No heat in the coop and dead bird

[Altfrizzle]

Ok, I’ll open up some of the other vents more (remove some of the plastic over them).

I was considering a ceramic heat emitter lamp (for reptile cages). It won’t heat the coop. It will create a warm spot, though.

This cock was roosting between other birds last night. It looked like he died and fell off. Flat cold dead under the roost.

 

[Altfrizzle]

My modified Salt Box coop has one wall and roof of greenhouse roof panels, for passive solar heat.

The run is covered, top and sides (but not completely; open in a 3x4 section on one side and the upper 2’ on the other side) with plastic for wind break.

 

[NNYchick]

Grr, I’m so frustrated with this winter coop. I brought my silkies in the garage because they were feathers were matted on top with frost and the water wouldn’t stay thawed. I have 8 Silkies in this 8’ wide x 16’ long ceiling is 6’ slopes to 5’.

I have plastic up on all of it except the area above the door about 3’x2’ and directly across from it a little smaller. I’ve been told it’s too much ventilation I’m letting too much humid air in. In the spring I’m modifying with an add on to the east end a small enclosed insulated area just for laying and night. But what can I do in the meantime, I want to get them back out but afraid they will die. I’m in northern ny temperatures been -20F. I Put a heat lamp up over the area where the water is but not sure if being 4’ above it will help much and frankly I’m afraid to use it.

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

2 5" round holes is less than one square foot of ventilation. 1 square foot per bird is the minimum recommendation. You need to open up that coop, just make sure no drafts directly where they roost which may be a challenge in those tiny coops.

Good luck

Gary

Exactly. If you think you have enough you probably need more ventilation. It’s not the heat it’s the humidity. What might be adequate at 20 degrees may not even be close to adequate at -20. The lower the temp the greater the effect of humidity - it is magnified by the lower temps.

 

[WhatAboutBob?]

Grr, I’m so frustrated with this winter coop. I brought my silkies in the garage because they were feathers were matted on top with frost and the water wouldn’t stay thawed. I have 8 Silkies in this 8’ wide x 16’ long ceiling is 6’ slopes to 5’.
View attachment 1223606
I have plastic up on all of it except the area above the door about 3’x2’ and directly across from it a little smaller. I’ve been told it’s too much ventilation I’m letting too much humid air in. In the spring I’m modifying with an add on to the east end a small enclosed insulated area just for laying and night. But what can I do in the meantime, I want to get them back out but afraid they will die. I’m in northern ny temperatures been -20F. I Put a heat lamp up over the area where the water is but not sure if being 4’ above it will help much and frankly I’m afraid to use it.

You likely have not enough ventilation. Put up just enough plastic on 2 of the walls to stop drafts, and leave rest exposed IMO. Take a look at my barn coop. 1 wall is total screen, a 2nd wall is 50% screen, the back wall is ventilated with open eaves across the entire wall covered in hardware cloth. No plastic. Only one wall is completely sealed except for the pop door. No plastic and my birds are fine. We had -22 degrees F 2 nights ago without heat and no ill effects. It did freeze my heated waterer, but the chickens were fine and dandy....

 

[Trishkabob]

Well, it’s clear that, at these temp.s (15 below) we do not have enough ventilation especially since we just went from 4 to 8 in the henhouse. It’s so bloody cold we will have trouble being out there sawing away chunks of wall and I, too, am concerned about immediate issues of frostbite so, against our better judgment, we brought them all in tonight, to a workspace that is too warm-above 40-but they refused to walk to the coop tonight. First time that has ever happened. They just huddled together on our porch and it got dark and they would not budge.
We’re hoping they won’t be too shocked tomorrow going back out.

My question about an open wall is about snow. If we did that, the henhouse would fill with snow which creates frozen litter and thaws (some day) and creates more moisture. Even if it isn’t actively snowing, it blows like crazy...so how does that add up to what I’ve always thought was hard to achieve: “plenty of ventilation, no draft?”
Do you clean the henhouse out every day, removing all snow?

 

[nminusyplusm]

Well, it’s clear that, at these temp.s (15 below) we do not have enough ventilation especially since we just went from 4 to 8 in the henhouse. It’s so bloody cold we will have trouble being out there sawing away chunks of wall and I, too, am concerned about immediate issues of frostbite so, against our better judgment, we brought them all in tonight, to a workspace that is too warm-above 40-but they refused to walk to the coop tonight. First time that has ever happened. They just huddled together on our porch and it got dark and they would not budge.
We’re hoping they won’t be too shocked tomorrow going back out.

My question about an open wall is about snow. If we did that, the henhouse would fill with snow which creates frozen litter and thaws (some day) and creates more moisture. Even if it isn’t actively snowing, it blows like crazy...so how does that add up to what I’ve always thought was hard to achieve: “plenty of ventilation, no draft?”
Do you clean the henhouse out every day, removing all snow?

Can you post pics of your coop?

 

[BantyChooks]

Other than cock birds or Mediterranean class birds with large combs you should not be seeing frostbite on your birds. If you do it's a sign that your coop is too humid- not vented adequately. Cut holes/open up your eaves to allow fresh air to come in low roof line to exit the high end of slant roof line. If a pitched roof then holes each gable end too. This cold dry air will push the humid air and ammonia in coop out. Well ventilated and dry is the key for livestock housing.

Might be true for southern locations, but not in sustained -20F or colder weather. Exposed flesh is exposed flesh.

ETA: somehow I read that as "only Mediterranean class cock birds". Apologies, I seem to be going blind. I retract the above statement.

To the OP: I lost two cockerels yesterday to the weather. Sustained temperatures below 0 are hard on the birds and losing some is not uncommon. I would consider heat.

To be fair, both of the birds that died had other knocks against their survival that unfortunately I did not see as serious until it was too late. One was from non-cold-hardy genetics and a bantam; the other had just recently gotten better from being under the weather. No pun intended.

 

[BantyChooks]

This is personal experience, so take this with a grain of salt, but I have found if you take them indoors for a short while it rather re-sets their 'clock' and they are comfortable again in below 0 weather. Just a few hours perks the birds up immensely & I think really helps in this draggy cold spell.

I don't heat my main coop because I need tough breeder stock, but I do this for the pet bantams.

 

[Trishkabob]

it’s dark now and I don’t have good pic.s but will do tomorrow. It’s about 4’x8’, sloped roof about 4 1/2’ on high side. Vents are along both long sides, so about 8’x 4” or so which the problem, right? With 4 it was ok, but with 8 plus this severe cold, not so much. The vents are on the E and W sides. We could add some on the upper parts of the N and S or put more on the 2 sides that have it now. Prevailing winds seem to come out of the W/NW. We have a protective line of evergreens along the W side.
We also have 2 doors (on S and N) with smaller one on S side but they’re both low obviously. Bad idea to leave the smaller one open? (this is where the draft vs. ventilation comes in)