How do you keep your Chickens warm in the winter? No elec/insulation

[4CiTyCHicHENs]

I live in Missouri & will not have electricity in the coop & I dont think I will be insulating it. Will my chickens be ok? We dont really get below 0 but we could go days in temps anywhere from 5-35.... Im in the process of re-drawing my coop degins to submit to the city & the bldg. commissioner would like to know "How chickens will be protected from the winter & extreme cold" ---what do i say?

i do plan to plant bamboo or pampas grass on the back of the run & sunflowers on the front & a bush or two.... which will protect some

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

Are you trying to avoid a higher elec bill? Or some other reason for no heat? We thought that having a heat source was going to ding us bad but it didn't..... we had a heater out there for 3 months running every 30 mins for 15 mins at a time. This year we are going to use a 250 watt heat emitter (for iguanas). Idea from another BYCer. Is smaller and it screws into a ceramic light fixture....we just ran an extension cord.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

I have a coop similar to yours but bigger 8x16. I have no insulation either, my chickens are hardy breeds so they can handle the winter weather without any source of heat. I do run an extension cord out to hang a heat lamp to keep over the water so it doesn't freeze but otherwise they did just fine this winter. I use the deep litter method with wood chips all winter and cleaned it out this spring.

 

[patandchickens]

See my 'cold coop' page, link in .sig below, for discussion of that very issue

I would wholeheartedly support not using heat. If you have cold-hardy and non-singlecombed breeds, you probably don't need insulation or anything else either. If you have singlecombed breeds, it would not be a bad idea to have insulation and try to do what you can to keep coop temps from getting lower than necessary, just because in humid air you can sometimes have problems in the temperature range you cite. *Probably* won't, as long as your coop is well managed (well ventilated, no leaks, no gratuitous am't of poo, not too many chickens), but surprises can happen.

Insulation need not be expensive, btw, as you cna often (over the course of some months) scrounge sheets of styrofoam and plywood to use.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

I have a buff orp rooster and even with the heat, heat suffered minor frost bite on his giant comb.

I felt so bad but what could I do other than move him in the basement!!! LOL

 

[4CiTyCHicHENs]

LittleMamaBigPapa, not so much the elec bill. im trying to avoid the city making me pay an electrician, the underground wire, the inspection, & the cost of all that stuff...

toletiquesbysam, are rhode island red, sivler laced wyandotte, cinnamon queen & barred rock hearty??? Im going to be in the coop twice a day could i check then & verify waters not frozen?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Actually that is a fairly common *result* of heating a coop -- partly b/c the heat increases the humidity, and partly because people tend to shut down the ventilation too much 'to keep the heat in'. It can be difficult to decide what to do, I know, but heating is often not as straightforward a "plus" as is often thought.

Just sayin',

Pat

 

[midget_farms]

Most chickens do just fine in the winter cold - it is the heat that gets them.

You need to make sure the roost is flat - like a 2x3 or 2x4. That way they can sit on their feet & keep them warm. Remember no one builds cozy coops for wild birds & they do great all winter.

Water is another issue though - My water froze all winter. You have to replace it daily. Have 2 waterers available. 1 you keep in the house & fill with fresh water & one you put in the coop. Change them out daily as the one in the coop will freeze.

The other thing that can help them make it through a particularly cold spell - is cracked corn. Corn has more BTU's than regular feed & they can keep themselves warmer on corn.

Hope this helps

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

Ah, I see your dilemma 4citychichens....Bravo to you for following the rules ! We are "under cover" (or stealth as some say).

We didn't seek approval for our chickens, or our playhouse for that matter which is wired with electricity. We built the playhouse in 2001 so maybe we ok now.

can you ask the city for a listing of approved heat sources???

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

Quote:
Actually that is a fairly common *result* of heating a coop -- partly b/c the heat increases the humidity, and partly because people tend to shut down the ventilation too much 'to keep the heat in'. It can be difficult to decide what to do, I know, but heating is often not as straightforward a "plus" as is often thought.

Just sayin',

Pat

Hi Pat....you helped me out with these questions months back. We actually tried to go without heat from the start, but in only a day or two, the roo already had white tips on combs and then below the tips they were dark blue. Heat is very drying? Not sure how that inceasing humidity? Seems like a total no-win situation. We have plenty of ventilation with no direct drafts at the roost and he still was freezing? Without the heat, the hens also started to get white tips, but with the heat, their color came back.....I'm clueless!

Cat