winterizing the coop? lighting/heating and bedding?

[pattka314]

That is another thing I worry about is them getting used to the warmth. We have a back up generator for the house but not the barn. What do you do about artificial sunlight when the days get shorter?

 

[whittychick]

I don't know much. I don't really worry about it in the winter. My girls laying schedule is in the am as of right now. But I know some will put battery operated lights in for them. And just have a timer so it'll turn off.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

What about the fire risk by putting a heat lamp in a coop? Chickens can acclimate themselves to cold weather, as long as they have a dry coop with plenty of ventilation and no drafts. They keep plenty warm under their feathers, sitting on their toes on their roosts. As long as they have access to fresh water and food, to make that body heat....they should be fine. I have read a tip on here about frostbite to combs. That is usually caused from too much moisture in a coop, making it easier for birds to get frostbite. Just rub some vaseline on their combs for a little added protection. Or even Bag Balm might do the trick.
I have 2 winters of chicken keeping so far. The first winter they were all in a chicken tractor. We just covered them with tarps when it got really cold. Only the rooster had minor frostbite to his comb.

Oh, adding some scratch to their diet, right before lock up at night, will help them produce body heat.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have been around the sun 63 times.

It is not my first "Rodeo!"

Heat???
Nobody "I know" heats a chicken coop.
Healthy "cold hearty" chickens die from heat not cold.
I live in Canada last year was subject to -40º (C or F take your pick) no light or heat in coop NO PROBLEMS. You have to feed heavier during cold snaps with extra corn I find.
Chickens have been raised on this continent for over a hundred years without heat.
If you feel you must supply heat to your chickens I suggest keeping your chickens in the house that way you can huddle with your birds when the hydro goes out.

Acclimatize
Chickens will die from cold if not given the chance to acclimatize. Hydro is more apt to go out in an ice storm or blizzard when subject to below 0º temperatures in my opinion.

How would you supply heat then to your un-acclimatized birds ???

Diary of last winter cold snap check out the link:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738994/chickens-arctic-conditions-prolonged-period

Watering
For along time I used heater tape around a bucket with chicken watering nipples. It worked excellent. However me being me I neglected to change the water as often as I should.

Last year I switched to white rubber contains the wife found somewhere. The freeze solid every night but the ice just pops out of them in the morning and I replenish them with fresh warm water. They have black ones at the feed store that are similar but large than mine.

The chickens congregate around them like people having their morning coffee. The only draw back is my yard is pepper with small ice bergs the size of the buckets.

April looks after that however..


My Coop is a salvaged 4x8 metal shed here are a few tips and a quick look at my set up.
My floor are planks with a layer of tin for rodent proofing. On top of the tin I have a piece of vinyl flooring cut one foot longer than the length and width of my coop (roughly). Six inches squares are cut out of the 4 corners of the vinyl flooring. This allows the friction fitted flooring to travel up the walls six inches around the perimeter of my 4x8 salvaged metal coop. Shovel out the heavy stuff into a wheel barrow. Pop out the vinyl flooring hose it off pop it back in.
Easy Peasy!

Bedding
I have used all types of litter for coops.

I have not tried sand (sand gets good reviews on this site).

Of all the things I tried to date wood pellets have been the best. (I tried wood pellets as a last resort when pine shavings were not available.) They are super absorbent and swell up and eventually turn to saw dust. The droppings just seem to vanish and turn to dust when it comes in contact with wood pellets .

Replace my litter and clean my coop every October after I harvest my garden.


Works for me in my deep litter method.

I do add to pellets from time to time.

I have anywhere from 10 to 15 birds housed in my 4x8 coop.

Through the winter months the pellets froze harder than concrete with -40º temperatures. The poop froze before it could be absorbed by the pellets and there was like a crusty layer of poop in certain areas where they collectively took aim (no smell, messy feet or flies @ -40º). Come April things started to look after themselves.

POOP BOARDS are the "BEST" addition yet. Handles well over ½ of the poop in my set up keeps ammonia smell in check 3½" below roost excellent for catching eggs laid through the night (roost are in cups for easier removal and cleaning). I recently friction fit a piece of vinyl flooring over my poop board.it makes clean up even easier; Pop out; Scrap; Hose; Pop in.

Nest boxes
In my nest boxes I fold a feed bag to fit (nest boxes are 1 ft³). When a bag gets soiled; fold a new one; pop out the soiled; pop in the new.

Easy peasy!.












I house an assortment of birds in this baby barn (¼ inch veneer plywood between birds and elements) no heat no light no problems.

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Nice set up Hokum Coco

My tin shed converted coop....is not wired for electrical...nor plumbed for water. No heat for my birds. The buckets out in the run formed ice last winter....I broke it so they could get to it.
The waterer inside the coop, never froze up.


If nothing else, this website allows people to learn from each other. What works for some, may not work for others.