Utah!

[Cynthia12]

I didn't heat the coop. I put a brooder lamp with a 100 w bulb in it, which probably provided some nominal heat, but not a ton. My chickens did just fine. I did have a heated waterer though.

I also have the water warmed bowl. I use the heat lamp, but like Lisa, I leave the little pop door open..so..funny that this was brought up, because just today, I was in there watching one of my hens. I noticed that it was still quite cold in there, but the wind was really going, like usual in windy city here in the mornings. It's actually warmer at night when the wind isn't blowing so hard. I'm thinking just a light next year too. I like them laying through the winter. I do use a heat lamp in the nursery hutch for the younger ones. Will always use that in there.

 

[RedIII]

I don't heat my coop. It's somewhat insulated because of the plywood, but I don't have any heat sources other than the birds in there, and they seem to do just fine. Of course, that was also why I got more than two birds. It was for reasons of warmth, mind you (wink wink)

By the way, birdman, congrats on having layers again! Yay! At least one of my girls looks like she's thinking about molting. I'm excited to see what it will look like, plus I pick up the feathers they drop and use them for other things.

Sphinx, I'm working like crazy to get to where I can take a couple of those teenage GLW's off your hands! Still looking forward to it!

 

[RedIII]

I also have the water warmed bowl. I use the heat lamp, but like Lisa, I leave the little pop door open..so..funny that this was brought up, because just today, I was in there watching one of my hens. I noticed that it was still quite cold in there, but the wind was really going, like usual in windy city here in the mornings. It's actually warmer at night when the wind isn't blowing so hard. I'm thinking just a light next year too. I like them laying through the winter. I do use a heat lamp in the nursery hutch for the younger ones. Will always use that in there.

Yup, I've got a warmed water bowl for the birds, too. Sorry, I neglected to think about that. I feel like my birds are okay for warmth so long as they have buddies to snuggle with, but I don't like it when their water freezes.

 

[Cynthia12]

Cynthia, I would like to buy your Partridge! 10$ Right? I'll look through my drawer at home and find some extra change so I can get her. I hae like $8 with some random change lol.

Are you serious? Are you going to keep her? She's really big, but lays really nice sized eggs. Oh, I remember you were interested in my Pencils..you like Rocks! lol...

 

[the-bird-man]

this winter i have not heated my coop and my girls are happy as ever not having heat, i actually think they are doing better than this time last year when i had a heat lamp in the coop. i do have a heated water base but that does not add much heat to the coop and is more for me. i am very, very happy not heating my coop and my girls are more happy too. even with the molt they were happy and when they molt they are bald mostly or have a very small amount of feathers. i just could not take the risk of the power going out and loosing my flock.

 

[Sphinx]

Red reminded me that my henhouse IS insulated. You know those styrofoam panels that you can buy to put in your garage door? We put those in our coop, and put another layer of board on top of that (so they wouldn't pick at the insulation).

Red, at this point, I think I have two girls and three boys. I want to keep both girls because one is Godzilla, and I'm dying to see how she turns out. I have to keep Daisy because my 6 year old named her, she's attached to her, and I would like ONE chicken that resembles a GLW. If you want any of my suspected boys, they are yours for free.

Four of my five eggs are pipped. Two of them are further along than the rest, and I'm annoyed because they'll probably hatch while I'm asleep.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Red reminded me that my henhouse IS insulated. You know those styrofoam panels that you can buy to put in your garage door? We put those in our coop, and put another layer of board on top of that (so they wouldn't pick at the insulation).

Red, at this point, I think I have two girls and three boys. I want to keep both girls because one is Godzilla, and I'm dying to see how she turns out. I have to keep Daisy because my 6 year old named her, she's attached to her, and I would like ONE chicken that resembles a GLW. If you want any of my suspected boys, they are yours for free.

Four of my five eggs are pipped. Two of them are further along than the rest, and I'm annoyed because they'll probably hatch while I'm asleep.

No kidding I have been watching those buggers all day and it seems like they stay the same. I was hoping before bedtime but I might give up til morning. My grandkids got a kick out of seeing the one in the front "peep through his egg window".

 

[RedIII]

Red reminded me that my henhouse IS insulated. You know those styrofoam panels that you can buy to put in your garage door? We put those in our coop, and put another layer of board on top of that (so they wouldn't pick at the insulation).

Red, at this point, I think I have two girls and three boys. I want to keep both girls because one is Godzilla, and I'm dying to see how she turns out. I have to keep Daisy because my 6 year old named her, she's attached to her, and I would like ONE chicken that resembles a GLW. If you want any of my suspected boys, they are yours for free.

Four of my five eggs are pipped. Two of them are further along than the rest, and I'm annoyed because they'll probably hatch while I'm asleep.

Awesome! Thank you! I may just see about taking a couple of those boys off of your hands. Particularly if you're really not sure on the gender of any of them

I can see a beak in an egg on Sphynx's cam!

 

[Sphinx]

All five have pipped now!!!!!

I had the focus on Azure most the day, since it was the first to pip. However, Cobalt seems to have made the most progress, so I moved it to it. The whole beak is sticking out. I think they're both going to be naughty chickens and hatch while I'm asleep.

The others will probably hatch while I'm taking kids to/from school, or getting the recall fixed on the car tomorrow.


Edited to add: So, Cynthia, I have my brooder lamp at one end of the fish tank, so that there's a cool side and a warmer side. That way, if they're too warm on one side, they can go to the cooler side. Even though I see them pant sometimes, as though they're hot, they insist on staying on the warmer side. What do you make of that?

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

I also have the water warmed bowl.  I use the heat lamp, but like Lisa, I leave the little pop door open..so..funny that this was brought up, because just today, I was in there watching one of my hens.  I noticed that it was still quite cold in there, but the wind was really going, like usual in windy city here in the mornings.  It's actually warmer at night when the wind isn't blowing so hard.  I'm thinking just a light next year too.  I like them laying through the winter.    I do use a heat lamp in the nursery hutch for the younger ones.  Will always use that in there.

I like the extra light too--right now the red lamp is on constant, and the white light comes on 645 am til 8 am and 5 pm til 8:45 pm. I like when the white light goes off at 8:45 pm that the red light is still on and they can see a little to get squared away on the roost, I would hate for the light to just go out wherever they are.....I am thinking if I do ditch the red heat bulb next year I might put a teensy night lite bulb so that they dont get caught with no warning. the downside of the artificial light, it's not like a gradual sunset, ya know? It seems like if they are in the middle of jumping up to the roost and the light goes out they could get hurt. Maybe I am overthinking....or if somebody jumped down and landed on another one, I just figure if I am going to mess the nature up with the artificial light I should be a good chicken mom and not take it away with no notice