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

[Ponypoor]

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.

@DobieLover
Lovely airy coop, can you walk into it? Great idea with the roosts.

 

[Ponypoor]

I cant do that because it is impossible to hang it. It is made to stick onto a wall. I do have it out of direct drafts and at perch level. Thats the best I could do.

What are your summers like there?

 

[DobieLover]

can you walk into it?

Absolutely. I'm too old for that stooping nonsense.

When it was first finished. I've since added the roost/board along the left wall when looking into the chicken section of the coop.

 

[SourRoses]

One sure way to lower humidity in the coop below the exterior percentage, is horse pine pellets as bedding.
They are super dry and help the whole coop climate. In FL we get rain so often my coops would mold without them.

@ChickenShepherd_6116 I actually see some mold on the particle board in one of your photos.

I personally would not choose deep litter in any walled space for the humidity issue.

Particle board makes it harder to see mold, but see how, in this picture, along the bottom third the board you have a mix of light and darker wood... But in the upper two thirds you see black spotting. That's the mold.

I would paint the interior if it was me, since mold started will only get worse over time. Killz makes a paint with antifungal properties that will kill it as you paint.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

I actually see some mold on the particle board in one of your photos.

Where? Which photo? I don't see any... I sure hope there isn't mold!

In this one?

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

What are your summers like there?

Fairly dry, around the high 80s-90's most of the time (during the day). I am in North Idaho.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Attach it to a piece of 2x2 or 2x4 and use that to position it in the middle.

The things we do for our pets!!!

How would that be better than on a wall? Wouldn't the condensation build up on the 2x2 just like the wall?

 

[SourRoses]

Where? Which photo? I don't see any... I sure hope there isn't mold!

Sorry I was slow to edit the image in my last post but it's there now.
I don't think I would be able to spot the stuff in a pic if we didn't deal with it so often irl. Not healthy for the birds delicate lungs but if you address it before it gets worse it shouldn't be at a level yet to cause issues (my opinion based on experience only).
We tried deep litter once and had mold climbing up the (painted) walls within two weeks. That's when we first tried the pine pellets after cleaning it up and made a concerted effort to keep the coop dry for months after to save the wood.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

a Sweeter Heater will help keep delicate combs/wattles warmed up, and help dry them also.

I don't have a Sweeter Heater, but I do have a radiant panel heater that I turn on during cold snaps. It's off right as it's staying around the 40's at night.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

One sure way to lower humidity in the coop below the exterior percentage, is horse pine pellets as bedding.
They are super dry and help the whole coop climate. In FL we get rain so often my coops would mold without them.

@ChickenShepherd_6116 I actually see some mold on the particle board in one of your photos.

I personally would not choose deep litter in any walled space for the humidity issue.

Particle board makes it harder to see mold, but see how, in this picture, along the bottom third the board you have a mix of light and darker wood... But in the upper two thirds you see black spotting. That's the mold.

View attachment 4265614

I would paint the interior if it was me, since mold started will only get worse over time. Killz makes a paint with antifungal properties that will kill it as you paint.

Oh goodness!! I never saw that! How can I fix that? I will stop DLM now!