What temperature must I heat my coop to in order to not have fertile eggs go bad in the winter time?

[AllynTal]

We live in NW Washington, and in the middle of winter we need to use a heat lamp. Our Marans roosters get frostbite on their poor combs, and then the girls peck at it. We battled with infection on a roosters comb until he passed.

As Egghead pointed out, frostbite is a ventilation problem, not a temperature problem. Chickens can easily handle sub-freezing temperatures as long as the coop is dry and draft-free (plenty of ventilation, but no drafts). Not enough ventilation traps moisture in the coop. That's where the frostbite comes from. By using a heat lamp, you're trying to put a Band-Aid on the symptom without solving the problem.

 

[Poultry parent]

@AllynTal I fully understand the fire hazard. The hen who isn't as good at staying warm was, and still is is a dog kennel, she went broody, and I didn't have anywhere else to put her. So I have her the heat lamp for a few hours every once in a while.

 

[AllynTal]

@AllynTal I fully understand the fire hazard. The hen who isn't as good at staying warm was, and still is is a dog kennel, she went broody, and I didn't have anywhere else to put her. So I have her the heat lamp for a few hours every once in a while.

It isn't just about being a fire hazard. Overheating a chicken does more harm than cold does. By keeping her too warm, you may be sabotaging her ability to warm herself. If you feel like you have to provide supplemental heat, consider a radiant heater instead of a heat lamp or give her a heating pad in her enclosure along with a space to not be heated. Let her decide if she wants the heat.

 

[Poultry parent]

I'll make sure to do that next winter!

 

[DocumentedPure]

I have to ask...if you've never had chickens before and you're already planning to hatch eggs, what plan do you have to deal with the extra cockerels? That is a major concern and something to think about *before* you start setting eggs to hatch.
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I am going to sell rare chickens so many roosters will likely not get killed. But I am not sexing the ones I sell. My hatches, when I buy my starting groups, will probably have undesirable rates. And there will be culls. So those little fellers are going to spend their days in the special run and coop, and then eventually into my belly.

 

[AllynTal]

I am going to sell rare chickens so many roosters will likely not get killed. But I am not sexing the ones I sell. My hatches, when I buy my starting groups, will probably have undesirable rates. And there will be culls. So those little fellers are going to spend their days in the special run and coop, and then eventually into my belly.

Very good. I'm glad to hear you have a business plan. So many folks here want to hatch the cute chicks but have given no thought what they'll do with the cockerels. What breed or breeds will you be selling?

 

[BobletFarmBirds]

It's a pretty bad frostbite if it gets infected. Your lacking enough ventilation. Without heat and in a colder climate than Wasington state our boys lose most of their tines to frost. That's normal and does not get infected. You need more ventilation not heat.

We did fix the ventilation problem, however we do still use the heat lamp. Its really a matter of personal preference.

 

[DocumentedPure]

Hey AllynTal, I appreciate the interest. Honestly that has been the hardest part. There are so many beautiful and interesting types to choose from. I have the list narrowed down to about 15 breeds, but I am going to have to dig deeper before I make a final decision. The four that I am leaning towards are Orust, double silver laced barnevelder, Silver laced orpington, and the white legbar. But there are others I might choose. My favorite is the ayam cemani, but they have so many problems I think I am going to avoid them. I also am thinking about Twentse, death layer, pavlovskya, and olandsk dwarf to name a few. What do you think of my selection?

 

[DocumentedPure]

Ultimately I want to have three production breeds, so three coops for those. Then one for eggs (huge variety based on egg color) one pen for those with undesirable characteristics (for the freezer), and one pen for any overflow. Last thing I want is to have too many chcikens and nowhere to put them!

 

[AllynTal]

Hey AllynTal, I appreciate the interest. Honestly that has been the hardest part. There are so many beautiful and interesting types to choose from. I have the list narrowed down to about 15 breeds, but I am going to have to dig deeper before I make a final decision. The four that I am leaning towards are Orust, double silver laced barnevelder, Silver laced orpington, and the white legbar. But there are others I might choose. My favorite is the ayam cemani, but they have so many problems I think I am going to avoid them. I also am thinking about Twentse, death layer, pavlovskya, and olandsk dwarf to name a few. What do you think of my selection?

Ultimately I want to have three production breeds, so three coops for those. Then one for eggs (huge variety based on egg color) one pen for those with undesirable characteristics (for the freezer), and one pen for any overflow. Last thing I want is to have too many chcikens and nowhere to put them!

That is quite ambitious. I wish you luck in your endeavor. I would suggest -- and this is based on my own experience -- that you get your hands on a current APA SoP (though I don't know how many of those breeds are in the SoP book) and narrow your choices down to one or two. Really focus on breeding to SoP standards. (You really won't get SoP-quality starter birds from hatcheries, so look for bona fide breeders.) So many times I hear experienced breeders say that they need to trim down the number of breeds they deal with and just focus on one or two because when there are too many breeds, it ends up feeling like they're running a 'puppy mill' for chickens. There's more to being a responsible breeder than simply putting a rooster with hens and popping out eggs. Start small, you can always grow the business. Don't overwhelm yourself trying to start too ambitiously.