Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[Hinotori]

I'm in West Seattle with five 23-week-old pullets and it's been in the mid 20s in my coop this week. Too cold!  Their water has been frozen in the mornings, so I've been setting my alarm to get up at dawn to give them fresh water. I hadn't planned to heat my coop or provide supplemental light, but I'm reconsidering. I put a heat lamp on for a while this morning, but I've read so many concerns about fire hazards that I didn't leave it on for long. My girls are all cold tolerant breeds -- Buff Orp, Barred Rock, Speckled Sussex and Australorp -- so I think they should be okay. But I also think they'd be more comfortable with some heat. Do other Washingtonians provide winter heat and if so, what do you use?  I'm also interested in good ideas for heating their water. The only electricity I have in my coop is an extension cord. Thanks for any advice. And by the way -- no eggs yet. I think my BR is ready if it would just get a little warmer.

I have three week old silkies under broodies in an unheated coop. The mamas park themselves in front of the food dishes and the babies run around for about ten minutes at a time before heading back under. Once the sun is warm enough and temps are in the mid 20s the mamas take them foraging and they don't go under except a couple times an hour.

I just take fresh water to them each morning. No issues with anyone. The laying flock has an LED light but no heat in the big coop. Ameraucanas just have a little house and no extra lights the same as the silkies. Everyone is outside as soon as they can see.

 

[Hinotori]

I have an extension cord to the layer coop that I also plug a heated dog water bowl into so they have some water before I haul more out.

 

[Carolei]

I have three week old silkies under broodies in an unheated coop. The mamas park themselves in front of the food dishes and the babies run around for about ten minutes at a time before heading back under. Once the sun is warm enough and temps are in the mid 20s the mamas take them foraging and they don't go under except a couple times an hour.

I just take fresh water to them each morning. No issues with anyone. The laying flock has an LED light but no heat in the big coop. Ameraucanas just have a little house and no extra lights the same as the silkies. Everyone is outside as soon as they can see.

Thanks for the reply! When I had the heat lamp on in the coop this morning the girls preferred to be outside in their run, rather than inside in the warmer coop -- so I guess that tells me they are doing fine with the cold weather. I'm the only one who seems troubled by this cold!

 

[ochochicas]

They will be fine in the coop with no heat. Just make sure if it is windy they have a place to go where there are minimal drafts. My pullets are only 16 weeks and they are out in the coop with the rest of the flock. I've been taking warm water out to thaw the ice in the mornings and offering extra feed, but that is it. We live up towards the mountains and it was been in the upper 20s a couple of mornings. If they get cold they can huddle together for warmth.

 

[evemfoster]

I'm in West Seattle with five 23-week-old pullets and it's been in the mid 20s in my coop this week. Too cold! Their water has been frozen in the mornings, so I've been setting my alarm to get up at dawn to give them fresh water. I hadn't planned to heat my coop or provide supplemental light, but I'm reconsidering. I put a heat lamp on for a while this morning, but I've read so many concerns about fire hazards that I didn't leave it on for long. My girls are all cold tolerant breeds -- Buff Orp, Barred Rock, Speckled Sussex and Australorp -- so I think they should be okay. But I also think they'd be more comfortable with some heat. Do other Washingtonians provide winter heat and if so, what do you use? I'm also interested in good ideas for heating their water. The only electricity I have in my coop is an extension cord. Thanks for any advice. And by the way -- no eggs yet. I think my BR is ready if it would just get a little warmer.

I don't have heat in my coop. The chickens seem to be just fine. They are in a hurry to get outside in the mornings when i open the popdoor even when its only 10-15 degrees outside. I have a extension cord ran out to the coop and use LED lights in the coop.

To keep the water thawed I have a low wattage fish bowl heater in a metal bread pan at the moment. I am waiting for the horizontal nipples to arrive so i can make a water bucket. The fish bowl heater is the kind that is a black plastic molded bar and has molded in suction cups to keep it in place. You can't adjust the temperature of that type of heater but it also wont shatter if the water drys up or the power goes out and the water freezes solid. I have it plugged into a timer i modified so that the timer is a 30 minute timer instead of a 24 hour timer (I took out a gear and super glued two others together following the direction on a YouTube video). The timer is set so that the heater comes on a couple minutes out of every 10 minutes to a quarter hour. I play with the timing as the weather changes and try to keep the water just warm to the touch.

I should have my chicken nipples on Tuesday. So looking forward to getting the project underway.

 

[Amberjem]

Thanks for the reply! When I had the heat lamp on in the coop this morning the girls preferred to be outside in their run, rather than inside in the warmer coop -- so I guess that tells me they are doing fine with the cold weather. I'm the only one who seems troubled by this cold!

exactly I have 1ish week olds in the henhouse right now with four week olds in the house, I put a heat lamp in the henhouse to test how it did in the henhouse and monitor the humidity and tempature, the 1 week olds had just come off a heatlamp that was in and outdoor outbuilding, the freeze hit like the second day they were off .. I put the heatlamp in there to monitor and they were outside in the cold rather then being anywhere near the heatlamp so I watch them close for signs nothing just "my" own worry over the cold rather then theirs heck they were taking a dust bath in the cold sand the other morning and happy as clams

 

[11mini]

Hi all - I'm Dave this is my first year raising chickens. I live in Lake Stevens and it has been getting down to the mid-low 20's overnight lately.I was also worried about it being too cold So I put them in the shed with a heater on low just enough to keep it above freezing. After several days of the wife's nagging about me possibly burning the shed down (not likely, heavy duty cords/radiant oil heater) I took it out and they seemed just fine. It was 24 this morning and at 7:00 when I let them out they all went out and started eating the frozen grass! I'm going to put them back in the coop tonight I'm sure they will be fine. There are plenty of on here who talk of temps at or below zero and the chickens still surviving.
My water system has frozen so I have been bringing out fresh water every day. Not sure what I am going to do if it stays below freezing all day.

 

[Wootage]

Finally found frozen water in the coop

The goats water trough had a layer about 3-4 inches thick this morning too. We have a de-icer for the trough, DH just needs to figure out the grounding wire first. In the mean time, I'm out there every few hours, hammering away at the ice so the goat can get water.
At least it's a good way to get the blood pumping. And the chickens always run over to watch me looking like a fool LOL

 

[them chickens]

We have bantams brooding some magpie duck eggs for us, they should be done on Tuesday next. That will be just in time for DW'S birthday. She is so thrilled.

 

[Espresso]

We have bantams brooding some magpie duck eggs for us, they should be done on Tuesday next. That will be just in time for DW'S birthday. She is so thrilled.

Exciting