How are you keeping chickens warm this winter?

[teddy12b]

I'm in a bit of a time pinch on this with cold weather fast approaching. We're rookies at chickens and I have no issue admitting it. We've got them roughly 550' from the back of the house. They are inside a nice coop, that is inside a chicken wired run. With winter soon approaching, I'm going to need to keep them warm unless I want to see all the work so far this year go to waste. Part of how we agreed to have chickens was that they'd be kept "out back" so bringing them much closer isn't my best option. Happy wife = happy life.

I know this is bad, and I know it's sketchy on its best day, but..... If all I need is a heat lamp, can I run 550' worth of extension cords to the coop? I know that's not the propper way to do it and I know that the amount of power decreases over distance, but I'm not talking about powering a TV, or computer I'm talking about a single heat bulb.

Any suggestions let me know.

 

[Magyars]

I've had chickens for the past 10 yrs or so...
I've tried a heat lamp and a regular incandescent bulb as well as no light/heat at all....I've noticed no difference.
Trying something a bit different this winter. I'm raising peeps starting later this week, insulated box inside one of the stalls.
Well see how it goes...
Good luck with your endeavors

 

[cburnworth]

I have never had a heaty lamp with my chickens except as chicks. The first batch of chickens I had a really nice & insulted coop i built for the winter. I did leave the door open all day for them. My latest coop ( 3 years) is all chicken wire with a roof. The walls are just simply covered in plastic which I take down in the spring. I use a heated water dish with built in thermostat. I even have a metal roosting rod in the cop. the chickens are out all day running in the snow, water, & ice.

 

[Jaybird1980]

As long as the coop doesn't have big drafts through the roosting and laying boxes area, chickens won't need any extra heat this winter. As long as you have no chicks and it's not a super drafty coop they'll be fine.

Keeping water open is the only issue.

 

[d.kaufman]

My coop had an enclosed run. I wrapped that in plastic. Other than that the only thing I did, and this was when we had a cold snap of -30s, was use some hard insulation on inside of coop to help.
Most winters they're fine without heat. They'll stay huddled together and warm from their body heat.

I never used a heat lamp as I've seen to many coops go up in flames. Just takes a second for dry straw to ignite and whole coop to go up in flames

 

[Ark]

I use the microwave

 

[armalitesheepdog]

2 hours @ 325 degrees

 

[eldirector]

We have a heated dog dish to keep the water thawed. Also have "heat tape" zip tied under one of their perches. Overkill, but it works. Both are on a thermostat switch, set to 35*, and it only kicks on when the outside temp gets in the 20's. Guessing the sun and the birds' body heat is enough otherwise.

Keep the drafts down and the moisture down (prevent frostbite), and they should be fine.

Our run is covered, but not wrapped. Birds don't seem to care. Hate the snow and the wind, and head inside when they have had enough.

 

[teddy12b]

I use the microwave

I was waiting for something like this, lol.

 

[teddy12b]

One of the reasons I bought this coop was because it seemed like it'd do well in the winter. I put one of these: Amazon product ASIN B07DVWKHNL
Inside of one of these: Amazon product ASIN B07Z1T9BZZ
I thought about getting some bails of straw and making a makeshift wall to protect from any wind, but we've got it right next to an outdoor shed that blocks most of the wind.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'm glad to see it looks like I was worried about something I didn't really need to and overthinking it.

 

[KittySlayer]

I use the microwave

If you have more chickens than will fit in the microwave you might need to up your game...

 

[fullmetaljesus]

Chickens are more at danger in super heat then cold. However they can get frostbite on their combs if extreme cold. When I had them they stayed outside just fine in their coop unless we were doing prolonged sub zero temps in which case we let them hang out in a makeshift pen in our sun room.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

They just need some fowl weather gear...

 

[spencer rifle]

Our ISA Browns and Bovan Browns never needed additional heat. They laid every day all winter, so we had to get the eggs early or they would freeze in real cold weather. We use a bird bath heater in a stainless steel roasting pan for their water, but it has to be kept full - the dry air of winter makes it evaporate fast.. Had to clear a path in the snow between the coop and the feeder - they don't like walking through snow.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Well ventilated coop with no major drafts, they’ll be fine down to below zero. Bringing them water every day will be a bigger chore. You can also buy 500’ of 12g romex and make your own extension cord. We may have a little frostbite on a comb or two in really prolonged cold but never lost a bird.

 

[churchmouse]

Never saw an extra heat source in the chicken coup's on the family far. They closed them up save for the door to keep the wind out. No water heaters you just stayed on top of it.

 

[Dentoro]

We’ve had chickens for going on ten years, done with and without heat. Never really noticed a difference in laying. As long as it not super cold 20 below or better for long stretches they will be fine if they have a place that has no drafts. Water is pain in the butt w/o electricity. Keep multiple pans and alter them from a warmer area At home. They need a lot of fresh water. Isa Brown and leg horns are good layers. Get a few Buffs, if you raise your chicks, they make good mommas. Roos will sound the alarm and protect, and call them back after ranging, but can be a pain in the leg. Kalmbach food is pretty good and fair price. we throw all the veg scrap to the chickens.

 

[04FXSTS]

I remember my grandparents always had chickens when I was a kid. I don't remember what was done to keep them in water but there was no heat supply. They did have a nice dry building that was enclosed and would have been draft free. Jim.

 

[Lex Concord]

Our experience (about 4 years now) has been similar to those above.

No heat source or light of any type in the coop; occasional frostbitten combs when it's super cold, but we've never lost a bird due to cold.

We've lost several to nighttime predators over the years, so making sure they're locked up tight as soon after they go into the coop as possible year round is as important to keeping them alive as giving them food and water.

We put up a windbreak made of hay bales every fall so they can stay out of the winter wind when it gets strong. We spread the hay out in their fenced area in the spring — they decimated the grass in there long ago — it keeps the mud down and they like picking through the sprouts that invariably grow inside and in between the bales.

Aside from the risk of fire, an artificial light can alter their laying habits. With normal sunlight, most breeds don't lay much during the winter; artificial light keeps them laying, but also burns them out quicker (i.e. they'll lay at a higher, more consistent rate throughout the year, but won't lay for as many years).

Since our birds will be seen as pets and not stockpot fodder when they're done giving us eggs, I prefer to keep them laying longer, even if it's at a lower volume.

 

[Leadeye]

Well ventilated coop with no major drafts, they’ll be fine down to below zero. Bringing them water every day will be a bigger chore. You can also buy 500’ of 12g romex and make your own extension cord. We may have a little frostbite on a comb or two in really prolonged cold but never lost a bird.

This is from a guy who really knows how to take care of chickens.