No electric and want heat

[Chickie_Momma_91]

I have no experience with cold temperatures, sorry. Neither am I convinced that single digitsare at all concerning - but the birds I have experience with are a more "practical" sort - Brahma, RSL, Wyandotte, CX, and barnyard mixes of same.

Yeah my “practical” coop I’m not to worried about. They’re big girls and they’ll be fine. My fancies in the smaller coop are my concern.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yeah my “practical” coop I’m not to worried about. They’re big girls and they’ll be fine. My fancies in the smaller coop are my concern.

and that's why I responded with "I don't know". Before I had coffee. Its not an answer I like to put in print.

Hope you find the answer you need.

If you have to get all primative, heat a large thermal mass, and let it radiate warmth all evening. Labor intensive and time consuming, but it helped get humans thru our first couple thousand years. "hot rocks"

 

[aart]

Neither am I convinced that single digitsare at all concerning

Right, because......

I have no experience with cold temperatures.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Right, because......

Poor choice of wording on my part. Thank you for bringing a smile. I do have the experience of others to offer, just hesitant because Seramas....

Good morning Aart, you've got this one??

 

[aart]

Good morning Aart, you've got this one??

Nope, I know nothing about seramas, so I didn't respond.
I do know single digit temps tho and keep a close eye on my standard sized birds in those temps.

 

[Chickie_Momma_91]

and that's why I responded with "I don't know". Before I had coffee. Its not an answer I like to put in print.

Hope you find the answer you need.

If you have to get all primative, heat a large thermal mass, and let it radiate warmth all evening. Labor intensive and time consuming, but it helped get humans thru our first couple thousand years. "hot rocks"

So I think the pop can solar heater will work if I can also keep hot rocks or something to hold the heat the solar can heater pumps in during the day. I don’t need it super warm, just not freezing. Any ideas of what would best for my thermal mass?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

So I think the pop can solar heater will work if I can also keep hot rocks or something to hold the heat the solar can heater pumps in during the day. I don’t need it super warm, just not freezing. Any ideas of what would best for my thermal mass?

Historically, rock. Concrete or brick (artificial rock). Water.

Not familiar with the pop can solar heater, sorry. Will have to look into it before I might have something useful to contribute.

 

[Chickie_Momma_91]

Historically, rock. Concrete or brick (artificial rock). Water.

Not familiar with the pop can solar heater, sorry. Will have to look into it before I might have something useful to contribute.

I wonder if I do like a coffee can of lava rock or similar. Tbh this coop will need help come next spring as it isn’t the best and I’m worried about added weight knocking the bottom through. I’ve been working on my deep litter and I know that’ll add weight to the floor. I’ve tried getting help in some FB groups but it’s like ppl see you talking about trying to keep coop temps up and lose their mind going into this attack on don’t heat. Like they just assume you mean a heating panel and keeping it 90°, even when you specify. They don’t bother reading the post. No y’all, I just want to lock in as much heat as I can and try to keep night temps closer to day temps.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

the lava rock I'm familiar with (the stuff used in grills, etc) is relatively light and airy, very porous, low density. That's not what you want. You want something dense that can hold a lot of thermal energy then radiate it back out over the course of the evening - like when people used to heat rocks around the fire, then bury them under a thin layer of sand and sleep on top of them as protection from the cold.

 

[WonkierZulu]

If you are worried I would just run an extension cord and buying a chicken safe heater. They do have mr buddy heaters that run off propane some are safe for indoors. But you then run into problems might have to build a box around it so it doesn't get knocked over. If these a permanent areas and you own your property and aren't renting. I personally would just bury some electrical cord with pvc conduit and make a glorified extension cord. Basically that's what I did with mine.