Winter Warmth

[ScottsChickenz!]

I live in upstate NY and have already seen temps in the teens. I am not sure how to add warmth to my coop. My birds, 30, sleep in 3 different areas. The main group sleeps on a horizontal tree branch in the upper part or the roof's A-frame. The other two sleep on branches along the sides where the roof meets the wall. I put up clip lights but they knock them down.

I was considering putting a strip of incandecscent lights to put heat in their backs. Also I was looking at the heated wire used to wrap pipes, thinking that I could run it under their branches and they would get the radiant heat.

Suggestions?

I have 6" of hay, but these guy sleep 7' off the ground.

 

[sonew123]

I live way upstate and it was 11- the other day -so I feel your pain-mine are all inside the coops-with tons of fresh shaving-but I laso use the deep litter method -you can look that up in the seach feature. I dont like to use that method but dont have choice keepig it warm enough for them-I use heated base waterers for most of them and two heat lamps they can snuggle under if they get real cold-Mine are reall siisies and dont go out when temps arnt about 25 ish??

 

[ScottsChickenz!]

do you use the tin, pie pan type water heaters from tractor supply? I am not sure about those yet.

 

[sonew123]

ScottsChickenz! :

do you use the tin, pie pan type water heaters from tractor supply? I am not sure about those yet.

yes-I was gifted one from someone whogot out of chicknes and wasnt sure if I would use as she had had it a long time but I plugged it in and it works great!! I just orederd 2 more from aubuchons-39.99$ got that store around you?? If you do shipping is free to store-I have about 8 more days to wait on them:-( but I researched everywhere for them and they were the cheapest shoot they went up to 75$ for the same thing:-( Im a bargain shopper when it comes to these things...​

 

[woodmort]

First, read this thread, it'll put your mind at ease: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=421122 Second, I also live in upstate NY although not as far upstate as sonew123. We had temperatures ranging from 0 to mid20's most of last week with 18 inches of Lake Effects Snow although today it got up to 49 with rain and it mostly melted. (This is not going to be a trend we're expecting the same thing again this week.) My birds got through the week without heat--except on the waterer--just fine with nary a case of frostbite nor frozen egg--they just didn't want anything to do with the snow. This has been the case here for 25 years. I do use the galvanized water heaters like sold by TSC--in fact the newest one came from there--up on a layer of brick to keep it out of the shavings as well as completely cover the bottom to keep mice from nesting inside. Other than a 20w florescent light that is on a 15-hr timer, there is no other heat in the coop other than what the birds supply. I do have 6-8 inches of pine shavings covering the floor. The coop is also well ventilated. On those really cold nights I tossed some scratch to the birds when I closed them up for the night, otherwise their diet hasn't changed. I'm getting 32-34 eggs from 39 layers every day. Hope this helps.

BTW, exactly where in upstate NY are you located?

 

[critterranch]

i have 22 chickens in 8 x8 coop with semi deep litter . temps dipped down to 6 on thurs night. water never froze coop was 34 at 7am. no water heater . have never used. my coop is insulated with r-12 house insulation. was 15 dollars for roll did whole coop 5 years ago best money i spent. i keep 100 watt bulb 6 feet high in coop. 17 hours.mainly for light but does throw some heat. my chickens lay all winter. we live in central new york in upper cayuga county one mile from lake ontario. lot s of lake affect snow.