Your Ideas?

[OneCuteShasta]

My DH doesn't know yet, but he's going to be building me new coops.

I'm just curious, how do you heat your coops?
Also, how do you light your coops?

Thanks for helping DH!

 

[Master S.M.C]

Heat lamps (250watts) any where from 2-4 of them in my 8X10 coop.

 

[Schultz]

We have an oil filled space heater between to chicken pens in the coop.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

Our "coop" is double walled with corning insulation-- 14x16 and heated to 60f consitantly all winter (with windows cracked) with just a couple red heat lamps. If the coop is less insulated, don't crack the windows!!!

 

[OneCuteShasta]

Aren't you worried about the lamps breaking and catching your coop on fire? I had thought about the oil heater as well.

 

[Momma_Cluck]

nope! I use aluminum clamp-light fixtures mounted way up on the walls-- I start with a J-Hook (in a wall stud) and clamp-on the light--then use pliers to bend the hook closed--- it CAN'T come off the hook... and the bulb has lasted since November!

 

[patandchickens]

Coops do not necessarily need to be heated.

Most full sized chicken breeds are FINE well below freezing (sometimes a whole great big lot below freezing) as long as draft-free and dry air and well fed.

Remember that your chickens themselves will heat the coop (a commercial white leghorn is estimated at about 10 watts

) and an intelligently built coop will retain a good amount of daytime warmth overnight.

In some situations heat may be desirable or even necessary, but in most, not. So please do not *assume* that just because the chickens live outside they need heat!

Have fun,

Pat

 

[WestTexasFarmboy]

I'm going to try this out when I get ready. It sounds pretty interesting.

http://www.peafowl.org/ARTICLES/26/

 

[OneCuteShasta]

That was a neat link, WestTexasFarmboy. I never thought about heated roosts.
Momma_Cluck, that's how our coop will be. I haven't decided on the normal roll insulation or the foam board insulation. I was thinking of heating just during the night when the temps drop. I know I hate to have cold footies, so I figured I'd warm the coop. I drew up the plans tonight and showed them to DH. He laughed and then saw I'm serious. He just rolled his eyes... LOL