Cozy coop heater good or bad?

[Starkominski]

Hi everyone this is going to be my first winter in Connecticut with 6 beautiful ladies, and I'm looking at ways to winterize my coop and run. I know I do not want to use a heat lamp . But I have come across this option of the cozy coop heater and wonder if it would work just to put in the coop area where they sleep.
I have all very big birds that should be perfectly ok in the winter but I was just looking for something that they could cozy up to on those -10 degree nights. If anyone has had any experience with these heaters I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks Kristin

 

[Lamaremybabies]

Hi everyone this is going to be my first winter in Connecticut with 6 beautiful ladies, and I'm looking at ways to winterize my coop and run. I know I do not want to use a heat lamp . But I have come across this option of the cozy coop heater and wonder if it would work just to put in the coop area where they sleep.
I have all very big birds that should be perfectly ok in the winter but I was just looking for something that they could cozy up to on those -10 degree nights. If anyone has had any experience with these heaters I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks Kristin

Hi Kristin,

I too live in Connecticut, and I've never used heat for my birds in the winter. It gets cold but believe me they can more then handle it. As long as your coop is dry and properly ventilated no heat is needed. Chickens have two layers of feathers to keep warm and if their feet get chilled they sit on them and they're fine. To help keep extra warm I give my birds whole corn kernels because it takes extra energy to digest which produces extra body heat. That is also why you shouldn't give whole corn in warmer months.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Healthy, fully feathered chickens are very well suited for temperatures below zero provided appropriate shelter from direct drafts/wind/wet

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I second the posts above. I live in Canada...and I don't provide heat in the winter either. If you lost power for an extended amount of time...that could prove disastrous for your girls as they won't be acclimatized.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! What you need to have is a heated base for your waterer, or something else that keeps their water from freezing. Mary

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC @Starkominski!

Ditto on the all 'no heat needed' posts.

Good ventilation, with no strong(feather ruffling) drafts on roost area, is way more concerning than heat. First winter can be nerve racking, until you learn just how well they do in their down coats.

Ditto too on the need for heating the waterer, this is what I use:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-heated-waterer-with-horizontal-nipples.67256/


Post pics of your coop and run if you want some help getting things ready for winter.

 

[Hokum Coco]

looking at ways to winterize my coop

The safest and best heat source for you chickens is an extra feeder filled with whole corn. I have been raising birds for decades and have 67 trips around the sun. My birds are subject to -40º temperatures with no heat or light.

Extra TLC should be given to those birds at the lower end of the pecking order or those who may not be adjusting well to the new diet. That being said your flock should flourish and do just fine.
If for these reasons you may have to provide a temporary heat source if using heat lamps make sure they are anchored by TWO SUPPORTS one being a safety chain.

Secondly if you find it necessary to run and extension cord make sure your outlet providing power is a Ground Fault Outlet. It seem like every year one of our members loose there coop to fire that these two safe guards may have prevented.

Hope this helps.
If you are not living for something; You are dying for nothing.

 

[ky chic]

Hi everyone this is going to be my first winter in Connecticut with 6 beautiful ladies, and I'm looking at ways to winterize my coop and run. I know I do not want to use a heat lamp . But I have come across this option of the cozy coop heater and wonder if it would work just to put in the coop area where they sleep.
I have all very big birds that should be perfectly ok in the winter but I was just looking for something that they could cozy up to on those -10 degree nights. If anyone has had any experience with these heaters I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks Kristin

 

[ky chic]

I know this is a late reply but I just bought a cozy coop last night and have had it on now 6 hours and the only thing it would be good for in my opinion is to use as a brooder not to keep a coop warm not at all maybe if u have 3 chickens because that is all that could get around it and the chickens would have to be 3inches away to get heat off of it:/

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome!
Good to know about this heater too.
Mary