One hen, a 4'x2'x'2 coop and 20 degree weather... Will she be alright?

[Luclin999]

Well I decided to go with an unconventional approach and bought a 1.5 qt crock pot from Target to use as a kind of space heater for the coop.

The idea is to fill it full of river rocks, set it to "low" and place it behind her nesting box.

If she gets really cold hopefully she will try to sleep in the box which should get a little heat from the crock pot and even if she doesn't the ambient heat generated by the pot running on low (or about 60 watts) should help keep the overall temp in the coop up at least a few degrees.

 

[chookchick]

Quote:
I think this is the best idea...very safe. Be careful whatever method you decide to heat with--a small coop like that can heat up really quick and too much would not be good for her. I would put in a thermometer that you can read from the outside to keep and eye on things. And make sure she has ventilation at the top. I had a small quarantine coop that was the exact size--I bet even one chicken would heat it up a bit. You could also wrap insulation batts around the outside temporarily.

 

[Luclin999]

The coop is designed to let air out up near the top (it gets hot in Houston in the Summer) but right now I have those openings covered with a thick plastic tarp. Not sealed tight but enough to stop the wind from blasting into the coop.

I bought a remote read thermometer as well that I'll be putting in the coop tomorrow so I can monitor just what the temp inside looks like.

I do know from the fact that the water in the coop froze a few weeks ago (with an overnight low of 28) that her being alone inside the coop won't bring up the temp very much at all on it's own.

 

[Luclin999]

Well, the little crock pot full of rocks worked reasonably well.

It kept the temp inside of the coop up about 12-13 degrees higher than it would have otherwise been so that when the temp outside was 19 it was 32 in with Holiday.

Not bad for an eleven dollar purchase from target.

 

[MiniBeesKnees]

I think you came up with a rather splendid solution...will not add to the humidity, and is safe and cheap.

Anyone considering a similar approach can check the Goodwill type stores for old crock pots...often they are available when the liner has been broken, or the top.
If you fill it with rocks it would not even matter if there was a liner. An old electric frying pan may work too. It may have to have the legs removed, and be set on a cement block(s) in some manner that it would not slide off.

 

[Bob333]

Luclin999 wrote, "This is the first time we have had "cold" weather here in Houston which will be staying below freezing for more than 24 hours and I am concerned for her."

Your hen will be fine. Company (another hen) would be good for her, but as long as she is dry and out of the wind she will be fine when temps drop below freezing. I live in a place where the temp is well below freezing for 20 weeks out of the year and the chickens not only live through it, they thrive. People stack straw around the coop, pile snow against the straw and hang a light over the water pan. The hens keep laying through the winter, although at a reduced rate with the short daylength, which tells me they are healthy and content.

 

[rosco]

don't worry about it. food, water and a place to hide from the wind. my chickens are happy out in 0F weather. i guess they have the oiled down jackets.

you won't have any worries in houston cold. birds are flocking animals. another bird or two would help.

you could spend hundreds or thousands trying to make it human comfortable for them though. they'd probably not know to appreciate it. natural is best.

it is funny the chicken just walked into your yard.

 

[2txmedics]

Houston area here, Hello Lucin....I have four coops and I also struggled with my flocks...my Main flock was ok...as it has a nice little coop we built out of left over privacy fence after hurricane Ike....lol....but my others, I was worried....you can click on my link at the bottom to show my Main coop out of left over Hurricane Material....and here is what I did for my others, which are 4-5mos old.

my mini coops, as you can see are attached to the back of my main coop and are very open, I was worried about the freeze here in the Houston area, and Im not a carpenter and DH was away on a 2day shift...so this is what I did to keep my babies warm,with a bunch of Hay as hay retains heat, thats why you dont use it in summer, not to mention parasites that get into the hollow hay pieces and spread.