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

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom: Can't you move the dog dishes outside of the coop?
Every one: What are the signs that it's just too uncomfortable for them?
I'm trying to remember that I'm cold doesn't mean they're cold but it's hard. ( I'm such a softy )
They are my first flock and I want to take good care of them.
I don't want to lose any toes or chickens to theses horrible temps we are having.
Every morn & eve they are getting hot gruel made up of cracked corn, Purina grower feed and fatty stock juices.
We are not expected to get above 20 for the forseeable future and it's mostly hovering around 10 day & night for the last week +.
Some assurances and/or advice please.

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
That is why I got the radiant panel heaters... I'm in Illinois too near the WI border... I figured birds of all kinds manage to survive out n the wild but some of mine have very large wattles and combs... like my andalusian roo (he was a packing peanut with my first batch of chicks)... My australorp and BO roos also have good sized combs... I hang the panels above the roosts and even though they don't really warm the ambient temp in the coop they provide a place for them to warm up... I have them on a thermostat so they only go on when it gets below freezing. They are safe because they don't get hot enough to burn anything and economical because they use very little electricity... I am sure my birds would survive with out them but it gives me a little peace of mind and I don't have to chase roos around trying to put vaseline on their combs...especially the Andalusian... he is not very friendly

 

[Mrs MIA]

How do the panels work for you? I've looked at them, and the reviews ranged from "don't put out any heat" to "works great!"...

I could see it for a very small coop with 4-5 chickens, but it wouldn't help a 12x20' coop, probably?

 

[JoAnn_WI_4-H_Mom]

Quote:
Nope. 2 feet of snow out there, expecting more.

 

[kelidei]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

How do the panels work for you? I've looked at them, and the reviews ranged from "don't put out any heat" to "works great!"...

I could see it for a very small coop with 4-5 chickens, but it wouldn't help a 12x20' coop, probably?

It depends on what your goal is... I am not trying to heat the coops but rather provide a place for them to roost and warm up. They do not raise the air temp much... I still have to have bird bath heaters in my waterer buckets. I hang them over the roosts. They radiate heat but the surface does not get hot enough to burn anything... I can touch it. I also have insulation on the ceiling of my coops... my main concern was frostbite... as I said I have some birds with large combs and so far no problems with frostbite and I don't have to mess around with the vaseline. I have 1 5x8 coop, one 10x10, and one 10x12... I have two in each one over the roosts... the birds body heat helps too. These are the ones I use by Infratherm called "sweeter heaters"
http://sweeterheater.com/bizweb.asp​

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
It depends on what your goal is... I am not trying to heat the coops but rather provide a place for them to roost and warm up. They do not raise the air temp much... I still have to have bird bath heaters in my waterer buckets. I hang them over the roosts. They radiate heat but the surface does not get hot enough to burn anything... I can touch it. I also have insulation on the ceiling of my coops... my main concern was frostbite... as I said I have some birds with large combs and so far no problems with frostbite and I don't have to mess around with the vaseline. I have 1 5x8 coop, one 10x10, and one 10x12... I have two in each one over the roosts... the birds body heat helps too. These are the ones I use by Infratherm called "sweeter heaters"
http://sweeterheater.com/bizweb.asp

Ah, Ok... that's different from the one I was looking at. http://www.amazon.com/Indus-Tool-CL-Flat-Panel-150-Watt-Radiant/dp/B0009HMFPM
I saw one of these on a wall yesterday, and was wondering how it could possibly put off enough heat if you have to touch it to feel the heat. I could see it hanging upside down, so they can huddle under it.

 

[ParadiseFoundFarm]

I've got a lizzard heating stone I'm not using elsewhere. Do you think I should put it in the coop area? It's about 1 1/2 sq ft of surface with a thermostsat. I've got shredded newspaper on the floor. 20+ birds in a 4'x5'x5'tall slightly insulated coop. When they are in the coop they are fine and it's obvious. If I heat the coop I'm worried they will be more shocked by the cold when they go out.
Comments?

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
If it were me, I would not add the heat. I was watching the news this morning about the storms hitting the Midwest/Canada, and wondering how many birds were in shock because the power went out... Unless you have a backup generator dedicated to the coop, they will probably be fine without it.

It's 7°F here this morning, and we're expecting strong winds this afternoon. My 16 week olds are outside scratching around now.

And since they've already been acclimated to sub-zero temps, I know that they'll be fine. Especially if they go in the coop with the other birds.
We have the clear corrugated plastic panels up along one side of the outside run to offer a wind-break, and it is amazing how well just that one wall makes it feel warmer in there. You step out of the wind into the run, and it's noticeably more comfortable, even at 0F.

I just hope everyone's ok... it breaks my heart to see people caught unprepared in weather like that.

 

[cgmccary]

I agree with the no heat thing. I have Buckeyes and they seem to enjoy & relish the cold (they suffer in the summer months here). I have seen a mama hen running around with newly hatched chicks and it be right at freezing. They manage just fine.

The one exception I make is if I have been raising chicks indoors and they are still young (10 weeks, I have some now) and it is 9 F out with a big wind-- they have not acclimated to this & going from a balmy 65-70 F indoors to a nasty 9 F with winds can be quite a shock. I did run an extension cord and gave them a 150 W bulb -- after a week to get acclimated, I'll drop the wattage and cut it off during the day etc so they get used to the cold. If they had been raised outside by a hen, I wouldn't worry with it.

A juvenile or chick will make a distressed chirping sound -- if I hear this, then I know something is not right -- like when I put these 10 week olds out-- the pullet was making a distressed call -- she had went from warm to freezing suddenly -- not spoiling them but if you raise artificially, then one must make adjustments accordingly. I don't have any go-between weather point to do it any differently.

Even the Guineas hatched in August are faring well in the cold.

It is the waterers I have a problem keeping thawed. A laying hen needs water.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I have a couple of heated dog bowls in the general population... works great so far. Only have to watch out for the rooster's wattles. They tend to freeze.

Temps warmed up nicely (13°F) this morning, but that's because the winds picked up. High wind watch until tomorrow afternoon. Half the birds are inside, half are outside in the wind-blocked area. Even the 16 week old chicks. It is nice knowing that we can lose power and they'll be ok. Well, except that the water pump goes out when the power goes. I have a bunch of 1 gallon jugs filled just in case.