Why I dont heat my coop

[Kiki]

It does, and it's adjustable based on the season.

Thanks! I only noticed one window.

 

[Kiki]

I subscribed!

 

[Ted Brown]

I live near Ottawa Canada, normal average winter (mid November through end March) temperatures of -15C/5F with short periods of -30C/-22F (very occasionally even lower), lots of snow.

I have a open air Woods KD coop with covered run housing mostly cold tolerant chickens (Chanteclers). I use higher (20%) protein feeds with both feed and water kept in the coop. Deep bedding (pine shavings) in the run, deep litter (wood chips/mulch+++) in the run. I leave the pop door open 24/7, most birds are in the run during the day, they do follow the sun.

I do not heat my coop; have had one period early in my chicken career when some birds (Marans) had frost bite. This happened due to water spillage from a DIY waterer leaking around the horizontal nipples.

I keep chickens for very practical reasons, they are not pets. I manage to sell enough eggs to cover most expenses. If I had to add heat my expenses would increase and I probabaly would not keep a flock.

IMHO if one follows a few simple rules (esp. cold tolerant birds) heat in a coop is not necessary . Possible exception of Alaska and our Northern Territories.

 

[aart]

Don't agree with only feeding in the evening.
They will fill their crops before going to roost even if they have feed all day(which they should for optimal health).

It does, and it's adjustable based on the season.

Got pics?

 

[KsKingBee]

@KsKingBee, do you provide heat for and of your peafowl?

We live in Kansas and do not provide any heat for our chickens, damn guineas, ducks, pheasants, or IB type peacocks or their mutation colors.

However, we do have two heated barns for our higher percentage hybrid peafowl that we keep at 40* all winter. They are equipped with propane garage furnaces and are insulated with spray foam insulation.

We feed 28% gamebird feed and give whole corn on cold nights. Our coldest time of winter is the first three weeks of January and can have temps plummet to -20 and normally stay below zero for a couple of weeks. The birds in the open-air non-heated coops have heated dog buckets for water. Most coops although open have good wind blockage and flat roosts so they can keep their feet warm.