Woodstove

[PlaidBattleAxe]

Okay, so with this arctic blast nonsense that is sticking around (and freezing my toiletries in my insulated house!!

--we heat with wood), I'm worried about what I will do if the recurs next year (when I actually have my chickens!). ....what about a woodstove in the coop? I can pretty easily find a small one that I am thinking I could put in a corner of the coop segregated with fencing and fireproofing so the hens cant get near it) to use when it's steadily freezing outside. It'd be a lot more affordable for me to put a log or two in it a day to keep temps in the 40s vs some mega watt heat lamp that I have to leave on all the time and run my electric bill up. Has anyone else done anything with woodstoves? Or am I delusional with this idea... I thought about also a propane lantern, because they throw of a LOT of heat and that would also act as a source of extra "sunshine" when I can't have my birds outside. But then I can't leave it on 24 hours a day, so then they'd freeze when the lantern was off. SO I'm thinking woodstove. Input appreciated!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A lot of people live in Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, Minnesota, etc. with no heat source for their chickens. Chickens aren't tenderfoots.
Most American breeds were developed in New England and they didn't use heat.
Continental breeds were developed in northern Europe. They didn't heat them either.
Jungle fowl home range extends to the Himalayan foothills.
Imagine cardinals and sparrows that are much smaller and thrive in our winters.

 

[PlaidBattleAxe]

A lot of people live in Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, Minnesota, etc. with no heat source for their chickens. Chickens aren't tenderfoots.
Most American breeds were developed in New England and they didn't use heat.
Continental breeds were developed in northern Europe. They didn't heat them either.
Jungle fowl home range extends to the Himalayan foothills.
Imagine cardinals and sparrows that are much smaller and thrive in our winters.

Good point about the smaller birds. That is something that I honestly didn't even consider until you posted.

 

[4 the Birds]

A heat lamp would allow you to set in on a timer and have better control of when you want heat. You can certainly do without a heat source but we choose to use 3 lamps to have a few warming spots and to add light for egg production for our 30 chickens. I suppose a wood stove would work but it would be hard to control overheating when the temps rise quickly. Electric to the coop is nearly essential in cold climates to keep water thawed in the coop. Why not add a brooder lamp if you want a heat station as well? The cost is merely a few bucks a month.

We had temps around 20 Below Zero the past few days and the chickens did well. They were more than ready to do outside today when the temperatures were a balmy 15 degrees!

 

[BarredBuff]

Chickens are very hardy, and doubt that you truly need to heat a coop.

As was said in this thread, most American breeds were bred for this weather. Chickens are very tough animals. Just use plenty of bedding, and keep everyone well fed and you should be just fine.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Chickens are not polar bears we have to keep in mind. Laying, vocal, and active birds in my opinion is a sign everything is right in their world. That being said when a chicken has 3 trips around the sun it is there as a pet not for egg production. If your birds or animals are showing signs of stress you have to do what is right in your situation. The one size fits all is a recipe for disaster.

Take inventory on your animals daily and make daily decisions is what I do summer and winter. A heat lamp and TLC can happen not only in winter and not always due to cold.

In Canada I am subject to -40º cold snaps. I do NOT heat or give extra light in my coop. Murphy's law says my birds will find out what -40 is all about when my hydro goes out. Regardless what you decide feed Extra Corn over the winter you will not be sorry.

Or something like this may help also; You could even knit a hoodie for those extra cold days..






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