Welcome. Add heat. This is one of those topics on BYC that members are split on. I have heaters in my coops and one in my run. I use sweeter heaters inside and an outdoor hanging radiant heater outsideHi y'all!
This is my first winter with my flock so I apologize if this is a silly question. I have 9 bantam chickens, and I had thought I had insulated my coop well. However, they're still shivering! I'm in western North Carolina, and I have two silkies that aren't phenomenally cold-hardy, as well as two old Englishes, a plymouth barred rock, a mini brahma, two Rhode Island Reds, and a dominique. They are all between 8 and 10 months old. I've been giving them heated mash throughout the day and have added a structure they can hide in within their coop. They have constant access to high protein food, I've been warming water, and I've done my best to keep the wind out. They're shivering at 27 degrees, and we're projected to hit the teens overnight this weekend; the wind has also been brutal.
I was evacuated for two months from Helene; we stayed in South Carolina so I'm worried they aren't as cold acclimated, and I wasn't able to build up as much deep litter as I wanted to. If at all possible, I would like to get the deep litter method stirring before it gets really cold in January or February, if I'm able to! (Currently building this out with pine shavings and chopped straw bedding, but I stripped everything after the storm because our coop was flooded. I added about 2 inches of litter from the coop they were staying in down south, but I know it isn't enough.) Our coop is built for the heat with great (maybe too good) ventilation up top, and it's off the ground. They have wooden perches and I've blocked off the wind in their run with cardboard, haybales, and tarps. But they're still poofy and shivering!! If I need to take them inside I can, but I don't want to prevent them from acclimating any further.
Please let me know if these natural methods will work, or if I need to run down and get an ambient heater due to the acclimation situation!!
Thank you so much
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Glad you joined.
