Keeping Chickens Through The Winter?

[ChazsNewDestiny]

Hey I have ANOTHER question for the wonderful HTs!

I need ideas on keeping chickens through the winter. Keep in mind I live in Michigan I thought about a heat light in my coop but I am scared of fire hazards. Here is a pic of the coop I need to winterize. I think it will hold heat pretty well.

[wildcat180]

Well, a heat lamp is going to be your best option, and cheapest. As for the fire hazard, there are ways of dealing with it to try and make it safer. Many of the ;amps come with grates over them. Another way to make them safe is to secure the whole unit to the wall somehow. (Depending on the light you use)

But if you still don't want to use a heat lamp because of the fire hazard, you could get one of those electric heating mats they make for outdoor dog kennels to put on the floor. Running it on low, with the coop being winterize, should be enough to take the chill off on those really cold days and nights.

[greygirls]

I bet my chickens wish they lived with you! I just lay bedding & provide nests with warm bedding along with closing the coop up (we have no electricity over at the barn). They did just fine last year & I only had three. This year I have 8 chickens & 5 fat ducks so they'll get the added bonus of more body heat too. I live in Canada, so the winters get good & cold but as I said, last year they did perfectly well with what little I had to offer them. Good luck!

[SueBee]

Maybe some straw underneath that coop for insulation, and I think that the electric mat heater is a good option.

[PATrailGirl]

We had chickens my entire childhood, and my dad still has tons of the crazy birds. I know PA isn't as cold, but we always just did plenty of straw insulation in and around their coop and they did fine. Except for my crazy rooster who ran around loose, when he would sit on our porch freezing, I would carry him inside and keep him in a pen in our basement.... My mom was not impressed when she found out but otherwise, they were all fine.

[ChazsNewDestiny]

Great! I guess I will go with a timer and a heat lamp with a gaurd or nailed to the side. I also thought of putting sheet metal on the inside where the light would hit. Thus, not being able to burn the metal and it would reflect the light. What do you guys think about that??

[wildcat180]

Sheet metal could work, but I'd put something like styrofoam under the sheet metal so if the lamp does fall, the metal doesn't heat up and possibly burn whatever is underneath...

[rubysrider]

Hey, you could knit each one a little sweater!! Just kidding!

I don't really know much about chickens so I asked my hubby about this and he said the heat lamps are a good idea and you could also put insulation on the walls, floor and ceiling and then cover it with plywood or sheet metal so they don't eat it. Hope this helps.

[AlbertaGirl]

We use a heat lamp or 2 on the really cold days, it's hung from the rafters. We also use one of those plug in dog water boels to make sure they always have water.

[farmergal]

My birds free range and do just fine. They like to roost in the barn. The thing to keep in mind is to have them free from drafts and to have unfrozen water available. So if you want to use a heat lamp think of using it over the waterer vs over the birds. Your coop is pretty high in the air and I don't remember if you said it had a wire floor or a solid floor. If it's solid just be sure to have a thick layer of bedding on the floor. If it's wire you might want to wrap plastic or burlap around the legs to reduce the air flow. Birds are fairly hardy and can take winter temp very well. Roosters with large combs tend to have the most problem. A wide wooden roost helps them to keep their toes covered and warm. From the looks of your coop design I realy don't think you need to worry about using a heat lamp unless you want your birds to lay all winter long then you need to have extra light and for that all you need is a small light bulb up to 40 wats. If your coop is in a sunny location and protected from the winter winds they will be fine.

I'd be worried that the use of a heat lamp could throw them into an early molt. If you do decide to use one have a thermometer in there as well.

[carlagsd]

I'm in Michigan too and when we had chickens they just roosted in the barn rafters at night. They all made it through the winter just fine. Your coop is nice and they should do fine in there. Just keep it from being drafty if you can.

If you wanted to add a heat lamp, you could line the walls and ceiling with heavy duty aluminum foil as a fire break. I would hesitate to use a heated pad. I don't think they would have enough sense to get off when their feet were getting too hot and they could burn themselves.

[wildcat180]

The heating pads for dog kennels are designed to be used under bedding and such. They don't usually get too hot to burn anything. And I did say to run it on low...

As for the light, there are also reptile bulbs you can use. They make a ceramic heater that works in a light socket, but it doesn't give off light, so it won't interfere with their normal day and night cycles...Infrared bulbs also give off heat without affecting the cycles as well...Just a thought.

[ChazsNewDestiny]

Originally Posted by wildcat180

The heating pads for dog kennels are designed to be used under bedding and such. They don't usually get too hot to burn anything. And I did say to run it on low...

As for the light, there are also reptile bulbs you can use. They make a ceramic heater that works in a light socket, but it doesn't give off light, so it won't interfere with their normal day and night cycles...Infrared bulbs also give off heat without affecting the cycles as well...Just a thought.

I like the idea of the infared bulbs. I know I'm a worrier. BUT hey I love them! I have never had chickens and had to worry about them in the winter. I have wide roosts in the coop and it does have a closed bottome so I think if I have a heated bowl and a infared bulb they should be fine. Thanx for all the ideas!!!!