The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[Leahs Mom]

Do you know anyone that has used one of these?
https://www.incubators.org/gqf-mfg-radiant-heater-0470.html

 

[getaclue]

No, but it's $119.00, and I'd need several of them.

 

[speckledhen]

You know Snow and Amanda live in a cage built into the corner of the pen on the wall. Underneath, we have a folded heated blanket, the bed kind that doesn't have an auto-shutoff, strapped under their floor. It keeps the floor of the cage decently warm for them. They have one of the 100w ceramic heat bulbs over them centered so if they are next to the divider wall between their sections as they usually are, they get a little heat from above as well. It's about 13 or 14* outside now and in the barn, it's 24*, but each pen has a heat spot, even Hector's over his spot on the roost, so his comb doesn't get frostbite. I do like I did for Isaac. The Brahmas are the only ones who pretty much take care of their own heat because they have the most fluff and feathered legs.

 

[1muttsfan]

It's Not unusual for temperature to fluctuate to extreme highs and lows within short periods of time. This is just an unusually cold fluctuation. If you give your birds heat now, they may have to have heat for the rest of the winter. Once they become dependent on it they lose their ability at least temporarily to keep themselves warm. If your coop is properly secure from the wind, and they have plenty of fresh food and water, with good fluffy bedding, they will survive this cold without any harm.

If you do use heaters, make sure that they are at least double and, even safer, triple secured, without using plastic zip ties or materials that can melt. Wire or chain is much safer, and should be attached to several different places on the lights. You cannot underestimate the danger of such devices in a coop.

 

[speckledhen]

It's Not unusual for temperature to fluctuate to extreme highs and lows within short periods of time. This is just an unusually cold fluctuation. If you give your birds heat now, they may have to have heat for the rest of the winter. Once they become dependent on it they lose their ability at least temporarily to keep themselves warm. If your coop is properly secure from the wind, and they have plenty of fresh food and water, with good fluffy bedding, they will survive this cold without any harm.

If you do use heaters, make sure that they are at least double and, even safer, triple secured, without using plastic zip ties or materials that can melt. Wire or chain is much safer, and should be attached to several different places on the lights. You cannot underestimate the danger of such devices in a coop.

Right. I'm stuck providing a heat spot for my very old arthritic birds. The Brahmas don't need it. All my lamps are triple secured through wire fencing, not just hanging by cords, with hardware cloth screens across the mouth of them, in case a socket dislodges and the bulb, ceramic or other, falls out of the socket part. The ceramic bulbs don't heat anything other than the small spot underneath them, which I feel is better. They are cold but they can slightly warm up if they stand under it for a brief period. This weather is colder than this group has seen for a few years. Winters have been warmer for several years and now, they birds are positively ancient and, of course, Georgie is ailing.

 

[Leahs Mom]

@1muttsfan
For me, I only want to keep the temps in their area above "0 f." We usually stay above 0 and only drop below on occasion so I'm not trying to actually heat the barn. Just keep it within normal range.

Temps in there this morning are 6 F. Temperature outside is -15F

 

[1muttsfan]

I guess it depends on what is normal for you!

Minus 3 here, snowing with a sharp north wind. Nothing "normal" about that!! But we do see it almost every winter at some point. Usually just not for so long. This is what a ground blizzard looks like from inside the car

 

[speckledhen]

 

[speckledhen]

Got a question for you, Mary. They say that frostbite on a rooster affects fertility. Does it affect it until he's healed or forever? I mean, if it's forever, there would be a lot of infertile roosters out your way!

 

[1muttsfan]

View attachment 1658461

Got a question for you, Mary. They say that frostbite on a rooster affects fertility. Does it affect it until he's healed or forever? I mean, if it's forever, there would be a lot of infertile roosters out your way!

I'm not sure how it would affect fertility, as their testicles are internal and would not be affected.