I am planning a coop for 2-4 hens in Albuquerque. Some plan sites recommend insulation for a coop, others do not. What do experienced chickenistas (and chickenistos) recommend for the central New Mexico climate? Thanks.
I live in Alaska. It is -23 degrees right now. I suggest insulating your coop if it will get colder than 20 deg F in your area as I have found that chickens do just fine down to that temp. good luck!
My coop is not insulated but is draft free. It gets cold here but not humid. I have a heat lamp on a sensor that comes on at 34 degrees and off at 38. My girls do just fine. Before i had the lamp and it got down to -22 one of my girls got frost bite on head. I also lowered the ceiling with a tarp and that helps hold in there body heat.
We live in Albuquerque and our coop isn't insulated. It does have a south facing window and a few bricks for passive solar heating, but that's it. This is the third winter for our first two chickens and they've never had a problem. If you live in the east mountains or somewhere it gets colder, I'd probably look into insulating the coop or having a heat source of some type.
__________________
Anything broken on this site is my fault. Feel free to let me know!
I live in northern WI. Last week it got down to 17 degrees below zero. The coop is 10'x 10' with no insulation. The flock survived with no obvious signs of frostbite. I am sure they would prefer a furnace though.
I have 4 hens. My coop is 4' X 4' X 4'
When I built my coop I allowed for adopting it for 4 seasons. I have 2 chicken runs the first which comes directly out of the coop it is 48" wide X 36" high and 12'long covered by chicken wire. I presently have it also covered on sides and top with plastic sheeting. out of that covered run I have another run that i fashioned from an old 4' high dog run. which is also 4' wide 4' high and 12' long These two runs can be isolated from each other. For the winter I have a small ceramic heater which comes on at 35 degrees and goes off at 45 degrees.
The heater is surrounded by concrete:
Bottom: 2" X 8" X 16" concrete blocks
Sides: 4" X 8" X 16" concrete blocks
Top" 4" X 8" X 16" concrete blocks
I have mesh wire on the front to keep straw and shavings from getting into the inclosure. We have already had some Zero weather and the chickens seem to like the heating arrangments
Insulation will help but I would also suggest trying to add thermal mass to the coop. In my little rabbit cage, I have a few flat stones that the chicks love. The stones, about 1"thick and 4-5" round will warm up and release heat slowly back into the cage (or rather one or two chicks that are on them almost always).
During the day, the mass will store heat to release at night and by morning it's cool and absorbs heat all day (thus cooling the coop in the day) for the next night. Ventilation helps too...you could put a closing ridge vent along the top, there are some greenhouses that have thermostatically controlled windows that open and close automatically to keep a constant temperature.
You could use stones, build a cob pony wall for roosting, buckets of water (with lids snapped on), etc. for thermal mass.
I've bought two baby chicks for my two girls. It was fun to watch the kids taking care of the chicks but now they're almost hens so I need to get them out of the balcony and into the back yard. If they'll survive the winter I'm thinking of getting a few more hens. I hope I'll be able to build a shelter like you advised and I really hope it will keep my hens warm.
____________ Fort Worth concrete
Hi
I just got some chicks and we are planning to move them to the coop in a few weeks. (We live in NC)
I'd like to have a infrared lamp to be used to keep them warm but I'd like to set it with a thermostat so the lamp turns off when it gets too warm/hot.
Does anybody know of a device that can feed from the 120V plug itself and from where the lamp takes its juice?
Thx
I use a device called a thermo cube. Its a plug with a thermostat sensor in it. There are different temperature ones. Cost about $15 or so. I plug my heat lamp into it and it turns on at 35 degrees and shuts off at 45. Good luck
Lowes and HomeDepo carry them. The Thermo Cubes are often used a failsafe to pervent pipes from freezing. When I picked mine up, instead of getting the blank stares by explaining it was for chickens, I said I had a well house that I needed to ensure didn't freeze this winter. They are often near the plumming department as a result.
Ah, I see. So basically it eas designed for plumbing? Sounds like something I may need to look into. Our winters in Kentucky aren't to awfully bad but at times it does get extremely cold. Can you set the tempartures to any desired temp or is it preset?
Hi, it's me again (Rose) I'm still getting used to how this forum works so please excuse me if I jump in somewhere I don't belong. I'm interested in these Thermo Cubes too but didn't mean to jump in front of you wildcat6. The heater sounds perfect but we don't have a compressor and if the power failed we'd be up a creek. Do they make any kind of solar blankets that could go over the coop and be heavy enough to not blow away? Thanks, Rose
I'd like to have a infrared heater to be used to keep them warm but. I'd like to set it with a thermostat so the lamp turns off when it gets too warm/hot.
I live in Alaska. It is -23 degrees right now. I suggest insulating your coop if it will get colder than 20 deg F in your area as I have found that chickens do just fine down to that temp. good luck!
My coop is not insulated but is draft free. It gets cold here but not humid. I have a heat lamp on a sensor that comes on at 34 degrees and off at 38. My girls do just fine. Before i had the lamp and it got down to -22 one of my girls got frost bite on head. I also lowered the ceiling with a tarp and that helps hold in there body heat.
Happy mama of 19 hens and 15 in the bator
We live in Albuquerque and our coop isn't insulated. It does have a south facing window and a few bricks for passive solar heating, but that's it. This is the third winter for our first two chickens and they've never had a problem. If you live in the east mountains or somewhere it gets colder, I'd probably look into insulating the coop or having a heat source of some type.
Anything broken on this site is my fault. Feel free to let me know!
I live in northern WI. Last week it got down to 17 degrees below zero. The coop is 10'x 10' with no insulation. The flock survived with no obvious signs of frostbite. I am sure they would prefer a furnace though.
I have 4 hens. My coop is 4' X 4' X 4'
When I built my coop I allowed for adopting it for 4 seasons. I have 2 chicken runs the first which comes directly out of the coop it is 48" wide X 36" high and 12'long covered by chicken wire. I presently have it also covered on sides and top with plastic sheeting. out of that covered run I have another run that i fashioned from an old 4' high dog run. which is also 4' wide 4' high and 12' long These two runs can be isolated from each other. For the winter I have a small ceramic heater which comes on at 35 degrees and goes off at 45 degrees.
The heater is surrounded by concrete:
Bottom: 2" X 8" X 16" concrete blocks
Sides: 4" X 8" X 16" concrete blocks
Top" 4" X 8" X 16" concrete blocks
I have mesh wire on the front to keep straw and shavings from getting into the inclosure. We have already had some Zero weather and the chickens seem to like the heating arrangments
Wow! A 4-season chicken coop! Although we don't get too cold here, my chickens would love that heater.
Thanks for the great details!
Insulation will help but I would also suggest trying to add thermal mass to the coop. In my little rabbit cage, I have a few flat stones that the chicks love. The stones, about 1"thick and 4-5" round will warm up and release heat slowly back into the cage (or rather one or two chicks that are on them almost always).
During the day, the mass will store heat to release at night and by morning it's cool and absorbs heat all day (thus cooling the coop in the day) for the next night. Ventilation helps too...you could put a closing ridge vent along the top, there are some greenhouses that have thermostatically controlled windows that open and close automatically to keep a constant temperature.
You could use stones, build a cob pony wall for roosting, buckets of water (with lids snapped on), etc. for thermal mass.
I've bought two baby chicks for my two girls. It was fun to watch the kids taking care of the chicks but now they're almost hens so I need to get them out of the balcony and into the back yard. If they'll survive the winter I'm thinking of getting a few more hens. I hope I'll be able to build a shelter like you advised and I really hope it will keep my hens warm.
____________
Fort Worth concrete
Hi
I just got some chicks and we are planning to move them to the coop in a few weeks. (We live in NC)
I'd like to have a infrared lamp to be used to keep them warm but I'd like to set it with a thermostat so the lamp turns off when it gets too warm/hot.
Does anybody know of a device that can feed from the 120V plug itself and from where the lamp takes its juice?
Thx
I use a device called a thermo cube. Its a plug with a thermostat sensor in it. There are different temperature ones. Cost about $15 or so. I plug my heat lamp into it and it turns on at 35 degrees and shuts off at 45. Good luck
Where can I find one of these Thermo Cubes?
Lowes and HomeDepo carry them. The Thermo Cubes are often used a failsafe to pervent pipes from freezing. When I picked mine up, instead of getting the blank stares by explaining it was for chickens, I said I had a well house that I needed to ensure didn't freeze this winter. They are often near the plumming department as a result.
Ah, I see. So basically it eas designed for plumbing? Sounds like something I may need to look into. Our winters in Kentucky aren't to awfully bad but at times it does get extremely cold. Can you set the tempartures to any desired temp or is it preset?
Hi there,
I'm new to chickens. I have 1 hen and 1 Rooster (long story). I want to keep them comfortable this winter.
Would you explain what the thermal mass stones are. Is this something you buy?
Will the stones still retain heat during the day if it is in the single digits and cloudy?
Thanks,
Rose
Hi, it's me again (Rose) I'm still getting used to how this forum works so please excuse me if I jump in somewhere I don't belong. I'm interested in these Thermo Cubes too but didn't mean to jump in front of you wildcat6. The heater sounds perfect but we don't have a compressor and if the power failed we'd be up a creek. Do they make any kind of solar blankets that could go over the coop and be heavy enough to not blow away? Thanks, Rose
I'd like to have a infrared heater to be used to keep them warm but. I'd like to set it with a thermostat so the lamp turns off when it gets too warm/hot.