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

[JodyJo]

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wow...+20*....it was 16* last night, and gets to -20+ in the winter here.....no heat for my girls either....

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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wow...+20*....it was 16* last night, and gets to -20+ in the winter here.....no heat for my girls either....

x2!

 

[LizaBlue]

All righty, I am totally convinced that heating in TN is totally a bad idea unless you have day-olds, but I do have a question. There aren't many windbreaks in our poultry area accept for an open barn with a dirt floor that stays cold even in summer. The poultry area is on the top of a hill as well. I was thinking about building something with clear plexiglass walls, with ventilation, not sure what, to capture some heat and block wind. Possibly about 6sq ft, keep the food and water under it, 2 exits. Concern: greenhouse effect might make it too warm, and poultry want to crowd in there all day. Pros: might keep water defrosted, keep some grass and other plants green for nibbles, Cons: crowded birds are unhappy, unhealthy birds, it would have to be moveable, they might not get enough exercise.


Any ideas on this? Please add to my list of pros and cons if you can, or just let me know outright if this sounds ridiculous.

 

[mstricer]

I use tarps to block wind. When it snows everyone just stands at the door looking out and wishing it would stop. plexi glass would be expensive.

 

[wyododge]

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There are many opinions, I would not ever say yours is ridiculous. You know your situation best, but I believe it is unwarranted. You can see my page for my opinion, and what we do. Simply stated, In my opinion, it does not get cold enough to provide anything but food, shelter from predation and water. You would be better off, again in my opinion, to take the money you were considering spending and put it in the bank. You may need to build a bigger coop someday...

FWIW plastic barrels (or metal) painted black will absorb enough energy from the sun to stay mostly thawed. if you take the thawed water each day to fill up waterers you will not have to heat anything. If you put a box made of 2" rigid insulation over them at night to keep the heat in, and take it off in the morning, my guess is that you will have open water year round. You can get 2" insulated panels that are 'damaged' at the lumber yard at a huge discount, ours cost $5 bucks each. You can screw them together with drywall screws.

 

[jenkassai]

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Curious about this. I've heard it or something similar before, and have been considering it as a way to cut down on having to haul water to the coop in the winter. My concern is, does it add moisture to the air in the coop, because I understand you do not want that, especially in the wintertime due to potential frostbite issues.

Thx!

 

[frostbite]

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Curious about this. I've heard it or something similar before, and have been considering it as a way to cut down on having to haul water to the coop in the winter. My concern is, does it add moisture to the air in the coop, because I understand you do not want that, especially in the wintertime due to potential frostbite issues.

Thx!

Whether this works depends on where you live. Where I am, it wouldn't work. We don't get enough sunshine because we're so far north, and the sunshine we do get comes in at such a shallow angle that a lot of it's energy is lost in the atmosphere. But If Wyododge had good luck with it in Wyoming, I don't doubt that it work everywhere EXCEPT Alaska (and Canada, and Siberia...)

If the barrel isn't inside the coop (which it couldn't easily be if it's going to be in the sunshine), I wouldn't think the moisture would be an issue. Other than having a water dish in the coop in the first place that you have to refill.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

My neighbor uses the black flexible rubber bowls and their water still freezes. It helps in the "warmer" freezing weather, to keep the water thawed. Once it gets really cold, it still freezes. It's easy to pop the ice out, though.

 

[Tripp16]

Gosh I just read this thread and I look like a real idiot!

I live in the south and I think the lowest its gotten so far is in the 40 degree area!! I have almost 1 month old Wyandotte chicks in the brooder with a heat lamp on top of them ALL the time!

I have even thought of adding heat lamps to my big girl coops!

Im glad I read this now I dont have to pay EXTRA power bills!!

Oh and BTW if I cut my light off on my babies they would look at me like I was a freak!

Spoiled little things! No laughing at me!

 

[frostbite]

Judging by your smilies, we could only laugh WITH you, not at you.

I used to live in California, and was very used to warm temperatures. Moving to Alaska I learned a whole lot, and I'm still learning. So no, don't feel like an idiot! And it's okay for chicks to stay warm till they're feathered out. When I get my chicks in March, there will still be snow on the ground and it will still be sub freezing, my chicks will be inside my house with a heat lamp over them. I think they recommend 95 degrees the first week. Even in Alaska!!