Preparing the Coops for Winter
All my chickens, pigeons and peafowl are ready for the cold season ahead.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I like to offer supplemental heat for my peafowl, pigeons and chickens during the winter months. In the past I've heated my coops with the same type of infrared heat bulbs that farmers have been using for decades, but I decided it was time to upgrade to safer, more reliable units. This week, we installed Sweeter Heaters in all the coops. We got them from our friends at My Pet Chicken, a company I've used for many years. These Sweeter Heaters stay at or below a safer heat level, and use far less electricity - and, they're also designed and assembled right here in the United States. Enjoy these photos.
And don’t forget, Daylight Saving Time ends tomorrow morning, November 4th, so set your clocks back one hour before going to bed tonight. Those living in participating states across the US will get an extra hour of sleep. Daylight Saving Time occurs in many states and territories except Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Island.
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- Sweeter Heaters are safe, energy-efficient, and reliable heaters for chicken coops and other animal enclosures. I ordered enough heaters to install two in every coop.
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- Each unit will hang down from the rafters. Here is Pete measuring the chain needed. Spools of chain are easy to get at the hardware store.
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- First, Pete cuts all the pieces to the same length.
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- Then he secures the chain to the wooden cross bar in the coop. These heaters are not heavy – just a few pounds. And, because it swings, birds will be less apt to perch on it.
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- Since all my chickens come here as baby chicks, they are very accustomed to the sounds made by the crew. In fact, these birds are filled with curiosity and friendliness and love to greet and follow visitors when they arrive.
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- Next, Pete makes sure the chain is the right length for the heater.
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- Here are the chains suspended from the wooden supports. Each heater will be located just inside one of two doors to the coop.
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- This is one of the heat lamps we are replacing – these types of lamps have been known to be a lot less safe, sometimes even causing fires in chicken coops. Coop fires have devastating effects and any lighting or heating system should be set up with every precaution to avoid fire.
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- This is the largest size Sweet Heater, which measures 11-inches by 40-inches. They also come in smaller sizes for smaller flocks. The unit is designed to be suspended, so the electrical cord is at the top and away from any birds.
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- Pete secures the “S” hook to the bottom of one side of the heater – the chain will be connected to the hook.
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- A pretty little Mille Fleur d’Uccle bantam hen looks on with interest. Chickens prefer to roost on high levels – this hen is on the perch just in front a nesting box.
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- Pete secures the other chain. The Sweeter Heater’s infrared radiant lens temperature doesn’t exceed 160 to 180 degrees. Fahrenheit. The surface will be warm, but it won’t burn the animals – it is very gentle.
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- Chickens are actually very hardy, and covered in fluffy feathers, so the temperatures have to be very low to require such supplemental heat. Some chicken experts recommend a temperature around 40-degrees Fahrenheit as ideal for hens.
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- Pete makes a couple of adjustments to ensure the heater is straight. The Sweeter Heater’s infrared rays are spread over the entire surface area of the panel and are evenly projected straight down, with no hot or cold spots in the pattern.
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- It looks great positioned in this location. As the season progresses, we can lower the heater depending on the cold, and the chickens’ warming needs. After the chicken coops, Pete will install these heaters in the pigeon and peafowl structures.
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- These five Sebastopol geese are the best of friends – they always travel together around their enclosure. I acquired these Sebastopol geese from breeder Brian Tallman in Pine Plains, New York. This breed is easily identified by the long, curly feathers that spiral and drape to the ground.
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- During this time of year I open the adjacent vegetable gardens to the chickens, so they can fertilize the soil. Chickens provide a tremendous nitrogen source to the area, and are champions of turning the soil, and eliminating the weeds.
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- The chickens are given access to the gardens during the day, and then returned to their coops at night where it is safe from predators. Here is a Cream Legbar hen in the foreground – behind her, a Heritage Barred Rock cockerel.
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- These two are Heritage Barred Plymouth Rocks. These large birds have easygoing personalities and great egg laying characteristics. They can also withstand cold weather quite well.
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- This handsome boy is a Serama Bantam rooster – the world’s smallest breed of chicken. Seramas hatch one to three days earlier than other breeds and are known for their upright posture, full breast, vertical tail feathers held upright and close to the body, and vertical wings held down nearly touching the ground.
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- I started raising chickens many years ago, and vowed to always have my own coops where I could keep happy, healthy and beautiful birds. I am so proud of the flocks I have raised – they have always thrived here at the farm.
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- This is a gorgeous Light Sussex hen – a very rare breed that’s gentle and productive.
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- Twice a day, early morning and late afternoon, the birds are given cracked corn. They also eat plenty of vegetable and fruit matter.
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- Inside the coops, hanging feeders are filled with organic layer feed. It provides the hens with protein, which helps them lay strong and healthy eggs. I have a mélange of types and breeds that are interesting to look at and fascinating to study. It is always a comfort to know they are happy here and enjoying life. They’ll also be very warm and safe this winter with their new Sweeter Heaters.
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