What's a good heater?

[joebryant]

Quote:
Thanks, I'll check that out at Lowes in Greenwood tomorrow.

 

[lilchick]

Joe, I too live in Indiana... Yes the big freeze coming up is worrying me also... I have used the milk house heaters..They can be hung from ceiling....
They put out the heat and you do not have to worry about them catching on fire....
I also use a radiator heater that is filled with oil.. It can warm up a space rather quickly. If chicken flies up and sets on it will not burn their feet...
I feel like a student studying the weather forecast daily, sometimes hourly...Shut the windows at night or leave open? Close the loft door or leave partly open....
Remember the weekend before X-mas we had 40's and it dropped to below 0 in a matter of hours? My windows froze open and I was out there at 2 a.m. stapling plastic over them!
Last winter I was wading thru snow drifts to barns. My dear hubby (who does not share my love or chores for chickens) was standing on deck watching me... I looked up at him and said"tell me again why we are living in Indiana"

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Oh do I ever hear you about the Indiana thing. I would have to believe it would be easier to live where it was below freezing all the time. This freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw business stinks. The other day it was 60 degrees in the afternoon and 15 degrees four hours later.

And I'm completely sick of the mud. Mud everywhere. Don't even get me started on the wind...

 

[vermontgal]

Above freezing seems pretty warm for an Indiana chicken. How about trying to keep the coop above 15°F degrees inside? That's approximately my goal.

They are wearing nice down coats 24-7!

Try wearing your downcoat in your nice warm house, Joe, and you won't feel so bad for the chickens. Heck, you might turn down your own thermostat, either that or go into a molt.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
Hey if you dont like the weather there wait 15 minutes it will change.

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

Quote:
Hey if you dont like the weather there wait 15 minutes it will change.

Hey, you say that like you've been here before.

 

[BuckeyeDave]

I've had chickens for quite awhile over here in Ohio and I have never used auxiliary heat for the birds. Sure the juveniles and chicks but never the mature roos and hens. All I do is make sure the coop is ventilated and draft isn't too great, pick one of them puppies up mid winter and if your hands are cold slide your fingers deep in their down, they are always toasty. I have never lost one to the cold, the heat of Ohio's summer is another story.

 

[jubylives]

I use a heat lamp near the waterer and one near the roost. This keeps the coop above 12 when it is below 0 f.

Don't listen to the others about not heating. If you want to heat then go ahead. There isn't a reason to but I like to add some heat anyway.


jeremy