transitioning chickens off supplemental heat

[Northern Flights]

I am fortunate to have ready access to such high quality advice, here at BYC generally, plus from folks such as yourself, BantyChooks, etc etc etc. It has saved me finding out the hard way, which is my wont.

 

[NewFlockOnTheBlock]

OK, we're very close to being convinced on the no heat thing With all the great advice in this thread, we should be able to manage it.

There are definitely a few things we need to do to prepare for winter without heat, like weatherstrip the main coop door that faces west. The wind generally blows from the west or from the northwest around here. There is a large gap between the door and the side of the coop, not large enough for critters larger than mice to get through but enough to let in gusts of wind and even small drifts of snow.

Last winter my husband and I spent quite a bit of time in the evenings sitting in the coop with our chickens as they roosted, talking to them and handling them. Now I'm thinking that our breath and the warmth emitted by our bodies may have been making the air too humid. Am I right? Should we not hang out in the coop too much in the winter?

 

[aart]

Now I'm thinking that our breath and the warmth emitted by our bodies may have been making the air too humid. Am I right? Should we not hang out in the coop too much in the winter?

You should have good enough ventilation that you visiting the birds should not make a huge difference....sitting in the coop is the best way to assess your ventilation, you should feel some air movement but no feather ruffling(literally) drafts.

 

[NewFlockOnTheBlock]

Sorry, this is probably a stupid question, but when you say that we "should feel some air movement but no feather ruffling (literally) drafts," you mean when it's windy outside, right? When the weather is calm we probably won't feel any air movement...

 

[aart]

Sorry, this is probably a stupid question, but when you say that we "should feel some air movement but no feather ruffling (literally) drafts," you mean when it's windy outside, right? When the weather is calm we probably won't feel any air movement...

Yes, you wan't to assess when conditions are 'bad'....why I'm out in the pouring rain to assess my drainage swales.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sorry, this is probably a stupid question, but when you say that we "should feel some air movement but no feather ruffling (literally) drafts," you mean when it's windy outside, right? When the weather is calm we probably won't feel any air movement...

When I installed my new coop and was still working on finishing touches, the first big rainy windstorm we got (which knocked out power all over the place), I ran out to the coop, opened all the windows and assessed the air flow. If you orient everything correctly for your location, there shouldn't be a noticeable breeze or moisture coming in.

 

[Northern Flights]

I am of the opinion that there are few, if any, hard and fast rules to just about anything. I set out to follow the advice set out on these pages, as regards heating, but last night found it was necessary to modify that advice and roll with the flow of endless circumstances. As already said I properly installed an oil filled heater in our coop, and today installed yet another heater in the enclosed run shelter. I did not do this because I wanted to pay more for electricity, nor simply to buck the trend here, but rather to keep our 4 beloved hens alive. They clearly were not dealing with the sudden onset of very cold weather very well and a little heat has gone a very long way.

I am not advocating for anything here other than the cold, hard facts of life. Sometimes a little heat is needed.