Thinking about heating my chicken house

[Mistress-with-birbs]

thanks for that info and link!

Here's the one we've used for 7 years. On nearly its lowest setting it keeps the 8x12' coop from freezing. Usually it's about 35-40F in there. We have it on a shelf about 4' high so the silkies can't get to it. With other chickens, you may have to fence it or something.

 

[Mistress-with-birbs]

What breed(s) of chickens do you have?

A bunch of different ladies. Bantam, RIR, Australorp, Orpington, Ameraucana, Wyandotte

 

[DLA]

A bunch of different ladies. Bantam, RIR, Australorp, Orpington, Ameraucana, Wyandotte

None of those breeds should need a heated coop over winter in northern Arkansas. Just shelter from wet and wind.

 

[rosemarythyme]

they're only in there at night when they sleep.

This is why ventilation is even more necessary at night. Even disregarding ammonia from poop, they output moisture as they breathe, and all that needs to vent out or you're increasing risk of frostbite and respiratory issues.

Goal is to provide draft free and dry as possible place to sleep (not just bedding, but air as well), which allows them to fluff up their feathers so they can keep warmth trapped against their bodies.

 

[Shadrach]

Flat panel heaters operate like brooder plates, they don't heat the air, but they will heat up the bird if their touching it. Not going to work with 23 birds.

Any form of heater will radiate energy to it's surrounding (air) as long as the air is at a lower temperature than the heater.

 

[Shadrach]

Chickens do not suffer from just pure cold

Oh yes they do, just like we do.
The problem the chicken has, is it's keeper won't know how cold is too cold until the bird drops dead.
Despite all the breeding and the climate acclimatization the chickens bilogy is still that of a sub tropical bird. Comfort range is still 10C to 30C.
They may well not die at lower temperatures but that doesn't mean they are comfotable.

 

[Shadrach]

Right now yeah, because they're only in there at night when they sleep. Last year I didn't have the window insulated and closed with foam so this year when it does get real cold and snowy enough that they have to stay in their house during the day I will probably have to crack open one of their vents at the ceiling to make sure moisture doesn't build up. I'm not too worried about ammonia I don't do the deep litter method I clean their house pretty regularly.

Daily cleaning will certainly help but one should have sufficient ventilation to remove the warm rising air and the amonia in it.
Vents high above the chickens roosting positions work well.
One also needs to consider the heat contribution from the chickens in the volume of air the coop holds. Each healthy adult chicken generates around 10Watts to 12Watts. If the coop is reasonably solid (say three quarter inch OSB walls, that will transfer less heat to the outside than a quarter inch tongue and groove build.
If the coops well built, the ventilation right and the stocking density is appropriate then it may need no heat.
Of course, the most important aspect is safety! I don't heat coops for this reason.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

Edit: my brother says the flat panel heater won't do me any good for the size of my house and says I need something like this oil heater

We use an oil heater similiar to the one you have linked here. My coop is a half of a shed, with the other half being storage. We keep the heater on the side away from the chickens (away from bedding). I don't keep the coop heated throughout winter, but periodically heat it as needed. I use it when we have extended cold spells to protect not only the chickens but other supplies stored out in the coop. I have also used it when we have young chicks brooding in the coop or when I had injured chickens in the coop and didn't have a heated waterer for indoors. A family member (who has electrical experience but is not an electrician) said the oil heater is one of the safest options because there is nothing exposed and therefore shouldn't be a fire hazard. We've used this heater for 2 or 3 winters now without a problem.

 

[KyCoop]

I use a panel warmer on the wall behind their roost. On the high setting it can bring the temp to 10 degrees above what it is outside. I leave the upper vents open but completely seal up the north side of the coop and run. My run is roofed and i have polcarb panels put up.
I too went through that winter beast last year and am prepared to add a heat light to the run if nessisary. I WILL NOT watch my little leghorns shiver again. Your breeds are "cold hardy" breeds and can take the cold much better than some others.
You do what you think is right for your girls.

 

[Mistress-with-birbs]

Daily cleaning will certainly help but one should have sufficient ventilation to remove the warm rising air and the amonia in it.
Vents high above the chickens roosting positions work well.
One also needs to consider the heat contribution from the chickens in the volume of air the coop holds. Each healthy adult chicken generates around 10Watts to 12Watts. If the coop is reasonably solid (say three quarter inch OSB walls, that will transfer less heat to the outside than a quarter inch tongue and groove build.
If the coops well built, the ventilation right and the stocking density is appropriate then it may need no heat.
Of course, the most important aspect is safety! I don't heat coops for this reason.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. From what everyone is saying, looks like I need to open their ceiling vents above the roosts. So I will do that now.
I hear what people are saying about how the birds will survive...but I don't like them to be stressed out under the cold weather. I'm not trying to de-acclimate them, I know it's important that they are adjusted. I just would like to have it around the 20s in their house at least, when it's in the single digits outside. I'm trying to be very safe and take this seriously! I'm looking at oil heaters with no fan for that reason. And I would only use it when I need to