Topic of the Week - Heat Sources: Yes or No?

[Molly77]

The technique I use is tossing a few treats out the ones that don't go for the treats are the ones to watch more closely.
This might not work well if you regularly toss treats, it works well here because it's a rare 'treat'(haha).

Ah, thank you! We are definitely not anywhere near that state. This is the first winter for my buff orpingtons, they are 8 mos, laying and fully feathered. But man are they bitching out there! They're usually very laid back but when I go out to the coop they are screaming at me like they think I control the weather. What makes me think it's cold is that the smallest one (who is half the size of the largest one) seems to be expressing the most distress. It's 18F right now and blowing about 25mph, going down to 6 tonight with wind chill -15F. The coop is dry and not drafty but it's very big for 6 hens. It's an 8' x 12' cedar shed. I know they won't freeze, but it's hard to see them clearly so uncomfortable.

 

[aart]

but it's very big for 6 hens.

No such thing as a 'too big' coop.
A coop does not hold heat, adequate ventilation would prevent that, the birds feathers do that.

 

[HowIsItDone]

No heat here or heated water, just to far from power source. -2 F this morning already took some water down for the girls.

Do you bring them warmish, room temperature, or cold water?

 

[HowIsItDone]

What would be the signs that you need added heat? I'm new to chicken keeping. Thank you.

This will be the coldest night so far for mine.
They are 6 months old.

The 6 are in the coop for the night with no supplemental heat.
I'm in south-eastern Canada, and it's going to be -19c tonight.
-2.2 f

Everyday at dawn, I get them fresh water.
Then I'll make some piles of straw in the run, clearing a couple of areas to toss a mash mix. On colder days I add more whole corn.

They seem to be handling it well.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Its 7am and I'm dreading opening that door to go check the chooks. Its 8 degrees. I actually have my heat lamp next to me wondering if I may hang it in the coop for a couple hours just to get it up a couple degrees for a couple hours. sigh.... Not sure but I am just about to go check them. I have 7 hens that will share 1 scrambled egg, feed with warm water and some shelled BOSS, and some electrolyte water. Fingers crossed. These ol' ladies are COLD this year.

 

[Nanook33]

View attachment 4005558​

Heated coops can be controversial. This week, let’s discuss whether you use heat sources in winter and why or why not. For example:

• What’s your take on using heat lamps or other heaters in the coop?
• Have you had any safety concerns or incidents related to heat sources?
• What are alternative ways you keep the coop warm without using electrical heat?
• How do you ensure your chickens acclimate properly to the cold?

Anything else you'd like to add.

For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

We use one of these suspended from the ceiling. Safe & they work.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I’m a nervous Nelly so having electric heat in the hen house unsupervised would make me nuts. Currently, at 6 degrees, My 5 3yr old GLW’s wont leave their hen house and I dont blame them. This afternoon I bent my rules. I hung a brooder type red lamp from their Roof for 2 hours. They are not enduring the cold as well as previous years. I sit near my window looking out into their henhouse window where i can see the glow of the red light. All 5 ate and drank and looked much more alert during those 2 hours. Thank goodness tomorrow morning will be 12 degrees and Tuesday 20’s. I suppose my chicken keeping practice is supplemental heat to help with a bunch of freezing hens standing frozen in place and not eating or drinking enough. (like i know whats best for them. HA Ha). I need them acclimated for the cold as its a long cold season. 6 degrees is uncommon this early in the season and a couple girls are still molting….sometimes with mother nature, ya gotta take it an hour or 2 at a time. keeping water thawed is another topic that makes my head spin. Tomorrow is a new day tho!

 

[FrostRanger]

I don't use heat as it never gets anywhere near cold enough for that here. If I lived somewhere with subzero temps, I'd consider a small panel heater during the worst of it depending on the birds and the coop

 

[Frostette]

No heat here or heated water, just to far from power source. -2 F this morning already took some water down for the girls.

I can't imagine chickens thriving in that cold....but of course they have for generations before we had electricity.

 

[Evadig]

I have heat up for my rooster, he was experiencing bad frostbite on his oversized comb. It’s a reptile heat lamp, so doesn’t generate half as much heat as the big ones.
I also put a radiant heater in with my old girls because they seemed pretty cold.