Safest Coop Heater?

[britinpa]

We're looking at getting a couple of the flat panel heaters to hang befind their roosts. Our coop is not insulated - I'm thinking we should at least do the wall next to where they roost. If the temps are below freezing would you still let them out and keep their coop door open all day?

 

[NatJ]

If the temps are below freezing would you still let them out and keep their coop door open all day?

Yes.
(As long as the wind isn't blowing directly in the door all day--if it does that, put up a wind break to block some of the wind before it reaches the open door.)

We're looking at getting a couple of the flat panel heaters to hang befind their roosts. Our coop is not insulated - I'm thinking we should at least do the wall next to where they roost.

I wouldn't, unless it's controlled by a thermostat. Seriously, I think you should NOT heat any part of the chicken coop above about 35 degrees farenheit, maybe 40 at most. You don't want your chickens to molt and loose their nice feathery insulation because it felt like spring! And you don't want them too hot at night, either.

How cold does it get in the winter at your place?

As long as they have a dry place with not wind, chickens really can do fine down well below freezing.

Just for comparison--look at all the little tiny wild birds that live outside all winter. And think about people using down blankets and down jackets. Feathers really can be great insulation!

 

[britinpa]

Yes.
(As long as the wind isn't blowing directly in the door all day--if it does that, put up a wind break to block some of the wind before it reaches the open door.)



I wouldn't, unless it's controlled by a thermostat. Seriously, I think you should NOT heat any part of the chicken coop above about 35 degrees farenheit, maybe 40 at most. You don't want your chickens to molt and loose their nice feathery insulation because it felt like spring! And you don't want them too hot at night, either.

How cold does it get in the winter at your place?

As long as they have a dry place with not wind, chickens really can do fine down well below freezing.

Just for comparison--look at all the little tiny wild birds that live outside all winter. And think about people using down blankets and down jackets. Feathers really can be great insulation!

Thanks for your comments. It puts my mind at rest - I've read lots of things for and against the heat, and I really can see the negatives of them getting used to the heat and then the electric goes out, and I hadn't thought about them molting from the warmth. Temps here have hit -15/-20, but that's not necessarily the norm here in central PA in winter. The one positive about the flat panels is that the chickens have to be close to it to feel the heat, it doesn't actually warm the whole coop. My husband is getting ready to put some underground cabling from our garage to the coop so we can keep the waterer in the coop from freezing. I think maybe we'll skip the panels for now, and just see how they do this winter. My husband asked his dad (who lives 5 mins from us) whether he uses supplemental heat in their coop and he said on the coldest days/nights he puts the heat lamp on. Unless we brood again, I definitely won't be using a heat lamp.

 

[Spot1984]

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