Winter watering

[khpadventures]

I've got the same problem, and decided that I'll be running an extension cord out to the coop. I looked into the solar option for heating elements and in the end, it just isnt feasible for us. The amount of power you need in order to use it for heating is so much more than a light or an automatic door-you have to get a solar panel that hooks up to a battery that gets charged to store the energy, and those things are darned expensive.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I’m worried about the same thing. No electricity and I don’t have a real chicken coop yet either yet and likely won’t until the spring.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but if you don't have secure housing, you aren't likely to have chickens by spring.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've got the same problem, and decided that I'll be running an extension cord out to the coop. I looked into the solar option for heating elements and in the end, it just isnt feasible for us. The amount of power you need in order to use it for heating is so much more than a light or an automatic door-you have to get a solar panel that hooks up to a battery that gets charged to store the energy, and those things are darned expensive.

Solar is the absolute wrong option for heat. It is great for low voltage lighting and short term motor use like coop doors. Generating heat, whether for heating air, water or even making toast, uses a great deal of amperage.
To heat anything with solar requires a prohibitively expensive system.

 

[Folly's place]

Consider having electricity run out to your coop, you'll never regret it!
Short term, an outdoor rated heavy duty electric cord will work, but consider it a short term fix.
Those inexpensive rubber bowls work fine, if you are home and will carry fresh water out there 3x daily.
For a few birds, and close to the house, great. For more than a few, and further from the house, having an all weather hydrant, and electricity, makes life so much better!!!
Coops burn down, and birds die, when electricity is mis-managed out there. Do it right, hire a licensed electrician, and sleep better at night. Also make your insurance company more willing to cover any problems!
Mary

 

[chickens45]

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but if you don't have secure housing, you aren't likely to have chickens by spring.

It is secure like with a fence but no official coop yet

 

[CatSeg57]

It is secure like with a fence but no official coop yet

My housing is fin, very secure. it's winter watering i'm concerned about right now.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

It is secure like with a fence but no official coop yet

A fence?
You are in Iowa. A fox can easily jump a 6' fence. I've seen them jump a 10' fence. A raccoon can climb anything and they love the taste of chicken.. A mink or weasel can squeeze into any opening an inch or more. They likely won't eat much if any meat but they love to kill chickens and will go through an entire flock in a night
A fence also won't preclude hawks or owls.
Trust me, in Iowa, without a fort Knox type coop, you will lose birds.
By May next year, let me know how many birds your have left. May is my worst month for predators. However from August to January, I lost a lot of birds to coyotes last year.

 

[Jeanw]

Hello, you’ll definitely need a shelter for your chix in cold weather environments. They’re pretty hardy but elements exposure will kill them, not to mention hungry predators. Your shelter or coop needs to be draft free (chills will kill) but ventilated properly to avoid respiratory problems and moisture buildup. A dry, draft free coop is nice! I spoil my 3 hens with a radiant panel heater when it gets below freezing. https://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Products-Chicken-Heater-Brooder/dp/B01LX9K1JI I know they don’t “need“ this but it makes me feel better. Lucky enough we can run a 100ft extension cord from our exterior gfci outlets to the coop. We use a heated bowl inside the coop on top of a couple of bricks in an unused nest box so the chix can’t get behind or on top of it to tip it over (spilled water would be bad). Our coop size allows us to do this. The water didnt freeze once and we had many below-zero days and nights last winter. A small coop may have the space for the quart size bowl. I check the water level daily and clean every few days. https://www.amazon.com/Pet-Products-2010-Thermal-Bowl-Heated/dp/B07HMKXQBR We also put a bpa free plastic waterer in the run but that freezes up and I take this waterer into the house each night. I tape the cords to the inside walls out to the roof vent of the coop so they’re not loose and hanging. Sorry if I’m rambling. We keep the feed in the coop 24/7 in winter since they can’t free range In winter and don’t have to worry about chipmunks stealing all their food. Supplement with handful of dried black soldier fly larvae in AM (they go nuts for these) and handful of non-gmo cracked corn in the afternoon to keep them warm at night (extra carbs). My chix aren’t fans of warm oatmeal (weirdos). They appreciate some warm scrambled eggs or chopped cooked chicken (eek) from time to time. There are many good resources and experience available on this site for winter care. I suggest you read as much as you can and make decisions that best suit your circumstance. God bless!

 

[chickens45]

A fence?
You are in Iowa. A fox can easily jump a 6' fence. I've seen them jump a 10' fence. A raccoon can climb anything and they love the taste of chicken.. A mink or weasel can squeeze into any opening an inch or more. They likely won't eat much if any meat but they love to kill chickens and will go through an entire flock in a night
A fence also won't preclude hawks or owls.
Trust me, in Iowa, without a fort Knox type coop, you will lose birds.
By May next year, let me know how many birds your have left. May is my worst month for predators. However from August to January, I lost a lot of birds to coyotes last year.

Sorry— I should have specified. They have a roomy fenced in run.. top
And sides with strong wire. Inside the run is a barrel they like to get in and sleep sometimes. The run also has a perch. My dad was going to build me a coop but some things popped up and it might not happen for awhile. I can’t afford to
Buy a real coop right now.
I didn’t mean to get all roosters.. they turned out that way and I was attached and wanted to keep them. I might try to rehome them and start again in the spring by hopefully getting pullets next time lol

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Don't waste your money on a premanufactured coop. They are way overpriced and won't accommodate anywhere near the number of chickens they claim. They are sometimes also poorly constructed.
Building your own when you can is definitely the way to go.