Heating the chicken coop?/keep water from freezing?

[Jemma Rider]

I don't heat the chicken coop currently, but our first real snow happened today and it is absolutely freezing outside. I know chickens don't need the coop to be heated but I'm worried about my roosters comb. I put Vaseline on it today but he absolutely hated it and is now rubbing his head against the roosts and the ground trying to get it off. I don't want to use a heat lamp because of the possibility of fires, but i haven't read about any other ways to heat a coop. I use sand as litter so i don't think fire is a huge risk I'm just worried a lamp could burn my birds if they jump up to it.
Also, i need a way to keep the waters from freezing. Today i woke up and they were frozen all the way through, i had to put in another temporary waterer in because of it. Is there any way to keep them from freezing without heating them? Thanks all.

 

[21hens-incharge]

As to the waterer freezing .... I have not found a good way other then to heat them. I use open water dishes so it is easy enough for me to dump them at night and just refill in the morning.

There are flat panel wall mounted coop heaters available. Mypetchicken.com has them. Another option with reduced fire risk would be a sealed oil space heater. Home depot has those.
Have you tried bag balm for his comb?

I don't heat the coop nor do I recommend it.

 

[azygous]

You're wise to be concerned about using a heat lamp. I've had chickens burn their heads, scorching their feathers by coming into contact with the hot bulb.

I live where some nights get into the teens and single digits. I had my rooster get serious frostbite on his comb last winter, so I heat the coops when it gets that cold. However, I use oil filled electric heaters on the lowest heat setting. They don't get hot enough at that setting to cause burns, and there's no exposed heat element to catch dust and dander on fire.

As for the water, heating your coop with a safe heater to keep the temp just above freezing should solve that problem. However, any water kept in the sleeping quarters will only add moisture to the air. This sets up a potentially dangerous humidity level that can cause frostbite if you don't have extremely good ventilation.

I keep the chickens' water out in their covered run. The water is in Igloo insulated 5 gallon containers with water heater blankets around them. They have an additional double-thick wool cover over the insulation. The water delivery system is a Bright-tap vertical nipple system, and I wrap small heating pads around the reservoirs to keep the water from freezing in the nipples. So far this strategy has worked to keep water liquid down to zero degrees.

 

[PlymouthRockExpert]

I don't heat the chicken coop currently, but our first real snow happened today and it is absolutely freezing outside. I know chickens don't need the coop to be heated but I'm worried about my roosters comb. I put Vaseline on it today but he absolutely hated it and is now rubbing his head against the roosts and the ground trying to get it off. I don't want to use a heat lamp because of the possibility of fires, but i haven't read about any other ways to heat a coop. I use sand as litter so i don't think fire is a huge risk I'm just worried a lamp could burn my birds if they jump up to it.
Also, i need a way to keep the waters from freezing. Today i woke up and they were frozen all the way through, i had to put in another temporary waterer in because of it. Is there any way to keep them from freezing without heating them? Thanks all.

The only way to effectively heat your coop would be to use a heat lamp just make sure u have it mounted properly. As for the waterers, you can buy metal waterers and heating bases online for 20-40 bucks they work splendidly!

 

[PlymouthRockExpert]

https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-HP-125-Poultry-125-Watt/dp/B000HHQDPM

Try that

 

[Ptera]

I'm from Maryland, too. You shouldn't need to heat the coop here, but I do close my birds up in it at night if the temp is going to drop below 15 degrees. Daytime they can handle any temp. (Assuming your birds are adults. Young ones I'd bring in the house.) In the winter, I use an open plastic bowl for water that I got from the feed store. It's black & about 4 inches tall, 12" wide. It does freeze but is very easy to work with. If frozen solid, I tip out the ice & refill with warm (not boiling) water each morning. Or if just a surface ice, I top it off with warm water. The depth of the water keeps it from freezing much, and the open top keeps the bowl from breaking. We get few days where it stays frozen all day, but if so I just repeat in the afternoon. I've had chickens in central MD for over 40 years & never had to do anything special to the combs, and it used to be a lot colder here back then. As long as they are protected from wind & wetness, birds are remarkably hardy. You rarely should have to do anything special in the winter. I never felt safe using electricity or gas in the coops, but most places in Maryland don't need it.

 

[Jemma Rider]

As to the waterer freezing .... I have not found a good way other then to heat them. I use open water dishes so it is easy enough for me to dump them at night and just refill in the morning.

There are flat panel wall mounted coop heaters available. Mypetchicken.com has them. Another option with reduced fire risk would be a sealed oil space heater. Home depot has those.
Have you tried bag balm for his comb?

I don't heat the coop nor do I recommend it.

I'll try the bag balm, it just irritates him so much. I'm going to start with the bag balm and if he does get frostbite or seems to have any issues then i think I'll get a wall heater, thanks

 

[21hens-incharge]

He just might prove he's tougher then any ole cold weather.

 

[Folly's place]

I use the heated bases with metal waterers in winter, rather than running out there at 4am when the light goes on in the coop!
Black rubber pans work well for water, if you get out there and refresh them two or three times daily, and if your rooster with the big comb and wattles doesn't get wet in the dish. Worse yet, if a chicken stands in the water dish, has wet feet, and then frostbitten feet.
Your birds don't need heat lamps, but they do need unfrozen water, and good ventilation.
Mary

 

[Hokum Coco]

Is there any way to keep them from freezing without heating them?

With additives such as salt or sugar is one approach I would "NOT" recommend it personally.

I kept my water thawd with a thermostatically controlled heater tape which worked excellent for me.Wrapped around in my case a plastic bucket with nipple waterers that i made myself. It was powered by an extension cord plugged into a ground fault outlet.