The lesser of two evils

[Dhkoenig]

Hi All. I have a tiny fluffball frizzle - she is beyond the bottom of the pecking order, she is like if you put a kitten in the flock. Tiny, sweet, silly, can't fly at all, and the butt of all of the flock's jokes. She sleeps in the first nesting box in our coop. Since she can't fly, she can't roost, so we put up a really low roost for her, but the other ladies stand on it and don't let her on. She ultimately goes into that one nesting box to sleep. I have tried putting her on the roost at night, but inevitably at some point in the night, someone pecks her off and she goes back into her nesting box. Here is my question. Knowing that she won't/can't perch with the others, we put a small 20 watt heating pad (really doesn't generate more that a little warmth) in her nesting box under her shavings and that is how she has slept thus far this winter. Temps are dropping into the single digits this weekend and here is my quandary. I have two choices. Put her up on the perch so she can have body heat with the flock, knowing that they will probably knock her off of the perch in the middle of the night, or just let her go into her nesting box. Is 20 watts (very mild warmth) enough to keep her warm if she is not snuggled in with other chickens on the roost? I worry about forcing her to go on the roost with the others and then get bumped off in the night with no chance to generate her own heat in the nesting box. Any professional help on this will help. She is a frizzle and they don't hold warmth the way most hens do. Is a small 20 watt heating pad enough to sustain her in single digits without being flanked by other hens? (the photos attached were taken when i was replacing the bedding - normally there is a big blanket of bedding on the floor of the coop)

 

[Callender Girl]

I am NOT a professional, so keep that in mind. My frizzle Cochin Bantam was left alone in a very small, uninsulated coop after her non-frizzle sister died. I worried that Gabby either would suffer greatly or wouldn't survive a frigid Iowa winter by herself. She did.

And, it's not unheard of to have temps here in the negative double-digits, without taking the wind chill into consideration.

I know it's not ideal to have a hen sleeping in a nest box (it's happening in one of my coops right now because one of the hens hates the rooster that lives in the same coop). If it was me, I would let your little girl sleep where she feels comfortable. The other hens aren't going to suddenly decide they need to comfort and keep her warm.

I don't know about the heater. I quit using electricity in the coops some years ago after a smoldering situation. But, in my non-expert opinion, I would add some bedding to the box she likes and let her sleep there.

I hope you find a workable solution for your adorable little girl!

 

[Dhkoenig]

I am NOT a professional, so keep that in mind. My frizzle Cochin Bantam was left alone in a very small, uninsulated coop after her non-frizzle sister died. I worried that Gabby either would suffer greatly or wouldn't survive a frigid Iowa winter by herself. She did.

And, it's not unheard of to have temps here in the negative double-digits, without taking the wind chill into consideration.

I know it's not ideal to have a hen sleeping in a nest box (it's happening in one of my coops right now because one of the hens hates the rooster that lives in the same coop). If it was me, I would let your little girl sleep where she feels comfortable. The other hens aren't going to suddenly decide they need to comfort and keep her warm.

I don't know about the heater. I quit using electricity in the coops some years ago after a smoldering situation. But, in my non-expert opinion, I would add some bedding to the box she likes and let her sleep there.

I hope you find a workable solution for your adorable little girl!

thank you SO much for that - it is comforting. wow glad you caught the smoldering before it caught fire. Good hawk-eyes!!!

 

[AGeese]

I have some experience with integrating, and non-integrated birds. I agree with Callender Girl. Let her sleep where she feels comfortable. Unless she's sickly I wouldn't be concerned with providing a heat source. The main thing is that she is sheltered, dry, and out of the wind. If she's got bedding in the nest box then she has some insulation.

I'm not experienced with Frizzles, but who said they do not hold heat? I could see it escaping some, but she'll probably hold heat better than some warmer climate, gamefowl. Just judging by the feathering they're presistently fluffed which would allow air flow for body heat regulation, but with the ends twirled up, I suppose some of that heat could escape.

Still let her do her thing, and give her plenty of bedding to nest in.

 

[AGeese]

One other thing! If you've been giving her a heat source and temps are dropping I probably wouldn't change anything on her until next season. Give her time to adjust.

 

[alinas2010]

Your chicken is a darling I believe @Debbie292d has some frizzles that she provides heat to in the cold weather. She could probably give you some advice! A radiant heater may work well for her, better than a heating pad, though, I’m not sure.

 

[Dhkoenig]

I have some experience with integrating, and non-integrated birds. I agree with Callender Girl. Let her sleep where she feels comfortable. Unless she's sickly I wouldn't be concerned with providing a heat source. The main thing is that she is sheltered, dry, and out of the wind. If she's got bedding in the nest box then she has some insulation.

I'm not experienced with Frizzles, but who said they do not hold heat? I could see it escaping some, but she'll probably hold heat better than some warmer climate, gamefowl. Just judging by the feathering they're presistently fluffed which would allow air flow for body heat regulation, but with the ends twirled up, I suppose some of that heat could escape.

Still let her do her thing, and give her plenty of bedding to nest in.

Thanks that is great. Yes somebody at some point told me (who knows if it is true or not) that since their feathers curve away from their bodies, rather than curving around their bodies, that they can't trap the heat in but she does look like a giant puff ball so I think she has lots of down under those curly locks!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi All. I have a tiny fluffball frizzle - she is beyond the bottom of the pecking order, she is like if you put a kitten in the flock. Tiny, sweet, silly, can't fly at all, and the butt of all of the flock's jokes. She sleeps in the first nesting box in our coop. Since she can't fly, she can't roost, so we put up a really low roost for her, but the other ladies stand on it and don't let her on. She ultimately goes into that one nesting box to sleep. I have tried putting her on the roost at night, but inevitably at some point in the night, someone pecks her off and she goes back into her nesting box. Here is my question. Knowing that she won't/can't perch with the others, we put a small 20 watt heating pad (really doesn't generate more that a little warmth) in her nesting box under her shavings and that is how she has slept thus far this winter. Temps are dropping into the single digits this weekend and here is my quandary. I have two choices. Put her up on the perch so she can have body heat with the flock, knowing that they will probably knock her off of the perch in the middle of the night, or just let her go into her nesting box. Is 20 watts (very mild warmth) enough to keep her warm if she is not snuggled in with other chickens on the roost? I worry about forcing her to go on the roost with the others and then get bumped off in the night with no chance to generate her own heat in the nesting box. Any professional help on this will help. She is a frizzle and they don't hold warmth the way most hens do. Is a small 20 watt heating pad enough to sustain her in single digits without being flanked by other hens? (the photos attached were taken when i was replacing the bedding - normally there is a big blanket of bedding on the floor of the coop)

I just have silkies, but a couple of them are frizzles. We heat our coop to 40F all winter. We took out all roosts we started with because they didn't use them. They sleep on top of the nest boxes or in them. The ones they sleep in regularly, I put horse bedding pellets in so I don't have to clean them so often or get poopy eggs.

I would leave her be as she maybe just rather be in that nest box than a perch anyway. Keeping her warm in there is sweet of you and surely she appreciates that!

I turned the light on to get this picture one night last winter. Three boxes had a silkie hen in it.

 

[Dhkoenig]

I just have silkies, but a couple of them are frizzles. We heat our coop to 40F all winter. We took out all roosts we started with because they didn't use them. They sleep on top of the nest boxes or in them. The ones they sleep in regularly, I put horse bedding pellets in so I don't have to clean them so often or get poopy eggs.

I would leave her be as she maybe just rather be in that nest box than a perch anyway. Keeping her warm in there is sweet of you and surely she appreciates that!

I turned the light on to get this picture one night last winter. Three boxes had a silkie hen in it.

View attachment 4011357

Oh my gosh, this picture just warmed my heart. They are absolutely adorable and I love the set up that you have for them. I love the idea of having a space above the nesting boxes that’s something to think about in potentially reconfiguring things. But oh my goodness what an adorable flock you have.

 

[Mrs. K]

Birds really don’t keep each other warm. Think of being next to someone at a cold football game, the warmth inside your coat does nothing for the person next to you. You huddle together to help block the wind. If she is out of the wind, she should be fine.

MrsK