Is frostbite avoidable without electric heating? Should I add heat to my coop?

[2 Acres]

Well this is Great. My wonderful unreliable power company just lost power. This is getting old.

Just when I was going to pay my bill.

 

[2 Acres]

Time to contact the PUCO

 

[Ardella Crawford]

I have 6 adult hens (breeds below) and an uninsulated 5x5 coop. Each and every year, at least one hen has gotten frostbite on her comb. There are no drafts in the coop, although there is airflow up top (to prevent moisture buildup). Where I live, winter temperatures typically range from an average low of 24°F to a high of 34°F. It has gone down to the teens before, especially at night. Their frost bite has never been too crazy, but I want them to be comfortable - especially my larger combed ladies. Starting this winter, I am doing the deep litter method. I guess my main questions are: Is frostbite really avoidable without a heat source when it gets below freezing, and do you guys think I should put a heat source in my coop? I wont be doing heat lamps (for safety reasons), but I could use a plate heater like a Sweeter Heater or something. Also, I have heard of people filling up plastics milk jugs with hot water and putting them in the coop - will that help? For context, this is the comment I got it from: "For emergency cold drops, fill up plastic jugs with hot water, screw on top and place in enclosed coop area. It will raise the temperature several degrees in an enclosed space." I found it on a Youtube video, that's why I want to ask about before trying it.

Breeds: Dark Brahma, Lavender and Buff Orpingtons, Gold laced Blue Wyandotte, Easter Egger, and an Olive Egger. All 3yo or younger.

Yes, frostbite is avoidable with no heat source. I use the deep litter method, and the only time I worry about frostbite at all is if temps go subzero, especially if there's wind. If I think the chickens may have frostbite because of the cold, I put the homeopathic remedy Agaricus muscarius in their water for a day or two, 6c or 30c, either one should work. There is plenty of ventilation in their houses, but I use tarps and straw bales for shelter from wind in the winter. I take the tarps down and remove the straw bales for spring, summer, and fall. I add fresh shavings frequently in the winter to keep the dampness down.

 

[Ardella Crawford]

Yes, frostbite is avoidable with no heat source. I use the deep litter method, and the only time I worry about frostbite at all is if temps go subzero, especially if there's wind. If I think the chickens may have frostbite because of the cold, I put the homeopathic remedy Agaricus muscarius in their water for a day or two, 6c or 30c, either one should work. There is plenty of ventilation in their houses, but I use tarps and straw bales for shelter from wind in the winter. I take the tarps down and remove the straw bales for spring, summer, and fall. I add fresh shavings frequently in the winter to keep the dampness down.

 

[2 Acres]

Absolutely.

In the seven years I've been keeping chickens every winter we've gone sub-zero at some point or another.

I've had frostbite on two males. The first time it was -23F and my single comb rooster got a mild case of frostbite dubbing. The second time was last year when a cockerel with huge wattles dunked them into the fount waterer and the ends froze. Other than that, I've had no frostbite in my flock.

I have approximately 17 sq ft of permanently open ventilation in the ridge vent, gable vents and soffit vents along with two windows cracked open away from the roosting area and two pop doors that are kept open year round. I have no insulation in my coop.
View attachment 4261252

If you have adequate ventilation over your birds heads with some way for fresh air to come in down low you should not have any frostbite. Also, keep the coop is dry as possible. If you have any water source in the coop at all it needs to come out.

About the water, can I ask why?

 

[DobieLover]

About the water, can I ask why?

Because it dumps water vapor into the air increasing humidity and the chances of frostbite increases dramatically.

I keep my heated water out in the covered run.

 

[2 Acres]

Because it dumps water vapor into the air increasing humidity and the chances of frostbite increases dramatically.

I keep my heated water out in the covered run.

Thank you.

 

[OverEasyRider]

I have 6 adult hens (breeds below) and an uninsulated 5x5 coop. Each and every year, at least one hen has gotten frostbite on her comb. There are no drafts in the coop, although there is airflow up top (to prevent moisture buildup). Where I live, winter temperatures typically range from an average low of 24°F to a high of 34°F. It has gone down to the teens before, especially at night. Their frost bite has never been too crazy, but I want them to be comfortable - especially my larger combed ladies. Starting this winter, I am doing the deep litter method. I guess my main questions are: Is frostbite really avoidable without a heat source when it gets below freezing, and do you guys think I should put a heat source in my coop? I wont be doing heat lamps (for safety reasons), but I could use a plate heater like a Sweeter Heater or something. Also, I have heard of people filling up plastics milk jugs with hot water and putting them in the coop - will that help? For context, this is the comment I got it from: "For emergency cold drops, fill up plastic jugs with hot water, screw on top and place in enclosed coop area. It will raise the temperature several degrees in an enclosed space." I found it on a Youtube video, that's why I want to ask about before trying it.

Breeds: Dark Brahma, Lavender and Buff Orpingtons, Gold laced Blue Wyandotte, Easter Egger, and an Olive Egger. All 3yo or younger.

I use old carpet to insulate my coop. Just use a hammer stapler to hang it. Also built a passive solar wall. Poly sheets with black plastic behind them. And the sun only Hits when the leaves fall from the trees in the winter.
You can pile wood chips really thick on the floor and that will put off a very small amount of heat as it breaks down. But it also insulates the floor.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

So at about 3:00pm I checked the humidity % both outside and in the coop, and inside the coop it was 94%, which seems high, except that outside it was 99%. It has been raining a bunch this last week, so the humidity has been in the high 90's outside. My logic says that no coop with airflow could get too much lower than the outside air, so I thought 94% was pretty good considering the situation. The coop/shavings do not feel wet, nor is there any condensation on anything. I keep all my food and water outside the coop. Should I be worried about these numbers? I can check again when they are all sleeping, if that would help.

 

[Ponypoor]

Well I'm glad I have good ventilation! For my own peace of mind, I have decided to get a Avitech Infrared heat panel made for chicken coops. No fire hazard and it omits a gentle heat that they can feel when they get close to it - it help raise their body temp.

I have two sweeter heaters which my gang use when they feel chilly.

In the Hen House I have two IR panels (like Cozy Cool brand), this helps keep the Hen House at around 5C (40F), moisture as all are saying, is the enemy. Wet skin will freeze fast, also any sort of wind or draft will increase the risk of frost bite. Not to mention causing cold stress.

Temps here get down around -20C over night and around -10 during the day. My Hen House is in my barn (huge advantage) so it has the benefit of being sheltered, but during the day they barn will get quite chilly without the horses in there. If the chooks feel chilly they warm up under the heater then once warmed up they are off again doing whatever they do (usually tearing apart the horses’ stalls).

I personally feel that once inside temps are below -5C the chooks stop being active and hunker down. I want them active and eating and drinking not hunkered down trying to keep warm, the Sweeter Heater helps with this.

But - make sure you have no drafts of cross breezes and make sure no moisture builds up.

To check for drafts and cross breezes you can hang a feather on a string from the ceiling to say head level and let it settle - any drafts and breezes with set that feather fluttering.

To check for moisture run your fingers on the walls, of it feels damp you have moisture.

Insulation dramatically cuts down on condensation on walls/ceilings thus reducing moisture. The warmer air in the coop meets the cold wall of the coop and condensation happens.

Even with airflow you will get condensation on the walls. It will always be a bit warmer inside the coop than outside.

In the Spring/Summer you might want to look at putting some 1” foam insulation on the walls, and ceiling, cover with some thin plywood to prevent chooks from pecking it. This will help eliminate moisture.

Don’t we all just love winter??! Not!


Good luck with your chooks, oh and absolutely do not use Vaseline or oil on their combs and wattles - it will act as a barrier to prevent moisture from escaping the skin and will cause frost bite. This has been studied in northern climates and shown to be detrimental to skins integrity. Keep them dry and out of drafts!