winter?!?!?!?!

[mahsmaj]

i live in missouri and our winters get down below 0 degrees.F. sometimes but not very often... do i have to have electricity going to my small coop to provide heat or will my chickens be fine???

 

[chiknwhisperer]

I don't have any advice on the subject . But I should would like to know the same thing.

 

[mmajw]

I do not have heat for mine in the winter, I have power to the water heater to keep that from freezing. Just make sure it is draft free and their perches are good and wide so they can lay on their feet to keep them warm.

I leave a UV light on longer in the fall and winter so they have more daylight for laying but that is it.

Hope this helps

 

[Buff Hooligans]

In my opinion (from the frozen northeast), on those rare occasions when you might get below 20 degrees, some extra corn scratch in their diet and maybe some hay bales stacked against the exterior walls will help keep them warm and insulated. Make sure there are no drafts, and make the pine shavings on the floor as deep as practical.

 

[mahsmaj]

could i just pull my coop into a barn??? that would make it draft free... (my coop is built on a small trailer...)

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Do chickens hang out outside during the winter or just stay in their coop all the time. What kind of insulation did you use?

 

[Wildsky]

Mine were just FINE.

I do have a thingie to put under my waterer to keep the water from freezing.

(Our lowest temp this past winter I think was -26)

I have more chickens so this year they'll be even better.

I have a BIG cool - 20x7 so they don't have to go OUT if they don't want to - I opened up for them EVERY day anyway to get nice clean air, at least a little bit of it. I shoveled snow out of their run as much as I could.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Quote:
That's a great solution!

 

[mmajw]

Mine really dont venture too far out if it is really cold. My DH may be building a roof over the run then I wont have to shovel that out anymore. I think they may go out more if there was no snow in their run.

 

[mmajw]

Quote:
I think thats a great plan or fence off a stall in the barn if you have one and then they could stay in there all winter.