- Jan 16, 2010
- 344
- 38
- 151
I am not an expert on chickens and chicken coops.
Night before last, the temperature dropped to 5 F. My coop is draft free and well ventilated, but it is not insulated and not heated, and I am sure that the temperature inside the coop got close to 5 F. I was concerned about the effect it would have on my 6 month old chickens.
Thursday morning, they were fine, and seemed as happy as could be. They spent most of the day in the run, cheerfully scratching and making their "happy sounds." The only problem was that the last gallon of water in their plastic bucket was frozen solid.
So, I am completely satisfied that the coop does not need any heat for the comfort of the chickens, and I have no plans to insulate the coop or to add any heat.
However, I am equally satisfied that electricity in the coop is not the villain that causes coop fires any more than electricity is to blame for house fires that are abundant this time of year. My coop is wired, and it is safe! Short of a lightning strike, I have no fears about it burning.
...oh yeah, I built a heater for the water bucket, and plugged it into the 120VAC outlet, and my coop is still safe.
You too, can have a safe, electrified coop. The key is to either know how to do it safely, or hire someone who does.
ETA: If my chicks lived in an area where the temperature stayed at or near 5 F for long periods of time, I might add a little heat to the coop.
Night before last, the temperature dropped to 5 F. My coop is draft free and well ventilated, but it is not insulated and not heated, and I am sure that the temperature inside the coop got close to 5 F. I was concerned about the effect it would have on my 6 month old chickens.
Thursday morning, they were fine, and seemed as happy as could be. They spent most of the day in the run, cheerfully scratching and making their "happy sounds." The only problem was that the last gallon of water in their plastic bucket was frozen solid.
So, I am completely satisfied that the coop does not need any heat for the comfort of the chickens, and I have no plans to insulate the coop or to add any heat.
However, I am equally satisfied that electricity in the coop is not the villain that causes coop fires any more than electricity is to blame for house fires that are abundant this time of year. My coop is wired, and it is safe! Short of a lightning strike, I have no fears about it burning.
...oh yeah, I built a heater for the water bucket, and plugged it into the 120VAC outlet, and my coop is still safe.
You too, can have a safe, electrified coop. The key is to either know how to do it safely, or hire someone who does.
ETA: If my chicks lived in an area where the temperature stayed at or near 5 F for long periods of time, I might add a little heat to the coop.
Last edited: