Official BYC Poll: How do you keep your flock warm in the winter?

[BigBlueHen53]

Chickens are birds. We provide a safe, dry, ventilated coop, free food, water, oyster shell and grit. Basically they are getting free housing, food stamps, social security and Medicare, and nature provides them their nice warm down coat and blanket; what more do they need?

 

[RoosterWhisperer]

Chickens are birds. We provide a safe, dry, ventilated coop, free food, water, oyster shell and grit. Basically they are getting free housing, food stamps, social security and Medicare, and nature provides them their nice warm down coat and blanket; what more do they need?

Perfectly said Bigblue!
My hens all crowd together and have lights on at night, but my one scardey cat roo, (he's a big boy) hides in a nest box.
You sound like a great chook parent!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Perfectly said Bigblue!
My hens all crowd together and have lights on at night, but my one scardey cat roo, (he's a big boy) hides in a nest box.
You sound like a great chook parent!

Thanks, RW. We think because we bring them into our space, they become "like" us: frail, helpless, fragile, a thing to be babied and sheltered. No! Nature provides for them. We have to provide food, water, etc., only because we take them OUT of nature and confine them so they can't forage naturally, but they are still essentially what they are: a wild, natural part of nature. We need to understand and respect that.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I know... I don't have the heart to send mine away, much less E.A.T them.

I'm the same way... Unfortunatly I don't have space for more than one roo, and these two others were bought as pullets. As soon as we got them we could tell that they were roosters. But the lady insisted they were girls and wouldn't trade them. It broke my heart when I had to rehome a few other roosters a few months ago because 7/8 of my original chicks were roosters. I really hope I won't have to resort to culling, but it's a hard world out there for roosters.

 

[PetitePlume]

I put a blue jug of hot water in a cardboard box when the t° is around -40° outside. And I bank the coop. The coldest so far was -13°C inside.
I live off grid in the North (central Yukon)

 

[Wolfie2]

We very seldom see freezing temps and the coldest I have ever seen in the 46 yrs I've been here was 18 degrees. And only a few in that time frame <30. The girls can handle that!

 

[TJE]

Lots of ventilation. Deep liter method. It has been 15 degrees here the past few nights and the girls are doing great. In my outside run I have temporarily put up 18" high boards around the bottom to protect from icy wind drafts so they can spend more time outside. If it gets below zero I may add a red light for warmth.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I don’t really worry until temps dip below 10* F. I know a lot of folks say even below 10 is fine for the birds, but I’m a big softy. In the past I turn on a heat lamp. I’m considering a radiant heating pad or maybe a seed starting mat mounted to the wall this winter. I am almost finished building an enormous new coop we did opt to insulate the coop. Just from my own perspective, the insulation radically decreased the drafty feeling of the coop. The rafters are open but covered in soffit providing roughly 40sq foot of ventilation. The roof is sloped so highest point is 10’ and lowest is 8’. I also know some may say insulation in a well ventilated coop is a moot point, but I still feel it made a difference. The roof is technically insulated too as it has a 1/8” foam board moisture barrier between the metal roof and the rafters.

 

[BDutch]

This thread would be really helpful if people say how cold it gets where they live. IMO.

Chickens are birds. We provide a safe, dry, ventilated coop, free food, water, oyster shell and grit. Basically they are getting free housing, food stamps, social security and Medicare, and nature provides them their nice warm down coat and blanket; what more do they need?

Where i live it doesn’t get colder as -10 C in winter (max -15 C) and my flock doesn't need any extra warmth or an insulated coop.
Insulation would be a hazard in summer because if any red mites get in the coop it would be impossible to get them out again.

 

[Duckee]

I have a suggestion for the predators- I use wildlife netting over the chicken wire. Make sure you have a couple of feet laying on the ground also around the coop and run. I put long planters on top of 2 x 4's to keep the critters from peeling up the netting and getting under it. Once you get your shoe tread in the netting you will undstand why it works so well while muttering a few expletives.
I have and 8 x 8 shed for my flock and a wildlife netted run for them. No break-ins in 8 years since I made it.
Goodluck.

Is this what you use?

Will you share a picture of your run please?