Think it's too cold for your chickens? Think again...

[cary 1973]

well i got 5 used hens, so that brings me up to 7 now to heat my coop.. darn things spend most the time underneeth it tho! heck it was only 10F out and they were all underneeth it!

at night the all roost outside on a branch for a while then go into the coop, i dont close the coop, the opening is big enough for a chicken to get in and out, is it bad not to close the coop? i like ot keep their water outside so they dont get it spilled inside, the go in and out, lately i been leaving the run open also, so they can come and go, i have a creek behind myhouse they can drink from if i forget to change the water.. we got snow today so only one ventured outside the run area.. and that was one that slept under out inclosed porch last night for some reason! crazy chickens.

i think the only reason you need to close the coop and or run would be the predtors that might get them so depending what killers you have a lurking would base the need to close them. i too dont shut my coop or run door but im deep in the city and we dont really have no over head killers just some wild cats and I am hoping i have that taken care of now knock on wood.

 

[chestypuller]

well i dont know what happened but a few days later one of the new "older hens" was dead stiff as a board under the coop... i dont know if it was the move or other chickens or what i didnt see any blood on her tho or peck marks.. and the others are still alive so i dont think it was the cold..

think it could have been stress?

anyhow im not sure the chickens are using the inside the coop with all the sawdust and stuff.. everytime i look they are underneeth the coop! must not be cold enough yet or being i cant see in the dark maybe they go up into it at night....

my nipples keep freezing up from my 5 gal bucket of water so i put the bucket on the ground since the top dont freeze and added a step stool so they can get to the water.. i have a1500watt heater in the water and i think the nipples only freeze because they are external.. they are the plastic red ones.. anyone got some tricks? i dont know if nipples are able to be used in the winter.

warmed up some we are about to 20F or so. snowing lightly.

 

[Twister-n-Dos]

i have a1500watt heater in the water

1500 watts seems like a huge draw. If you are with GVEA that has got to be a big bill.

I have been using a 50 watt heater, like what you put on an automatic transmission pan.


I have it on top of a couple cinder blocks with a couple of pavers on top of that.
I chiseled a channel on the cinder blocks so the cord would not be damaged.


With those -20F temps we had it was about +5F in the coop, and the water was just
starting freeze. I am going to upgrade to a 100 watt oil pan heater and see how that does.
Maybe use both when it actually gets cold.

If you have +20F this afternoon, you are a little warmer than where we are. It is +12F here now.

 

[chestypuller]

well heck i keep the water outside the coop.. i dont want to get the extra moisture in the coop. so i probably need the 1500 watt.. its not on all the time, just comes on when its below 40 the water temp to keep the 5 gallons from freezing, but maybe i could get a smaller heater and a smaller bucket. might be a good idea,.

 

[Twister-n-Dos]

This is the first winter we have kept chickens. Maybe we are making a mistake keeping
the water in the coop. Will your birds go out to the water when it is -40 or -50?

 

[toofarout]

Twister-n-Dos, depending on where you are in Alaska, you might need to keep the waterer in the coop.
Say, if you are in the Interior or further north, best to keep it in the coop.
Your chickens are not going to go outside to drink or do anything else when it gets really cold.
Best to keep them well fed and hydrated to help them deal with the weather.
from Sue

 

[Twister-n-Dos]

Sue, thanks for the input. We are in Fairbanks too. It seemed like keeping the water in the coop would be best.
I guess we will just have to monitor and manage the moisture.

 

[mistyt14]

its 27 abobe here right now. our first year with chickens, soon as i opened the door this morning they all came running out, cold doen't seem to bother them to much, going to end up putting fresh water in and outside the coop, so they are getting enough, plus soaking their food and adding veggies and fruits to it, had some peaches that were starting to go bad so ground them up and added them to the food. the girls loved it. Plus we do about .5 cup scratch x2 a day

our coop is insulated and non drafty, no lights here for us

 

[chestypuller]

my chickens wont even stay in the coop during the day in the single didgets! maybe they are special ones....

anyhow anchorage and the valley -20f is about the coldest they will see, they are in anchorage right now.

 

[chestypuller]

i wonder if my coop is to small they dont want to be in it. they seem to want to be under it all the time outside on the dirt.. i did see them on the branch purches outside the coop in the run tho every once in a while.

anyone look at them pics i posted earlier to see what you think of the coop style im running?