There is no need to heat chicken coops during winter as chickens adapt readily to cold weather. In fact, their body metabolism actually changes according to the seasons. However, there are some steps and precautions you should take during really cold winters to make you and your birds happy!
- Apply petroleum jelly or heavy moisturizer every 2 or 3 days to the combs and wattles of your birds to protect them from frostbite.
- Ensure that their water supply is not frozen! Chickens will surely die if they have no water for long periods of time.
- To prevent the water from freezing, bring it inside the house overnight and return it to the coop first thing in the morning.
- Check at least twice daily to see that your chicken’s water supply has not frozen.
- Make sure they have access to the roost where they can huddle with the others
- Keep the wind and rain out (See how to build a chicken coop.)
- You can use just a regular light bulb to give them some heat.
- In extreme cold you can use a heat lamp like the one that is used when they are chicks for keeping them warm. Be sure to avoid fire danger by keeping it far enough away from the bedding and other parts of the coop
I have a heat lamp on my chickens. Every 2-3 wks the light bulb gets loose. I tighten it firmly by hand. I have it on a timer that goes off at 3:00 am and shuts off at 11:00 am. To my knowledge there is no vibration. Am wondering because it is shiney………do you think the chickens peck at it? They can reach it when they are roosting.
Just curious …………… have you ever heard of this?
Thank you for your response!!
I agree if you warm the coop to much, you then have the problem of bacteria flourishing which causes problems to the lungs of your chooks!