Author Topic: Heating for the winter  (Read 5455 times)

Hannah Brush

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Heating for the winter
« on: November 19, 2014, 08:06:14 PM »
Looking for ideas for heating for cold months to come. We have 8x8x20 thanks
--Hannah

Don

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Re: Heating for the winter
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2014, 11:15:00 PM »
We've never heated our coops in NC even when the unusual cold days/nights happen.  These colder nights usually only happen a few at the time for us.  We don't have the extreme lows that the Canadian border states experience.  I wouldn't be surprised if some folks use heat tape or water heater bases to keep water open for the birds to drink.  I'm curious if the breeders in these states provide supplemental heat in their coops as a rule for the winter months.

Our best pens have wire on some portions of at least three sides.  This provides ventilation for our longer summer heat.  So we close up the north, east and western sides of the pens to stop drafts.  We might even close the upper wire sections on the southern exposure with plastic to capture a bit of the bird's heat from the roosts and any sun during the day.  We've always been told that condensation from closing the coops too tight would cause more illness.  We do offer them a bit of corn when we know the weather is turning to extremes for us.  This gives them a bit more calories for body heat and makes them a bit more active if offered in the form of scratch feed tossed on top of the litter. 
Don Cash
Matthew 4:9

DeWayne Edgin

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Re: Heating for the winter
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2014, 09:37:47 AM »
You can use heat lamps or just put more birds together so their body heat can warm them up. The more birds the more heat they make. I also close off most of my pens. You have to make sure there is still good lighting in the pens also so the chickens keep moving around. I have an outside frost free water hook up for my garden hose, i can turn a valve off in my basement for the cold water and turn on a valve for the hot water which makes my water hot in my garden hose. The two valves makes it easy for me to adjust the water temperature so the water is not to hot. I use the warm water to thaw out the waterers and then refill them. I was told that giving chickens warm water in the winter, helps with egg production. Im not sure how true that is but i use it anyway to melt the ice. I have 20 chicken waterers and 4 rabbit bottles that i thaw out anyway and it takes a little longer but it works for me. If you use heat lamps in your coop, you can sit your waterer close to the lamp to keep it thawed also.

Russ

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Re: Heating for the winter
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2014, 08:26:04 AM »
i dont heat at all last winter was the first winter i lost more than 1 bird. I lost 6 and they were all bantams. We hit -40 or more with wind chills several times. If you do heat you better have a plan b if your power goes out.

Hannah Brush

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Re: Heating for the winter
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2014, 04:57:24 PM »
How do you stop frost bite
If you don't have heat
--Hannah

Mike Gilbert

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Re: Heating for the winter
« Reply #5 on: November 24, 2014, 05:25:20 PM »
Make sure the waterers are situated or positioned where they can't possibly get their feet in the water.   That is about the only thing you need to worry about with this breed, and a few others like Chanteclers.  Keep feed in front of them at all times, make sure they can drink at least twice a day, keep them dry and out of the wind and strong drafts.   Think about the wild birds that live out doors.   The creator made them with potential adverse conditions in mind.  A little scratch or corn in the evening when it is cold helps generate body heat throughout the night.   I have no advice for birds with large single combs, or rose combs with long leaders that don't follow the contour of the head - except switch to other breeds - unless you have insulated and/or heated facilities.   

DeWayne Edgin

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Re: Heating for the winter
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2014, 07:00:04 PM »
Mike is it true that if a roosters comb freezes, he can become steril? I heard this before but im not even sure how you tell if their comb was froozen or not. Thanks.

Mike Gilbert

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Re: Heating for the winter
« Reply #7 on: November 24, 2014, 08:03:58 PM »
Frozen combs will turn dark, then almost black, and the extremities will eventually fall off.   I think frozen wattles will cause temporary sterility, but have no hard evidence to prove it.   Likely when the bird is in some pain he loses interest in mating. 

DeWayne Edgin

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Re: Heating for the winter
« Reply #8 on: November 24, 2014, 09:01:10 PM »
Thanks Mike. I also heard it can work in reverse to! If a bird was steril and his comb froze, it can help him be fertile again. O well i was just curious but i wont keep and waste feed on a bird that wont reproduce anyway.

Birdcrazy

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Re: Heating for the winter
« Reply #9 on: November 24, 2014, 09:46:42 PM »
I also had heard that if a birds comb froze and parts fell off that they would become sterile. I always questioned that because in Old English Bantams they dub the combs, ear lobes and wattles and they continue to reproduce.
Gordon Gilliam