Moved the girls out to the coop- need help with temperature and heating...

[ErinLeah]

So, the girls have been in a brooder coop for the last 7 weeks. I'm in Northern Colorado and the temps can fluctuate quite a bit. In the brooder room, I had a space heater and it has been gradually lowered 5 degrees every week since they were tiny. Now I am at 60 degrees and they are fully feathered, they love being outside- but some nights the temps get into the high 40's and I am afraid the temperature fluctuation is going to be bad for them. I used a ceramic bulb in a heat lamp for the last few nights (since they have been in the big coop outside) but it makes it tropical in the coop at 70 deg. I just got the cozy coop flat heater (especially for the winter) where it kicks on at 35 degrees on high setting. My coop is small at about 13 square feet. Am I being paranoid? Should I stop heating the coop all together until winter hits? Because the birds are fully feathered, shouldn't they be fine? Help!

 

[aart]

Am I being paranoid?
Should I stop heating the coop all together until winter hits?

Yes, a bit.
Yes, and probably don't even need it in winter.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Don't try and micromanage their temperatures. At 7 weeks your birds are completely fine and 40 isn't even cold for them.

 

[aart]

It's easy to worry until you've got some time under your belt.
My first winter I was freaking out a bit, despite all the info here, but then I saw just how resilient they are.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am also in northern Colorado.

I agree with what aart and rosemarythyme posted.

I do not heat in winter at all.

Pics of your coop?
Ventilation is incredibly important especially in winter. Proper venting makes heating useless.

 

[wamtazlady]

I agree with all the previous posters. The chickens do not need heat now. They will not need heat in the winter. Proper ventilation in winter is the key. I live in northern Montana. Gets down to -20 something in the winters. At that temperature the chickens are outside in their run, scratching and eating and drinking and having a good old time.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I agree with others, they are fine.
The only place I disagree is if temps dip below 5-10 degrees at night in the winter I like to supplement heat, but I know many others here do not do that and have no issues. I also have two less cold hardy birds in my flock and worry a bit about frost bite on their comb. They can recover quite will from a little frost bite on the comb, but still, I love my gals so I spoil them with a little heat.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I agree with others, they are fine.
The only place I disagree is if temps dip below 5-10 degrees at night in the winter I like to supplement heat, but I know many others here do not do that and have no issues. I also have two less cold hardy birds in my flock and worry a bit about frost bite on their comb. They can recover quite will from a little frost bite on the comb, but still, I love my gals so I spoil them with a little heat.

I cannot imagine my electric bill if I tried to keep my coop above 10° when we are getting lows of -15 here.

Vents, vents, vents they let the moist air escape instead of settling on combs. They are very necessary to get the wet out but will also let heat out if trying to heat the coop.

I have kept leghorns here with no winter issues even with those big combs.

Then there is the shock to their systems if power goes out and it suddenly goes from 10+ to -15.
Well acclimated birds do not require heat.

 

[NNYchick]

I am in Norther NY, we have been getting temps in the 30-40 since I put my bantam ameracuna chicks out in their coop just shy of 5 weeks old memorial weekend. They have done great, I was shutting the windows so there was no drafts blowing at night. I did set up a cozy coop panel too for them but they didn't use it. Keep an eye on that cozy coop heater panel mine said it turned on and off at certain temperature too but it doesn't.

 

[ErinLeah]

Thanks for the tough love all! They went into their coop on their own (they were waiting for me to put them in lol) AND I got rid of the heat!!! I think it was down in the 50's NBD. They burst out the door this morning when I opened it.
A note- I lost a 3 bird flock a few months ago due to a perfect storm when the temps dropped to 10 degrees and they locked themselves out (closed the small door) to the brooder coop heated area in their small hutch. One of my kids didn't close my sliding door all the way (like 1/2") and all 3 froze. It was really sad because they were 6 weeks old and full of personality. I got a lock for the brooder room door, a Bluetooth thermometer, and removed the brooder door. YOu live you learn, just wish I didn't have to learn that way. So, that's why I lose sleep over the temperature of the coop!!!
21 Hens- do your birds lay in the winter if you don't heat the coop?