Quote:
You'll have lots of fun and great information to be found here!!
You'll have lots of fun and great information to be found here!!
New Hampshire!
- Thread starter cbeth95
- Start date
Quote:
Hello!
We are neighbors, I'm in Raymond. Don't have chicks yet either, patiently waiting until they come in 39 days but who's counting right!?
Hello!
Im from Weare, NH
Hey all less than a week til we get our chicks!! Very excited, but nervous too--thinking of all the things I will have to do once they are here. I know warm weather will eventually get here but I was wondering how everyone keeps their chickens warm in the winter? Do you insulate the coop, use heat lamps, other things? With our coop nearly done just wondering how it will keep them from freezing when the temps drop below zero next winter. Thanks.
Hi
We're in Westmoreland, NH ... 17 chicks growing fast !!
Going to outgrow the brooder yikes !!
2 barnyard mixups .. test hatch from a neighbors eggs.
4 Barred Rocks
4 Buff Orpingtons
2 Black Sex-links
2 Silver Laced Wyandottes
3 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes
Chicken coop is almost ready ... but when is spring going to arrive ??? 36 degrees here today .. Brrrrrr !!!
Going to outgrow the brooder yikes !!
2 barnyard mixups .. test hatch from a neighbors eggs.
4 Barred Rocks
4 Buff Orpingtons
2 Black Sex-links
2 Silver Laced Wyandottes
3 Blue Laced Red Wyandottes
Chicken coop is almost ready ... but when is spring going to arrive ??? 36 degrees here today .. Brrrrrr !!!
Last edited:
Quote:
Chickens have down coats on and as long as they have a cozy coop to get out of the wind and a door that you shut at night they are just fine. There are more issues and complications with heating them than with not. I insulate the roof of my coop because it keeps the temp inside more stable in the summer. I actually found that it gets too hot when not insulated. I also think that it helps some in the winter. Be sure to have lots of ventillation to avois frostbite. The roost should also be wide enough for them to have their feet almost flat. If they have to wrap their toes around a stick they cannot protect them in the winter and they could freeze. They like to sit on them and keep them warm at night
Hope this helps and post some pics
Chickens have down coats on and as long as they have a cozy coop to get out of the wind and a door that you shut at night they are just fine. There are more issues and complications with heating them than with not. I insulate the roof of my coop because it keeps the temp inside more stable in the summer. I actually found that it gets too hot when not insulated. I also think that it helps some in the winter. Be sure to have lots of ventillation to avois frostbite. The roost should also be wide enough for them to have their feet almost flat. If they have to wrap their toes around a stick they cannot protect them in the winter and they could freeze. They like to sit on them and keep them warm at night
Hope this helps and post some pics
This is the best advice and more accurate then anyone has ever given.Good work Nottingham.
In N.H.,Tony.
Quote:
Chickens have down coats on and as long as they have a cozy coop to get out of the wind and a door that you shut at night they are just fine. There are more issues and complications with heating them than with not. I insulate the roof of my coop because it keeps the temp inside more stable in the summer. I actually found that it gets too hot when not insulated. I also think that it helps some in the winter. Be sure to have lots of ventillation to avois frostbite. The roost should also be wide enough for them to have their feet almost flat. If they have to wrap their toes around a stick they cannot protect them in the winter and they could freeze. They like to sit on them and keep them warm at night
Hope this helps and post some pics
In N.H.,Tony.
Quote:
Chickens have down coats on and as long as they have a cozy coop to get out of the wind and a door that you shut at night they are just fine. There are more issues and complications with heating them than with not. I insulate the roof of my coop because it keeps the temp inside more stable in the summer. I actually found that it gets too hot when not insulated. I also think that it helps some in the winter. Be sure to have lots of ventillation to avois frostbite. The roost should also be wide enough for them to have their feet almost flat. If they have to wrap their toes around a stick they cannot protect them in the winter and they could freeze. They like to sit on them and keep them warm at night
Hope this helps and post some pics
I will post some pics soon. The coop is nearly done. Got the nest boxes attached today, even though won't need them for quite some time. I figured I could put a light in there to keep them laying during the winter and that the light would give off some heat too. Worried about "drafts" at the top of my coop ( I have a slant roof) there is a 1 inch gap between the roof and the siding. I thought it would be good ventilation but in the winter should I stuff it with insulation? I have 2 windows: 12x12 inch on the west side and 24x48 on the south side. Also used 2x4 for the roosts so they can keep their feet covered. Thanks for the advice!!
Quote:
During the winter ventilation is extremely important, even more than heat and lighting. You want to maintain ample ventilation all year long, without creating a draft. Vents that are up high, above their roost are good. Chickens give off a lot of moisture by breathing, and from their droppings. If that moisture is allowed to raise the humidity level inside the coop it could form condensation. The dampness will make the chickens feel colder, and could lead to frostbite.
Opinions on providing heat vary. We use LED lighting to avoid adding heat. We have 6 chickens in a 4 ft X 6 ft X 4 ft insulated coop. This was our first winter with chickens and we were shocked at how hardy chickens are. They seemed completely oblivious to the cold, they just didn't like the snow. Their run is covered and they spent lots of time in it every day. At night we would close the pop door to prevent drafts. Their own body heat reliably kept the coop 10 - 15 degrees above the outside temps.
If you haven't seen the page from PatAndChickens, it's a must read. https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION
During the winter ventilation is extremely important, even more than heat and lighting. You want to maintain ample ventilation all year long, without creating a draft. Vents that are up high, above their roost are good. Chickens give off a lot of moisture by breathing, and from their droppings. If that moisture is allowed to raise the humidity level inside the coop it could form condensation. The dampness will make the chickens feel colder, and could lead to frostbite.
Opinions on providing heat vary. We use LED lighting to avoid adding heat. We have 6 chickens in a 4 ft X 6 ft X 4 ft insulated coop. This was our first winter with chickens and we were shocked at how hardy chickens are. They seemed completely oblivious to the cold, they just didn't like the snow. Their run is covered and they spent lots of time in it every day. At night we would close the pop door to prevent drafts. Their own body heat reliably kept the coop 10 - 15 degrees above the outside temps.
If you haven't seen the page from PatAndChickens, it's a must read. https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest threads
-
Raising one abandoned baby quail to release it… Have questions!
- Started by LizW
- Replies: 0
-
-
-
-
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
-
How intense is your pecking order?- Started by thecatumbrella
- Replies: 97
-
I know I’m probably going to upset some ppl, but I’m genuinely confused..- Started by z3lda3
- Replies: 91
-
-
No tails and some bald backs and other spots.
- Started by Hannah J
- Replies: 67
-
