[COLOR=8B4513]My Personal Experiences[/COLOR]
[COLOR=A52A2A]Bumblefoot ~ Thoughts on Heat during Winter ~ What amount of Temperature Change might harm a chicken?[/COLOR]
[COLOR=8B4513]I took my Jubilee Adeline back to the vet to have her bumblefoot re-checked. Dr. Gormley was pleased with the progress. He unwrapped the bandages, cleaned the area, applied antibacterial, made pad out of gauze, and re-wrapped her foot/partial leg. No charge. I'll take her back on Saturday to have it removed for good hopefully. I still have her in a hospital kennel inside, but let her outside in the afternoon when I can supervise. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=8B4513]Dr. Gormley is the veterinarian who also runs a wild bird rehabilitation clinic. For years, he and his family have enjoyed raising heritage livestock breeds including chickens and other animals including Dexter Irish Cattle. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=8B4513]While I was at his office, I asked if he provided heat for his chickens in the winter-- like the one we had last year. He replied, "Oh, definitely!" I told him that I belonged to an online Indiana chicken group and that I am one of the few who provides heat. I mentioned that last winter some members had chickens that suffered frostbite and/or died from the cold. I said that I could obviously tell when my chickens were miserably cold and I didn't believe in survival of the fittest. He agreed that he could tell when his some of his chickens, depending on breed, needed heat. Dr. Gormley said that they have a heat source in a portion of a large coop, and the chickens who need warmth will seek it --much like chicks do with brooder heat. He doesn't believe that heat "spoils" them or conditions them to need warmth. I explained to him that I add heat just enough to make them more comfortable-- for example, I posted last winter that when it was 0 degrees, my coop thermometer read 20 degrees in the coop box section, which is well ventilated.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=8B4513]Then I remembered to ask the mystery question! I said that many chicken resources advise against temperature changes-- like having a chicken to go from a warm house to the cold outdoors or from air-conditioning to a hot summer day, but I haven't been able to find out what is the recommended temperature range. Dr. Gormley said, "Around 20 degrees" (which turns out is the range of my coop heat). He said that it was fine to switch Adeline from indoors to outside for breaks because our air is set on 75 and it's been in the 90s outside. He mentioned that of course it's especially bad to have a chicken inside a toasty house in the winter and then put them out in the snow![/COLOR]
[COLOR=8B4513]Many posts/sources who are against heat cite coop fires as the reason not to heat a coop. IMO, that's like saying that I shouldn't use my fireplace because my house might catch of fire or I shouldn't use my gas stove because it might start a fire. When I've described my practice of using heat in my coop, I've emphasized my use of safety precautions just as I would when using any appliance, etc. I've also said that my coop design and location are suitable for heating, but not all environments (like a hay filled dusty barn) are safe.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=8B4513]Anyway, as we all know, there are many opinions about raising chickens. I'm not urging anyone to do as I do-- I'm just sharing this conversation and information.[/COLOR]
Ah, the great heating debate again!
I think, first off, that it’s misleading that you said you were one of few that heated your coop and that others had birds with frostbite or lost them to the cold. This would imply, from an outsider’s stance, that those that do not heat their coop have more issues related to the cold, which was not the case for me, nor was it the case for many people in discussions on the debate. The other thing that bugs me is your statement about being able to tell that chickens are ‘obviously’ miserably cold, again implying that a heat source was better. Now, most of the folks that heat their coop that I have read about have told tales of their chickens staying cooped up inside all winter, staying near the heat source, generally standing around. My hens spent last winter, except for perhaps the very coldest days, running around outside in the paths I shoveled through the snow. I dunno, that doesn’t sound as miserable to me as them staying huddled inside all day.
I do not believe in survival of the fittest when it comes to my beloved pet hens. Let me just make that clear. If I did, I wouldn’t bother to create a hospital pen in the house for those very few (if any) birds that ail from the cold and make preparations for them to be there for the long run. I simply believe that chickens of all shapes and sizes survived the harshest of winters long before people were
capable of providing them heat, long before people
considered providing them heat, and that chickens of all shapes and sizes are
still capable of surviving the harshest of winters today without any source of heat. Both history and my own experience and research have proven that to me. When you read about 5-8 week old chicks weaned off of heat that are able to survive super-cold temps without issues, it pretty well implies that adults of the same species (or at least of the same breed) are capable of the same.
As far as fire concerns,
there is a pretty big difference between a fireplace or gas stove that have been engineered with fire safety in mind, and the many chosen ways of heating a coop. The main reason I cite fire safety in my rantings about heating the coop is because most folks that heat their coop, at least most that post about it where I lurk, just slap a bulb, usually a 250 watt, in a clamp lamp and hang it in their coop. I have said it before, and I will say it again,
there is absolutely nothing safe about either the clamp lamp or the 250 watt bulb in these conditions. Wire the thing together, bolt it to the ceiling, and you still run the risk of that big bulb shattering or igniting dust that lands on it. Not many consider just how dusty these birds can be when they decide their chickens ‘need’ heat, nor do they consider that these birds do fly around sometimes and can knock things around. And since those stinkin’ clamp lamps and big bulbs are still sold together with chicken things at feed stores, I’m sure the thought never crosses many peoples’ minds that they are not safe to just tack up out there with these birds!
I guess my point is that your conversation with your vet seemed very one-sided and didn’t take into consideration a lot of things. People rationalize heating their coops for a number of reasons, but when you look at the bare facts, it becomes pretty clear that it is unnecessary except under very specific conditions. Still, it is better heating one’s coop with safety precautions in mind than just slapping something up out there, and for that I do commend you (and your vet, although without knowing his setup, I don’t know if that’s proper in this case). Most of the coop and barn fires and near-fires I read about were in cases where people meant well (even though their animals, as many admit, most likely didn't need the help), but didn’t take proper steps to avoid the dangers of their heat source.
My whole point in posting is to not only highlight to anyone unsure of if they should provide heat that these birds really don’t need the help, but to also point out the dangers for those determined to heat their coops anyway. I
do not expect everyone in the habit of doing so to drop the idea of heating their coop altogether just because of my posts (and by now, I know that a few
never will), but hope that I make them aware of the
substantial dangers so that they can take safety precautions beforehand and be prepared for things like power outages.
I still roll my eyes, though, when I read about people in Florida or the surrounding states hooking up a heat source for their birds during the winter.
That’s just asinine!
And just to be
abundantly clear, though I tried my best to word this post in a non-offensive manner, I do not mean to insult, demean, or dictate anyone on this thread by posting this.
) I woke up at 3 am on the couch. I remember snuggling up under the couch pillows and willfully falling asleep there, though I have no idea why. Normally, I'd doze for an hour at most, but not tonight! At 3 am, I had to get up, take my allergy med, and trundle my way up to bed. But OOOOOOH, NO, my brain has put its foot down, so to speak. 3 hours of sleep is more than enough for me, so says my brain! I say please, Brain, I have math homework to do on Friday and really should sleep more than this! But nope, Brain will have none of it! Brain: "You fell asleep on the couch and now you must suffer! BWAHAHAHA!!!" Me: "Why..? Oh, why..?" (Insert dramatic tear rolling down cheek.) And that's why I am still up at 5 am. 
If you're wondering, that fence panel at the left of the picture I left above is about 4 feet tall, so that should tell you how much snow we had! The biggest issue for me, though, was when it all melted and seeped (read: gushed) into my coop addition. It was the spring for dredging water out of the coop with a bucket. I still need to implement my fix for that... Can't let that go too much longer!
