Temporary Heat Source without Electricity?

[ClothespinQueen]

My coop is nearly ready to move in, but there is no electricity out there yet. And my ladies are 3 weeks old and quickly outgrowing their brooder in the house. We're all ready for them to move... but the forcast for this week is rather cool (for Texas) with highs in the low 60's and lows in the upper 30s.

Is there some sort of temporary heat method I can use to keep them warm without running an extension cord? I have a 3 sided coop as it is um, warm here in this part of Texas most of the year. Though, I do have a wall on the 4th side where the roost goes... If I close them in under the poop board in this 4 wall section, would a 5 gallon bucket of hot water be enough heat for the night? I know it will be a royal pain to do this but it is just until they're feathered out and Texas returns to it's normal steamy weather.

Thanks for the help!

 

[jaj121159]

How many ladies do you have and how big is the coop?

 

[jdywntr]

I personally think it is too cold for them. You can buy a battery powered thermometer that registers the highs and lows, I got one at home depot for $10 it measures humidity too. You could put it out there for 24 hours and see how cold it gets.

A 5 gallon bucket of even boiling water would still cool too much before morning. You'd be safer to get a bigger box to brood them in or an extension cord.

Just my opinion.

 

[ClothespinQueen]

18 for now....but plan on selling a few after they start laying. Our coop is only 10 x 5 with a 10 x 10 enclosed run. Hubby wanted me to have 6 but minimum order was 15 and...

We might end up runnung a cord out there then. Brooder is as big as we have space for inside. Plus, I've been terrified of fire risk with the heat lamp in the house. We lost our house 1 1/2 years ago in a wildfire and like everyone else in the area, we're a bit twitchy about things! I know the cord isnt perfectly safe but seems better than the heat lamp in the house next to my fabric! (girls are in my sewing room)

 

[jaj121159]

That coop is small enough, that you could put up a wind barrier and they should be fine. Another thing you could do if your open side faces south or east is to put a couple of cement blocks where they will soak up sunshine during the day. They will store heat and be a warming source. If you decide to run an extension cord, you would probably better off to add a couple pieces of plywood to form a 4'x4' or 4'x6' box 4' high. Then you could put a heat lamp on the plywood to shine down on the floor where the chicks are.