Only 4 birds in the coop

[CathleenHM]

I have 4 chickens in a small coop at home 75"x53" 51" High.( they are free range during the day) Is it more harmful or helpful to put a heat light on at night? It has already gone to 9 degrees & its November. The coop is dry and not drafty.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Somewhat depends on the breed but for most breeds, they don't need heat of any kind. Dry, well ventilated coop is key.
What breed are they?
Several downsides to heat.
1. They don't need it.
2. Heating with electric is expensive.
3. Heating with light doesn't give them the dark period they need.
4. They don't need it.
5. Heating at night and sending them out into a cold wind in the morning is very stressful. They need to acclimate.
6. What happens if you have a power outage and they weren't allowed to acclimate-BRR!!!
7. They don't need it.
8. Possible fire hazard.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Canoe, I wish you'd tell us what you really think.


As long as the coop is dry, a breeze is not hitting them, and there is adequate ventilation, they don't need additional heat.

 

[donrae]

That small an area, their body heat will be enough to warm them nicely. As long as they're dry and out of the wind, they're usually fine. You don't have a location listed, but if you're in the majority of the US and have dual purpose type birds, they're hard enough to winter well.

 

[tcstoehr]

I pretty much agree with the above answers. But then again, I don't know where you live or how cold you expect it to get this winter.