heard of people on the forum that live in Alaska that don't use heat.
Ventilation is crucial though because frost bite kills. Just make sure your chickens are not in a draft.
If you are concerned about them being cold, lots of people use hay so their chickens can snuggle down and keep warm.

I live in Oklahoma were it does get cold but not for long and I have never put heat in my coop and my girls do just fine.

 

[Birdlife99]

Hi
I would just add extra bedding. Chickens seem to snuggle up together and generate their own heat. If you think they are cold, try adding a heat lamp and close in the coop so it is more protected from the cold and wind. Also the type of breed depends on what their temperature tolerance is. I hope this helps

 

[kichohana]

Heat is more of a problem than cold. I lost a chicken to the hot weather last summer when we had a week of 100+ days. Pretty sad, but I learned from that experience.

Chickens do really well, especially the standard/heavy breeds, at keeping themselves warm in winter. Make sure you have a nice wide roost for them to perch on. 2-3" is ideal because they can set upon the boards and completely cover their legs and feet with their feathers. Do not use dowels - they aren't meant to have to "clamp" their toes on them and balance.

I have a good 3-4 inch layer of wood shavings in the floor of their coop. It makes for a soft landing when they jump down from their roosts and provides a nice layer of insulation too. I say wood shavings - not straw. Straw can harbor mites - then you've got a whole different problem!

Make sure they have good ventilation - even in winter time. The ammonia smell from their poop is unhealthy. It will rise up within the coop and can seep out if your ventilation is up nice and high. Drafts are a problem. Make sure and and all windows, doors and other "openings" can seal up snug. My coop windows are propped open all summer and closed snug in winter to keep out drafts and cold air. We get into the high teens here, with snow too.

I was a paranoid "chicken mama" and thought I needed a heat lamp for the girls their first winter. Turns out it was more for my peace of mind. There are horror stories on here (BYC) of coop fires. When I broke down and removed the light and saw the girls setting on their roosts, feet and toes all tucked in under those feathers, I knew they'd be ok. Shoot - we buy down comforters to keep warm. Chickens come with their own!

 

[silkiemelon]

Well, I have silkies and polish. And I don't know if silkies fluff protect them from the cold or not.

Also, does your guy's water freeze? That's another concern. I really don't want to go out and buy a heated water container, as I already have a big metal water container.
Should I be concerned?

 

[kshelton]

most my research led to the same conclusion.. a lot of people who live in places A LOT colder then me (occasionally negatives but usually 5-20 degree's fahrenheit here) pretty much laugh at people who live in my type of climate and worry about insulating or adding a heat source. basically aslong as there isnt drafts going directly over your roosts and such your going to be just fine

 

[Birdlife99]

If your water freezes try to keep the coop
ground dry as if any moisture on the ground freezes you will have a problem as chickens won't walk on ice.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

Well, I have silkies and polish. And I don't know if silkies fluff protect them from the cold or not.

Also, does your guy's water freeze? That's another concern. I really don't want to go out and buy a heated water container, as I already have a big metal water container.
Should I be concerned?

I live in the Colorado mountains and we have some pretty cold periods in the winter. Last winter I did have some issues with the water freezing. I brought my waterer in every night and filled it with room temperature water every morning when I let the girls out of the coop. Sometimes I had to go break the ice in the bottom of the waterer and every once in awhile I actually had solid ice in the reservoir. I did buy a heated dog waterer, but never actually used it. This winter I intend on having two waterers and being able to change the water out mid-day on really cold days. My daily schedule usually allows me to check on the chickens at least once during the middle of the day. If not, my mom lives next door and can usually do it.

By the way, no heat in my coop. I did use a lamp in the winter with a regular light bulb to extend daylight and encourage laying, keeping the light on until maybe 8:00 PM, but then I'd turn it off. It may have helped take the chill off a tiny bit for them to settle down to bed, but I was encouraged by folks on this forum not to rely on a heat lamp, because if you do, the chickens may not become adapted to the cold, and if you have a power outage or your bulb burns out, they will be worse off than if they've adapted to the cold. I also got in the habit of bringing them a warm breakfast on really cold mornings which they very much enjoyed.

 

[Aschenfire]

As everyone else said, you do not need to heat a chicken coop. With water, what I'd do is use relatively shallow rubber tubs for water in winter (think horse feed tubs) so if it does freeze overnight, you can bang the whole thing on something and knock the ice block out and refill it. They are not going to leap into a tub of water, and it will make your life simpler. As long as they're not in a drafty coop, nor getting *wet* and cold, they'll be fine. Birds have lived outside in the cold for a loooong time and been just fine. ^..^ Bed them down good, give em a bowl of warm oatmeal in the mornings and they'll be happy little campers

 

[Time-Out]

Your silkies will be snug. I'd keep an eye on the polish as they seem to be a smaller breed. They certainly don't look to have as much insulation!

If you have a minimum of 4" of bedding on the ground (shavings are ideal), that'll provide good insulation.