Nicole5525
Hatching
Hi everyone, I am a new chicken owner and I'm in the process of building my coop. I have 4 silkie chickens and plan to add more next year. The coop that I am building is 8x8. We will be insulating the walls and the ceiling. I have 4 windows that are able to be opened, plus plan on drilling holes in the top corners for ventilation. My problem is that we have what I call "an ******* neighbour". This neighbour loves to make rude comments all the time. His favourite thing to do right now is tell me how my chickens are going to die in the winter. I have read about the pros and cons of using heat lamps, and I don't want to use them. We live in an area that is frequented by winter storms and the problems that come with it. I have told my husband that if we hook up heat in the coop and the power goes out the chickens wiil die. Our area could go without power for at most 3 days. So my question is do I need to run heat out there or should 4 chickens be fine in a coop that size that has been insulated? There will be no drafts and I will be keeping them inside all winter. I live in Southern Ontario. I have told my husband that the more chickens you have the more heat they generate. So should I be telling my husband that more chickens are needed before the snow hits? (Chicken fever has already hit lol). Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!