I am a professional product developer and I would like your input for a new product idea.

[Bear Foot Farm]

Well domesticated birds are not wild and can't cope in cold weather without heat. So what you are implying is that you would leave your birds in the cold (keeping in mind that some places can get extremely cold) and let them suffer while they could be tucked up in the coop with a heater?

They have survived thousands of years without heat.
They aren't"suffering"

Chickens have been domesticated for over 4000 years

Cold won't kill them

 

[Sandstorm495]

But you didn't answer my question.

 

[appps]

But you didn't answer my question. 

Do you mean me? Yeah I'm pretty sure I did. Like I said you give heat, slowly reducing till they have acclimatized and no longer need it.

You may need to explain the question again if that's not what you meant but to be honest I think we have all hijacked this guys thread enough. There are some very long threads on this very subject so maybe this should move to one of those.

 

[Sandstorm495]

No, I was talking to Bear Foot Farms.

 

[earlybird10842]

The reason we heat our coop is it gets down to -10,-20 F degrees here during late January sometimes, and although our birds do not need heat, they are a LOT more comfortable with it. Our coop is not insulated, and without heat it will only be about ten to twenty degrees, (as an estimate) warmer than outdoors. So that means if it dips down to ten below zero, our coop will be fifteen degrees above zero--or colder. And although they can survive in that cold, we have an aging bird or two that won't enjoy it. Even when it is twenty degrees out (That's about our norm winter temp), that means the coop might be below freezing point. So the eggs freeze and the water freezes. With heat, the coop stays around 40-50 degrees F.

So is it absolutely necessary to heat our coop? No. Is it more convenient to us? Yes. Do the aging birds like it? Yes.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

But you didn't answer my question.

They aren't "suffering", so there was little point in answering that question

 

[chickisoup]

 
But you didn't answer my question. 

They aren't "suffering", so there was little point in answering that question

North Carolina??? Can anything "suffer" cold in NC??? 11o actual here this morning and we won't discuss the windchill and it's only November. Don't even want to think about what January will be like this year.

 

[henwaytech]

Hello All!

Thanks for all your participation! I have been receiving oodles of private messages from readers containing all sorts of great ideas, features, and support! This was exactly the reaction I was wishing for. Keep them coming! It won't be long before we all see a new products hitting the hobby chicken market. Everyone that has participated so far will receive lifetime discounts on any chicken related product I develop. Thanks again for your support and being a part from the very beginning. You are all very motivating.

I would like to share a PM I received a few hours ago. Please share your thoughts as well.


The Private Message:

... I've learned a few things on this forum:
1. there are strong feelings on both sides about heating coops.
2. chicken folks aren't big on expensive stuff, especially if it is new.
3. What is ridiculously lacking is a bulletproof, long corded, gfi equipped, heater that could be installed in or on ANY type of waterer. Even when these folks aren't worried about their chicks freezing, they are worried about them getting thirsty!
4. Another item that would be of great use is a coop light that is long corded, gfi equipped, has a built in timer, and absolutely cannot start a fire, even if it is dropped in the bedding or partially crushed. It needs to fade from white light to red to off and reverse when needed.

Both items would be great if they were 12v with a small battery and a 120vac charger with an alarm if power is out or the 12v is running low.

Just remember, chicken people will cobble together anything to save a buck, so think cheap, yet bulletproof.

Thanks and Good Luck!

My response:

1) I agree with you. There is a lot of controversy. It's my opinion that regardless if chickens prefer heat or not, it's comforting to me knowing that when I'm in my cozy home and it's 10 degrees outside, snowing, and windy, my birds have the option of sitting under a heat lamp or playing in the snow. I understand that some people say heating your birds makes them weak and could make them unprepared for the times when the power goes out for an extended period of time, and it's single digits... Well, my response to that is this: I only have 6 birds. If it's 10 degrees outside and the power has been out for a long time, then I will move them to my garage where it's slightly warmer. Therefore heat lamps work well for me and anyone else that is like me.

2) I think you're right there too. That's why I want to cut down on features and just make a low cost, high quality, single-function device that helps move chicken owners forward.

3) Haha. That made me laugh. Yes, it could be 0 degrees F outside but so long as their water is flowing there are no issues. Tell me, what has been your experience with water heaters in the past that has made you resent them?

4) Oh. This is interesting. Tell me more... why would this be great? (this idea is totally do-able by the way).

Making a heat lamp run off of a 12V battery would not fit your inexpensive criteria. You would need a heaping pile of batteries. If this is a major concern, you may want to consider an oil heater - or some other method of backup heating besides electricity.

Bullet proof... got it! Cheap.... got it!

You know.... you got me thinking. It would be nice to know if your power goes out while your sleeping so you can move your birds inside or light the backup heat. How about a battery powered alarm that plugs into a wall outlet in your room that will sound off when the power goes off? Obviously this would be it's own standalone product so buys can make their own decision if this is necessary or not. Thoughts?

 

[chickisoup]

Ok, I would like to add my 2 cents if it's ok.

Starting from the bottom. The power outage warning thingy is already on the market, in several forms. Those of us in the northwoods rely on them to know when to shag out of bed and kick in the Woodstove so our birds, and us, don't freeze.

I agree about the battery backup lamp as being impractical.

As for #4? YES!!! That would be an absolutely revolutionary product. There is nothing like it, I know, I've looked hard enough. The primary advantage, at least for me, it would solve th e problem of needing two separate lights in my coop, one for daylight hours (extending them during the winter) and the "nightlite" for night time to avoid the sudden black when the other light goes out and allowing me to see what I'm doing if I need to enter the coop or to just check on my birds. This light would also be great for the brooder allowing me to control the amount of light to and when to the chicks separate from the heat source ( same for the coop). I would gladly pay a fair price for this especially if it were energy-efficient. Fading to yellow would be better than red tho. Check the research. The red can lead to chicks attacking each other and can be agitating to adult birds.
Oh, and this light could also be useful for sick birds being kept separate or when it is necessary to interrupt a hens laying cycle.

As for #3??? Got one. Bought mine at Farm and Fleet but I am sure TSC and others carry it. Mine has a two stage heater that thermostatically controls the tank and drinking tray temps separately and cost less than $35. No GFI built in but all my coop outlets are. If you're running power to your coop you better have it connected to a GFI before it ever gets to the waterer. Third year using this one BTW.

2 & 1? Yep. I agree except.......there is a difference between over priced and worth the money if it works.

Just so you know I am a small flock keeper like yourself with a total of six at the moment and plans to hatch out a few more in a couple months. I also have a propane heated garden shed to move the girls to if there is a power failure. Boy, could I put that light to good use!!!

 

[henwaytech]

@chickisoup Could you elaborate more on #4? I never had these issues before and I'm trying to relate. The way I understand it is you want a light fixture with 2 lamp sockets -- one for the heat lamp and one for a standard light bulb. The white light turns on when it gets dark out and the purpose is to extend daylight. To save energy, the white light turns off during the day. The red light turns on if it's too cold regardless if it's day or night. Did I get that right?

Can anyone else add to this idea?