Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[Beekissed]

Quote:
You must be very blessed indeed! I've had chickens for almost 40 yrs now and I don't know all about them even yet. Still learning!

 

[chicken04]

Yeah there very confusing creatures but yet so LOVABLE!!!!!!

 

[Goronson Chicks]

Hi Lori
We bought the Cozy Legs flat panel heater that mounts to a wall. It was recommended by the Chicken Chick as being safe and not a fire hazard like some of the lights that are heaters. I suppose you do have to be careful where you mount it, just like anything else - and we were. After work tomorrow I will take pictures and try to send them to this post. We were so pleased with it that we bought another one through Amazon for the new coop.
Thank you
Maureen

 

[PHmaddnes]

So spring/instant summer has finally come to MA. The greenhouse worked phenomenally! It held up to the 115" of snow we had in Jan-Feb. and for the most part we were able to maintain the temperature above freezing inside without noticeable addition to the electric bill.

We have moved the chickens out to their flight pen now and I'm looking for ideas on what I should grow in the greenhouse for the summer. I'm not sure what will do well and/or what would do too well and overwhelm the small 6x8 greenhouse.

Any and all suggestions are appreciated.

Thx, PH


.

 

[farmer0308]

Well i using heat lamps is a good idea but possible fire i use heated water buckets straw and pine shavings this year im going to insulate the coop so that it traps the heat because the is a few cracks in the wood

 

[coop410silkies]

It was a long winter and here it is August again, and I am reviewing what I did last year, what worked and what didn't. Am so glad this thread has continued as so much of the help shared here has been so useful.

In a nutshell, the winter here was colder (extended periods of subzero temps) than years in the past - with only moderate snow - and the wind was sometime ferocious. The small open end hoop structures, with huge deck boxes for overnight shelter, we're just barely adequate, but much better than nothing. The cinder block heated 5 gallon water buckets worked well, but for all the work they were to set up, my birds much preferred to eat snow. The bucket feeders with 3" elbows worked fine for the chickens - and for all the mice, too. (I can fix that)

The tarp and 1/2" electrical PVC held up fine, even with heavy birds hopping around on them. Two major problems with these, however: 1) they were only 4' feet high, and my back will never forgive me all the bending over I had to do to fill all the feed and water buckets, and 2) because they were open ended, (I think), the chickens were over exposed on really cold days and got bad frostbite on their (rooster) combs. The enclosures they sheltered in overnight were too small to be cooped up in, and I believe they were frost bitten while out running around in the cold during the day. Also, I often cracked the lid open a bit, and melting snow may have dampened their housing a bit.

So this summer I am working on larger (10 x 12 x 7' high) hoop coops that are both enclosed and a snap to construct. They will be big enough to house the overnight huddle boxes, and also to have some decent roost space. Many of last year's woes will be solved with these.

Here is my question, (and it's very possible it may already have been asked and answered in this thread): I have never been a fan for heating coops in the winter - I know birds can be VERY hardy to cold - but I am returning to the idea of using gravity feed water drinkers. I've used large heated rain barrels to good effect, and I've used the light bulb heated horizontal nipple 5 gal water buckets with no problems, but now I'm thinking it would be better to heat the coops just enough to keep the water from freezing. Am thinking to use a Thermocube with a wall panel radiant heater. Gravity feed drinkers will freeze solid in subzero temps, no matter how much I insulate them. So, given the high potential for subzero temps in winter, what wattages might I need to keep my drinkers above freezing? Given a cubic foot space of around 700 to 1200? Taking into account a chicken population of 10 - 15?

I think the panels might be safer than the cinder blocks, especially if I build protection from the chickens around them (hardware cloth?). What do those of you who've had experience with these panels have to say? Is 400 watts OK, or should I get a 600 watt panel for something this size and temperature?

Many thanks to all of you who help out on this thread. Laurie in Berthoud

 

[CanaDawn]

I think the panels might be safer than the cinder blocks, especially if I build protection from the chickens around them (hardware cloth?). What do those of you who've had experience with these panels have to say? Is 400 watts OK, or should I get a 600 watt panel for something this size and temperature?

Many thanks to all of you who help out on this thread. Laurie in Berthoud

I'm in Alberta, Canada, where we know cold.....and I'm not totally sure re the cubic footage, but in my opinion, 400 watts will do nothing at all to heat such an open area (based on how much heat a 1500 watt room heater gives - just helps take off the chill in a centrally heated house)

My other comment is that heat rises, so while you may save your back, which is valid to consider, you may find it harder to heat a taller space.

I get lost in the "subzero" because here that's anything below freezing (of water), and in F that's -18C, so knowing what temperature range you mean would help me know if I have any suggestions (you talk about melting snow, so I'm confused). At 0C I wouldn't heat, and lightbulbs would work to heat waterers up enough to work. At -18C I did heat, but often didn't if it got to above about -10C during the day (I have tiny Seramas) and I gave up on trying to have unfrozen water and just had two sets of waterers that I swapped out twice a day. We get down to -40C/F every winter, and hover around -15C most of the winter.

Were your hoops made with the PVC and tarps you mention? And open at both ends? I can't imagine coping with -18C in that structure, it would hold no heat at all, so I have to assume I am imagining them wrongly or we're talking celcius!

 

[MeepBeep]

I think the panels might be safer than the cinder blocks, especially if I build protection from the chickens around them (hardware cloth?). What do those of you who've had experience with these panels have to say? Is 400 watts OK, or should I get a 600 watt panel for something this size and temperature?

'Radiant ceramic panels (or similarly 'pig blankets' are safer, if they are spaced off the wall to allow air flow all the way around, and also it's best to put some mesh between them and the birds so that they don't lean on them... And this also assumes you have them properly wired, and extension cord across the yard is not proper wiring... But they are designed for spot heating not heating an entire structure...

With that said in a 10x12x7 hoop house with no insulation will require several 1000s of watts of electrical heat to keep it above freezing in cold temp a total waste of heat as almost all will simply escape...

The best you could do in this case is build a roosting 'box' inside the hoop house with just the front open, a big enough box that they can all fit in there and roost, then mount the radiant heaters on the back of the box, spaced off the back wall a bit, that way the heat flows across the roosting chickens as it escapes out the front of the box into the hoop house... This of course does little for keeping water liquid in the coop though...

As always if one chooses to heat a coop do it properly and safe, even if it's just heating the water... For most it's simply not advisable to heat the coop, as the cost to do it properly it prohibited in many cases and doing it on the cheap and unsafe is a fire hazard waiting to happen...

I'm not against heating, as I heat my coop to about 35-40°F all winter, but my coop is an actual building with a real forced air furnace it's not some tossed together fire hazzard, I check the furnace filters daily and check the furnace insides weekly to make sure there is no dust accumulations to further minimize risk... I actually have a 2 stage air filter system on the furnace to keep dust out...

 

[RnRRidgerunner]

It was a long winter and here it is August again, and I am reviewing what I did last year, what worked and what didn't. Am so glad this thread has continued as so much of the help shared here has been so useful.

In a nutshell, the winter here was colder (extended periods of subzero temps) than years in the past - with only moderate snow - and the wind was sometime ferocious. The small open end hoop structures, with huge deck boxes for overnight shelter, we're just barely adequate, but much better than nothing. The cinder block heated 5 gallon water buckets worked well, but for all the work they were to set up, my birds much preferred to eat snow. The bucket feeders with 3" elbows worked fine for the chickens - and for all the mice, too. (I can fix that)

The tarp and 1/2" electrical PVC held up fine, even with heavy birds hopping around on them. Two major problems with these, however: 1) they were only 4' feet high, and my back will never forgive me all the bending over I had to do to fill all the feed and water buckets, and 2) because they were open ended, (I think), the chickens were over exposed on really cold days and got bad frostbite on their (rooster) combs. The enclosures they sheltered in overnight were too small to be cooped up in, and I believe they were frost bitten while out running around in the cold during the day. Also, I often cracked the lid open a bit, and melting snow may have dampened their housing a bit.

So this summer I am working on larger (10 x 12 x 7' high) hoop coops that are both enclosed and a snap to construct. They will be big enough to house the overnight huddle boxes, and also to have some decent roost space. Many of last year's woes will be solved with these.

Here is my question, (and it's very possible it may already have been asked and answered in this thread): I have never been a fan for heating coops in the winter - I know birds can be VERY hardy to cold - but I am returning to the idea of using gravity feed water drinkers. I've used large heated rain barrels to good effect, and I've used the light bulb heated horizontal nipple 5 gal water buckets with no problems, but now I'm thinking it would be better to heat the coops just enough to keep the water from freezing. Am thinking to use a Thermocube with a wall panel radiant heater. Gravity feed drinkers will freeze solid in subzero temps, no matter how much I insulate them. So, given the high potential for subzero temps in winter, what wattages might I need to keep my drinkers above freezing? Given a cubic foot space of around 700 to 1200? Taking into account a chicken population of 10 - 15?

I think the panels might be safer than the cinder blocks, especially if I build protection from the chickens around them (hardware cloth?). What do those of you who've had experience with these panels have to say? Is 400 watts OK, or should I get a 600 watt panel for something this size and temperature?

Many thanks to all of you who help out on this thread. Laurie in Berthoud

Hey Laurie, sounds like you have electric to your coop so here is what I used last winter in my 5 gal bucket with lid ( and hole for cord) and horizontal nipples.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/farm-innovators-multi-use-utility-deicer-250-watt
If you don't have a Tractor Supply near you you can check other Farm supply stores or order on line before winter gets there. It worked great, think it turns on at 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
I would not try to heat the entire coop, Just make a enclosed coop area and try the flat panel radiant heater mounted above them. Hope that makes sense. Maybe I can find a picture of an example.


See above the roost area. Insulate around the outside so the chickens don't eat the insulation material. I don't use anything here in NE Oklahoma almost Missouri. I put down straw inside and out. KEEP IT dry and airy, lots of thru ventilation.


Ok good luck with the new coop. I may try to make mine walk in on a larger scale for the same reason. LOL It is great for the girls but not the ole chicken wangler. LOL

 

[coop410silkies]

Hey Laurie, sounds like you have electric to your coop so here is what I used last winter in my 5 gal bucket with lid ( and hole for cord) and horizontal nipples. http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/farm-innovators-multi-use-utility-deicer-250-watt If you don't have a Tractor Supply near you you can check other Farm supply stores or order on line before winter gets there. It worked great, think it turns on at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I would not try to heat the entire coop, Just make a enclosed coop area and try the flat panel radiant heater mounted above them. Hope that makes sense. Maybe I can find a picture of an example. See above the roost area. Insulate around the outside so the chickens don't eat the insulation material. I don't use anything here in NE Oklahoma almost Missouri. I put down straw inside and out. KEEP IT dry and airy, lots of thru ventilation. Ok good luck with the new coop. I may try to make mine walk in on a larger scale for the same reason. LOL It is great for the girls but not the ole chicken wangler. LOL

l Thanks, RnR. Yes, I do have electric to my coop, but it's not a very heavy duty circuit, and I have to be careful about the number of amps I draw. At 3 amps per unit, the panel heaters don't pose much of a problem - yet. I have several of the 250 watt Precision bucket heaters - from an online purchase - and I like them a lot. Even in very exposed locations they have kept water in 65 gal. Rainbarrels de iced and available all winter long. Can't say enough good things about these. My problem is with the drinker and the small hose that feeds to it from the spigot on the rain barrel - and that is why I like your idea of making a small enclosed heated area for the drinker and water barrel. On the other hand, I could get food grade barrels, screw in some horizontal nipples, toss in those Precision heaters, hook everything up to Thermocubes in a GFCI outlet, and be done with them. From what others have said so far, that may be my better option right now. Your pictures, by the way, are wonderful, but I am confused by the heater at the top; normally radiant panels are placed near the floor, and the heat travels up. I can't imagine making heat travel downwards from the top unless there was forced air. That tractor and coop are way cool, worth a second look or two and maybe study. Thanks