No supplemental heat in CO?

[Linn Bee]

Quote:
My first experience with chickens - some 25 years ago - was in part of a drafty storage shed. No windows and lots of holes in the walls, we covered the wire fencing with plastic and covered most of the window space with plastic. They did just fine until the temps got to nearly -30 degrees (F). Then I got a few chickens with a touch of frostbite on their combs - no feet. Most of the birds were fine.

I'm not going to worry about whether I should add heat to the coop or not. I won't. This coop is far better insulated and much smaller in size as befits my smaller numbers. No need to do more than keep the water from freezing.

I would fear starting a heating program and having a power outage far more than deep-cold temperatures. I have problems keeping the house warm and I am used to warm. No way I could keep heat for the chickens going so I'm not going to get them used to warm.

Love, Linn B (aka Smart Red) Gardening zone 5a - 4b in south-est, central-est Wisconsin

 

[flowergirl60]

Wow those are some cold temps. And I was worrying about my girls b/c we got down to 33 the other night. Right now it's 40 and they come out of the coop, peck around and go right back in.

I don't heat my coop either. Man....are my girls wusses.

 

[annep]

I'm in Colorado Springs, and we dont heat them..right now, any snow that did fall is gone, and they are sitting in the 1degree weather, sunning...I just keep making sure their water is not frozen...have had to thaw it twice today already, along with our rabbits waters too..

 

[hensandchickscolorado]

@sarahking, I am in Denver too! Well, Englewood actually.

My 3 girls are in the coop with the pop door open (secure run) and no heat. They did great last night and I'm hoping for the same tonight. I think you'll be fine!

I just met another Denver chicken friend last night...we might need to start a little group

.

 

[J&J's Girls]

We live in Alb NM and the temp here now is about 8f outside and 26 in the coop. No light or heat. I am totally comfortable with that temp. It was in the teens all day and they were not as active as usual but were content to stay in the dry part of the run and scratch around most the day! If the girls can keep it that much warm in there (10 to 12 deg warmer) than outside I'm stoked.

 

[Feather_wrangler]

No heat for our 10 cluckers here in NE CO either. The last two days it has been 20ish during the day and 0 or below at night. Our 12'x9' coop is divided into 3 sections by half walls. Nesting area, roosting area (center) and feed storage. The floor is concrete with a foot and a half of hay. Food and water stay inside where my fair weather friends usually can be found. Only problem is keeping water thawed and collecting eggs before they freeze. Wish I could train them to all lay at one time. Lost 3 eggs last night, that they had to have laid between the time I closed them in at dusk and opened them up dawn. One in a nest and one under the roost and one by the treat pan.

 

[OwensMom]

I've raised various kinds of livestock from the Front Range to the Western Slope of CO. I've never used heat for my chickens and never had a problem. On the front Range my chickens lived in a drafty old horse barn and thrived. Here on the Western Slope, my girls have a nice tight new coop. I'm worried that the coop is too air tight with not enough ventilation. They did fine last winter here and they wll be fine this winter with no heat. I feed really well in winter so they can keep generating their own heat.

 

[Tracydr]

I used to live 20miles north of Wellington, CO on the East side of I-25, so right out on the plains where the wind would rip and much, much colder than where I grew up in Longmont. I had chickens and peafowl. I had a rickety little shed for the chickens, kept s few ducks in there, too. The peafowl free ranged and went where they wanted, which was usually outside of the big, open horse barn.
No heat in the coop or barn ever and I never lost a bird or even had frostbite, although I didn't keep anything highly susceptible to cold like Seramas or Silkies.
If you have a bird with a large comb, you may want to protect with Vaseline.
I always kept the coop pop door open and they had vents along the roof, underneath the eaves, so there wasn't any problem with moisture buildup. No insulation, just a small, cheap shed like the kind you get at HOme Depot made out of wood and raised up on a pallet.
The first year I had the chickens up there ( not my first year ever but first year in that location),we had record cold, -28 actual temp and nearly -100 windchills. I clearly remember that storm because I was stuck on the interstate in my old Subaru with a frozen gasoline line in the middle of nowhere and no cell phone, thought for sure I would freeze to death.
I was working as a Missile Launch Officer at FE Warren AFB and we would have to drive over 100 miles to each missile site. All the semi trucks had pulled over at the truck stops in Cheyenne and shutdown, not due to road conditions but because it was so cold their trucks weren't running. It was the only time I'd ever seen that.
Anyway, my chickens did fine and I've never worried about them getting too cold since. When people here in Phoenix put heat lamps on them I just have to laugh.

 

[ednasgirl]

This is my first winter with chickens. We built them a 10x12 covered henhouse, wired so that predators cannot get in. We have 10 chicks, 4 nests and a perch. They always perch and when it is cold like tonight (28deg) they just perch a little closer together. I was wondering if I needed to add heat, but decided against it. I wait until noon everyday to let them out to free range and they seem completely happy and comfortable. They return to the nests during the day to lay and come in before dark. They seem to be healthy and happy.

 

[mom22alcorns]

This is also my first winter with chickens. Mine are 16 weeks old. They are in a 4x5 coop inside a secure run. The coop has one sliding window and no door at all. Basically it is a wooden playhouse without a door. No insulation either. But there is nearly 8 inches of shavings on the floor and they have a heat source under their outdoor waterer. 3 sides of the run have straw bales for wind blocking and the last 2/3rds of the run roof is covered by a thick tarp that is tied down all the way around. It has been averaging the mid teens at night and we are lucky to hit 25 during the day. So far, they seem fine and are out in the run every morning excited to see me. Will this arrangement work when the temps get to zero and below? Right now I can't afford a door, but could maybe prop something over it to close them in. I adore my birds and want to do what's best for them, not just what I think they want. Thanks for any help!