New to raising poultry and this forum!

[Jener8or]

I don't have any fans or run anything electrical in my coop and we get well into the negatives. With enough ventilation (not direct drafts) they will be fine.

Thanks for joining and welcome to BackYard Chickens!

 

[Squawkers]

That's another thing we're trying to figure out..... ventilation without drafts. I did buy a 6" solar vent fan to install but my husband is concerned about the cold air getting in through the vent, even though it has a backflow valve. Is this a good investment? Where do we install the fan? Near the floor of the coop or near the roof? Our coop is approx 12'x20'... Is one fan enough?

I think you’re fine. The key to good ventilation without drafts is just making sure the vents are above the chickens. You just don’t want that cold air blowing right on them. I would cover any vents at the chickens level or below (if there are vents above and below the cross breeze will get the chickens) and make sure there is plenty above.

 

[Mrs Sandman2]

Thank you for your replies!

 

[N F C]

Great advice from the previous greeters especially about ditching the heat lamps (they are a common cause of coop fires). Chickens are pretty will designed to handle the cold given the proper amount of ventilation.

This is an excellent article of housing poultry in winter:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ing-and-care.72010/?page=3#ams-comment-523426

Best wishes!

 

[Mrs Sandman2]

Thank you! I'm going to make my husband read it too.....he still thinks 38* F in the coop is way too cold. We're also trying to keep the water in their double walled galvanized waterers from freezing

 

[Squawkers]

Thank you! I'm going to make my husband read it too.....he still thinks 38* F in the coop is way too cold. We're also trying to keep the water in their double walled galvanized waterers from freezing

38 is nothing to worry about at all, as long as its dry. If you have access to power in the coop you can get a water heater. I just use an open trough and break the ice a few times a day.

 

[N F C]

Thank you! I'm going to make my husband read it too.....he still thinks 38* F in the coop is way too cold. We're also trying to keep the water in their double walled galvanized waterers from freezing

I have used a heated dog water bowl and that works well, it turns on and off based on the exterior temps. You might need more than one for a flock your size, but they are easy enough to come by at a farm store like TSC or online.

 

[Eroica]

Glad to have you here!

 

[Nomadicus]

Hello and Welcome to BYC. Glad to have you here with us in this fun and poultry loving community.

 

[DobieLover]

.he still thinks 38* F in the coop is way too cold.

38° is very comfortable to a chicken. That's pretty comfortable for me for that matter! He's thinking like a human acclimated to the south. Birds are not humans.
My flock has experienced temperatures as low as -23 in a coop with absolutely no insulation or supplemental heat. They did absolutely fine.