To heat or not to heat

[ChickensAreSweet]

Silkies don't roost??

As for heat, I have a large, fully insulated chicken house with 14 hens, and when we're down below 0 in the heart of winter, I will definitely heat them at night. I have always done that and they come through the winter SO much better! I have had frostbitten combs that turned black and fell off even in the insulated house with no drafts whatsoever. And yes I have cold hearty breeds, but if you have something with a larger comb, they may freeze if you don't provide some heat. I wouldn't do it if I had only big heavies with tiny combs, but I don't. I have some smaller, finer hens with larger combs and heat is essential, in my opinion. Not a lot, but enough to keep the night temperature around 40 degrees inside the house is perfect. During the day I turn the heat off, and open it up, and but when we have those horrible, brutal days (-20 below zero), then I leave them locked in all day with the lights on and the heat running.

Some silkies will roost, but they can't fly so it needs to be low to the ground, maybe a foot off the ground at most.