It's going to be in the 20's tonight, and I'm worried sick...

[Chick_a_dee]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

You are correct... if you give them heat, then they won't grow as thick a down coat as they need to stay warm. Mine have been perfectly fine down to -10F already without extra heat. You really only have reason to start worrying if it's getting much colder than that. And I think I've asked this before... what happens if the power goes out for any length of time? We think it's really cold because we're affected by the windchill, but the chickens can handle it.

Aha yeah, essentially we're naked animals, the chickens have something to keep them warm, we have to borrow to make ourselves warm, using the down of birds for coats! If ducks and chickens couldn't keep themselves warm with their winter down, WHY is it we can in the form of down filled coats?​

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

There are different breeds, some more tolerant of cold temps than others. If your chickens are pets, and it would make you feel better, then simply purchase a large heat lamp, and appropriate holder for it (about $15.00) and ease your worries. I live in central NH, and my coop not only has a red heat light, but a sunny daytime heat light as well. (and a wall panel heater that kicks on at 35, and off at 45) This keeps my hens healthy and laying at peak efficiency. My ladies can go outside any time they want, and I often see them spending thier siesta time back in the coop, presumably to warm up, then go charging back outside to play in the icy leaves, like little kids. They know where to go to warm up, and I think they appreciate the opportunity.

True, many birds can live in sub zero temps, but if you can keep thier coop above freezing, I am sure they would thank you with an abundance of eggs.

Thier lives are not at risk at 20*, but if your peace of mind is, get a simple heat light.

Good Luck!

 

[A.J.'s]

Quote:
HOw well I know this feeling..
after the first cold night here in Tenn we had a warm day.. I used it to redo my animals houses.
I put a heating pad under the carpet in my cats house. (it is a dog carrier with the vent holes covered with duct tape.) I made two of these..two cats.
and then, I lined my dogs house with carpet. sides, ceiling and bottom and put a water bed heater under the carpet. the thermostat screwed to the house at the door.
How wonderful it was to go to bed knowing the temps were going to go down under 20 and lay there knowing my pets were warm as toast.
Next morning my dog was lying on the porch OUT of her house, upon examining her house I discovered it was tooo hot for her. I had the temp at 90 and when I put my arms inside the house the temp at the ceiling was actually hot.
So tonight the temp is set on 65 and she is lying in that house with her head hanging out and she is very comfortable I can see it in her face ..in her eyes.. she is old and her arthritis is causing her a lot of pain and I know this is a help. I just have to learn not to go overboard with the heat. ajs

 

[Momma_Cluck]

Well-- we done got hit--- you've probably seen the snowstorms in Michigan, and we are in the thick of it on the Western shoreline... temps in the 20's and windchill at zero with 25-30mph winds and 10 inches of snow....

Our "Coop" is a 12x14 insulated building with little to no drafts...and all day and last night the temps never went below 55f!
That is just with 2 red heat lamps 24hrs a day, and 2 150w Compact fluorescent bulbs on for 10 hrs a day from 8am to 6pm, since it is so overcast, cold and the girls refuse to go outside!

If they temps are bad-- all you should need is a cheap clamp-light with red heat-lamp bulb--- total about $15 at Walmart (per set) and a good industrial drop-cord from Lowes (another $15-$20) if you are not wired for electricity at the coop!

Good Luck!

 

[A.J.'s]

this is the result of my work to insure StrayDawg and me, a good nights sleep.

 

[Wildsky]

Awww how sweet!

 

[Momma_Cluck]

is that a waterbed heater-- or electric blanket?? either way--BRAVO!!!!

 

[Chick_a_dee]

Quote:
Isn't that overdoing it a bit? I live in South eastern Ontario, by the US/Ganonocque(Sp?) border. During the day for the last few weeks it has been -10 outside plus the wind, we live on a hill and our house and coop face North, which is where we get the majority of the wind (I know this because it rained one night and someone forgot to close the windows in the guest room lmfao and the rain came in with the wind, through the floor, which is just 1x6 1870s plank flooring, and into the living room below). We have a wind break on the chicken door, and open it every morning regardless of the weather, and our girls come and go as they please, we also haven't added any additional light, we get daylight from 6:30AM-5:00PM, though I am adding some extra hours of light in the evening starting on Monday. We don't heat the coop, and it is insulated with the Durofoam insulation, I believe it is 1 1/4 inches or something, they have single pane sash style shed windows, which are insulated with insulating film. They're perfectly content and happy, and at the moment the only thing I've done is put their feed bins infront of the door to keep any wind from hitting them should it be especially windy outside (coop is relatively draft free, except i still have to add the last bit of doorstop on the front door, so the wind comes through one side at the moment, but i'm dealing with that in the morning

our girls roost is in a kind of alcove created by the position of the doors, which are on one side, and they're to the other), and added 4 extra bags of shavings to their coop floor for some extra floor comfort.

What kind of birds do you have? Ours are cold hardy crosses right now, RI Red X Columbian Rocks.

What I mean by overdoing it is, we don't blanket our horses because we want them to grow a mean thick buggery coat for the winter, we feed them extra grain, and provide them with a wind break so they don't get the chill, but we don't blanket them because it's not healthy for their skin or coat to be blanketed all the time, the same with the chickens, they won't get the heat unless it's absolutely necessary, and the longer we leave them, the better their down is in order to keep warm in the chilly winter months.