SO I know many don't but I want the option. Curious

[citychickx6]

if anyone thinks this will work or be safe enough for supplemental heat if we go below 0 this winter.
I want to have something on hand just in case. I know many do not heat but for those arctic times I want to be ready. It would be going in a 4' deep x6' long x3' tall coop. Not near the roost but close to the nest box.

http://www.trojanlivestock.com/Heaters.html#HeaterHS

 

[Hauntedyards]

Looks like an exposed element heater... seems about as safe an electric barbecue briquette lighter... yikes!

 

[goldies99]

why not just go with a heat lamp!???.......

 

[atomic_chicken]

It does seem like there could be some issues if it was to close to the shavings or straw. If you are going for heat and want to go electric home depot sells 500W electric baseboard that will maintain just above freezing with a built in thermostat. They offer a better cover and would also protect your birds better. I have also heard red lamps are great.

 

[Cpprpnny19]

I would use the encased oil heater that looks like a radiator-that looks too dangerous!

Lynne

 

[maizy'smom]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDF0vsLFa5c&feature=player_embedded

I've been looking at this as a fail safe for winter. It is meant to keep a galvanized waterer from freezing solid. The premise is that a 40 watt lightbulb, under a flowerpot or cinderblock, and covered with a clay saucer, will generate just enough heat to keep the water unfrozen. Sort of a little radiator. And it does two jobs for the price of one. (I hope the link works!)

mm

 

[Tres Amigas]

Every year there are heartwrenching stories about coop fires, often from gizmos just like that. As the weather gets increasingly colder through the fall, our chickens get a thicker feather "coat." Adding heat tricks their bodies into thinking they don't need it and so will not provide their "winter coat." If/when the power goes out, their bodies are not acclimated to the cold and they will suffer because they're still wearing their "summer coat." Some people in really cold climates build "huddle boxes" inside the coop where the chickens can snuggle together to conserve heat in a smaller space. We don't add heat or light. We got eggs every day last winter from all our girls, and they never appeared "cold." We do the deep litter method, and their roost is a 2/4 laid on the wide side so they can keep their feet warm. We do offer a warm breakfast of oatmeal on really cold days (close to or below 0) and they always get their before roost snack. We also use a heated dog bowl for their water. It may be prudent to consider how intermittent heat during the cold winter may affect your birds' health and safety before taking the risk of locking your chickens in a coop with an unsupervised heat source. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Edited because I can't spell tonight and to say it's gets very cold up here in the Inland Northwest.

 

[rpchris]

maizy'smom :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDF0vsLFa5c&feature=player_embedded

I've been looking at this as a fail safe for winter. It is meant to keep a galvanized waterer from freezing solid. The premise is that a 40 watt lightbulb, under a flowerpot or cinderblock, and covered with a clay saucer, will generate just enough heat to keep the water unfrozen. Sort of a little radiator. And it does two jobs for the price of one. (I hope the link works!)

mm

That is exactly what I plan on doing. I think if you put a 60 watt light under an upside-down clay flower pot then the pot will radiate enough heat to keep things above freezing in a small coop without getting hot enough to start a fire.​

 

[gale65]

Quote:
DH says that too-that we would be doing them a disservice by adding heat and making them not used to the cold gradually like nature intended. We do plan to make a cookie tin water heater but so far, no plans for heat in the coop. We are somewhat insulating it though.

 

[LiLRedCV]

Last winter, we had over 20" of snow for more than a week, I only turned on a heat source once during that whole time frame. None of our current four coops are insulated AND the girls actually wanted to go outside in the snow! I didn't lose any of my girls. They also kept right on laying without missing a beat.

Someone posted about "open air" coops on another thread I'm following. I Googled it and came up with this: http://www.nortoncreekpress.com/fresh-air-poultry-houses2.html

While some of this info may be outdated, most of it makes sense to me after seeing my girls winter through last year. We're building a new coop now to get all the girls in one location - it will make it easier to keep clean, water, and feed as needed (instead of my running around like a chicken with it's head cut off tending to them). The new coop is not going to be insulated either, but we are planning to use the deep litter method to keep the cold from coming in through the raised flooring.