Proper and competent keeping of chickens in the winter season guarantees the preservation of egg production in laying hens and the general comfort of their life at low temperatures. In addition to specially designed feeding and additional lighting of the poultry house, it is very important to maintain a normal temperature in the room, especially in regions where severe frosts in winter are the norm. You need to worry about warming and additional heating of the chicken coop in advance before the onset of the first frost.

Chickens do not tolerate cold

Note that heating the chicken coop in winter is not necessary in regions where there are no severe frosts at this time of the year. It is enough just to check all the corners for cracks and clog them well, increase the amount of bedding material for floor insulation, and you can also insulate manholes for walking with your own hands. However, in the case of severe frosts, you should worry more thoroughly about your layers.

How to heat a chicken coop in winter?

In addition to the natural, which was mentioned above, there are a number of methods of artificial heating. These include:

• red lamp and IR heaters;
• stove structures of the type of bourgeois or stationary stoves lined with bricks;
• radiators, diesel stoves, heaters, etc.

Preliminary preparation of the premises

Before winter, be sure to disinfect the chicken coop. The best way is to whitewash the walls and ceiling. The solution is prepared based on the ratio of lime to water 1:5. That is, in a 5-liter bucket of water, you need to dissolve at least a kilogram of lime powder. Sometimes a blowtorch is used for disinfection.

Before warming the chicken coop must be disinfected

Learn more about natural chicken coop heating

Almost 40% of the productivity of laying hens in the winter depends on how well the temperature in the hen house is maintained. It is necessary to ensure that it is not lower than 7 0 C, but it is better if you can increase it to 15 0 C, then you don’t have to think about additional heating at all.

Components of the natural heating of the chicken coop in winter

deep litter

To do this, the floor in the poultry house is covered with slaked lime powder, using at least a kilogram for each "square" of the cultivated area. Any insulating material that the farmer has on hand is laid on top of the lime, most often it is either straw or sawdust. The second layer should not be less than 10 cm. Farmers most often do all these manipulations with their own hands or resort to the services of workers.

As the chickens soil the litter, it should be changed and loosened with a fork. Using hay for bedding, before spring comes, it naturally turns into quality compost.

In addition to the fact that additional heat is released during the composting process and the temperature in the chicken coop rises in winter, the resulting mixture is eventually used as fertilizer for a garden or flower bed in the spring.

In winter, you need to change the bedding regularly.

Insulation of walls, doors and windows

The next important point is to block all the cracks in the chicken coop, especially for doors and windows, as well as to insulate the walls and ceiling using foam plastic or mineral wool for sheathing.

These measures will allow you to get rid of drafts in winter, which “eat up” heat and excessive dampness from precipitation. It can also be added that laying hens have the ability to self-warm if they are well fed, but in severe frosts such warming methods are not enough.

Artificial heating of the chicken coop in winter

Most often, to obtain additional heat, farmers use an infrared lamp to heat the chicken coop. This device will easily heat a chicken coop up to 12 sq. 2 its use by a number of positive qualities.

Infrared lamp in the chicken coop

• does not heat the air in the room, namely those objects that irradiate infrared rays;
• maintains an optimal level of humidity and does not allow the litter to become damp;
• does not irritate laying hens with its light. The red atmosphere has a calming effect, therefore, if desired, and during severe frosts, the lamp may not turn off at all;
• does not “eat up” oxygen in the room;
• easy to install, use and replace as needed;
• Infrared rays direct their main energy to heat, but 10% of the energy gives additional illumination.

With all its advantages, the red lamp has a number of disadvantages. Heating of this type uses a lot of electricity, and a short service life - additional waste. The red lamp often cracks at the slightest deviation from the established operating rules.

When using, it should be borne in mind that the red lamp should be at least half a meter from the surfaces surrounding it, so as not to lead to their overheating. Plus, a prerequisite is the observance of safety measures, namely the use of special fittings around the lamp and only ceramic cartridges.

IR heaters for heating the chicken coop

In second place, in terms of frequency of use in winter, after an infrared lamp, is an infrared heater for a chicken coop. It also heats surfaces when irradiated with infrared rays. Stores sell heaters of different capacities. For heating a small room, one heater with a power of 500 W is enough.

It is recommended to equip the infrared heater with a thermostat for the efficiency of the infrared heater and save electricity. This mechanism will strictly adhere to the temperature regime chosen by its own hands.

Infrared chicken coop heater

Stoves for heating the chicken coop

Heating of this kind gives an effect, but it is much lower. A red lamp or an infrared heater is in all respects an order of magnitude higher than stove heating.

Installing a stove in a chicken coop is associated with a number of additional measures to ensure fire safety in the chicken coop and the safety of laying hens. You will have to constantly monitor the operation of the stove and the air temperature in the chicken coop, so this heating method can only be used by old school farmers or those who do not want to spend money on more modern and expensive appliances.

From the proposed heating options, you can choose the one suitable for each individual case, after weighing all the pros and cons. It can be a red lamp, a potbelly stove, or an infrared heater.

It is imperative to adhere to these recommendations if you plan to keep egg production at a high level in winter. And their development and growth with minimal inhibition directly depend on the quality of life of birds of the meat series, in winter.

If you've just started raising chickens, you've probably already been told how important it is to keep your chicken coop warm in the winter. After all, birds, like us humans, need warmth and comfortable conditions. So you can guarantee not only their convenience, but also the ability to carry eggs. There are many ways to keep your chicken coop warm in winter to keep your chickens comfortable.

In this article, you will get to know them. After a detailed review of each of them, you will be able to understand which one to choose for your chicken coop.

Heating in the chicken coop, but is it necessary

Many say that chickens do not have to create mansions for their full existence. These are birds, they will survive without heating. But, for a chicken, winter time is quite difficult. She can easily catch respiratory diseases. Cold drafts, moisture and long walks on snowy ground - all this negatively affects individuals. Therefore, for the Russian region, heating the chicken coop is simply necessary. The minimum temperature inside the chicken coop is not lower than 7 degrees Celsius.

Note! The whole body of the chicken is covered with feathers, so they do not feel the cold in the body. But the weak part of them are the legs. It is in them that chickens in a chicken coop without heating so often freeze.

It is a well-known fact that the egg production of chickens is as much as 40% dependent on heat. As for broilers, in a cold chicken coop without heating, they gain weight much more slowly. At lower temperatures, the chicken will eat more, as food contributes to the production of heat, and, accordingly, feed consumption will increase. Chickens begin to get fat and be lethargic. A chicken coop heater is especially important if you are raising chickens. For planting eggs in winter, the chicken must be helped to generate heat. There are several options for how you can insulate your chicken coop and make it heated.

Keeping the chicken coop warm

As in the case of home insulation, here you need to be guided by the following principle: heat is not where it is heated, but where heat does not come out. Indeed, heaters in the chicken coop are very necessary. But, no matter how energy-saving, powerful and efficient the device for warming the chicken coop is, without thermal insulation it will simply heat the street. It turns out that all efforts and funds will be wasted, and the chickens will freeze.

To prevent this from happening, it will be necessary to perform minimal work to reduce heat loss. What is included?

If you take at least these steps, then you will significantly reduce the heat loss of the chicken coop. Plus, it gets cooler in the summer.

Note! The optimum temperature for chickens in a chicken coop is 10-15 degrees Celsius. If you achieve it, then your chickens will thank you with generous egg production.

Types of heating in the chicken coop

Now that you have done everything so that the heat does not leave the room, you can think about how to heat the chicken coop. Just want to notice that there are two ways to heat the room:

• natural heating in the chicken coop;
• artificial heating in the chicken coop.

Further work will depend on the heating option you choose. Each of the above methods has its own advantages and disadvantages. Ideally, combine them to achieve the best degree of insulation for chickens. Let's look at each type of insulation separately.

Heating a chicken coop naturally

This is a simple option that will help you make your chicken house warmer and more comfortable without the use of electrical appliances. So, you need to make a warm floor. After all, as mentioned earlier, it is the paws of chickens that freeze the fastest. Here's what can be done.

Powder of slaked lime is poured onto the surface of the floor. At the same time, it is important to adhere to the ratio: 1 kg of slaked lime is required per 1 m 2 of area. It prevents the appearance of ticks and fleas. After that, some kind of insulating material needs to be spread on this layer. Most often, straw or sawdust is used. In addition, moss peat, manure or withered leaves can serve as a natural heat insulator. As the chickens tread on the bedding, you need to add a new one. At the same time, remember that you can’t remove manure, just pour new straw and loosen it.

Advice! If you do not remove the manure, it will serve as a natural source of heat. During the process of its decomposition, heat is released, which raises the temperature in the chicken coop. And in the spring, you will have excellent compost to fertilize your lands.

Heating a chicken coop artificially

The second method is to use heating equipment. These are different types of heaters. The method is good because it is fast and does not require any additional effort from you. You only need to spend money on heating the chicken coop with heaters. Whatever one may say, it is impossible to heat the room in a natural way, without a proper source of heat. This is exactly what heaters can provide.

Here is a list of equipment that can be selected for these purposes:

1. IR lamps.
2. IR heating devices.
3. Radiators.
4. Stoves working on coals or wood.
5. Water heating system.

To begin with, let's dwell on the IR lamps, which are most often used for the chicken coop. The method is simple and fairly affordable. Nevertheless, there are some nuances, the observance of which is very important.

IR lamps

The first is to avoid buying products from little-known firms. They can produce low-quality goods, which will not bother for a long time. It is better to choose from already proven products. The second point concerns the power of the lamps. They can be different, but the choice depends on the room, more precisely, on its size. For example, for 10 m 2 you need to get an IR lamp with a power of 250 watts.

Below are the advantages of the products:

1. During operation, the lamp does not burn out oxygen inside the chicken coop. Thanks to this, the level of humidity is at an optimal level.
2. The lamp perfectly dries the litter layer.
3. Able to heat all the structural elements of the chicken coop without touching the birds.
4. Her light does not negatively affect the chickens, but acts in reverse, calming them.
5. Installing the lamps is quite simple. The same applies to their replacement.
6. Strengthens the immunity of individuals.
7. Low cost. Everyone can afford these devices, you just need to run electricity to the chicken coop.

Advice! It is necessary to carry out the installation of lamps at a distance of 50 cm from the feeder, perch, nest, bedding or other objects.

IR heaters

These products are quite efficient and produce excellent heat. However, the energy consumption and product cost are much higher. The product is safe to use and designed for long-term use.

For a medium-sized chicken coop, equipment with a power of no more than 500 watts will be required. The main feature of such infrared heaters is that they do not heat the air in the chicken coop, but its surface. Ideally, purchase a heater with a thermostat that can control the temperature inside the chicken coop and keep it at an optimal level. This will reduce energy consumption during heating.

Note! Radiators, on the other hand, heat the air in the room. They also work on electricity, but IR models are still preferred.

Potbelly stove for chickens

This is a budget option that will allow you to heat the chicken coop from the inside. You just need to install the oven. However, this method has a number of disadvantages. The main one is fire safety, especially for wooden chicken coops with flammable straw bedding. In addition, you will need to take care of the exhaust and installation of the chimney, and insulate all heating parts. Yes, and it will not work to control the temperature indicators.

But water heating is done when the chicken coop is adjacent to the house. The process is very labor intensive. It is necessary to lay pipes in the chicken coop and bring the circuit from the boiler to them.

Summing up

So, you have learned how important it is to insulate the chicken coop for the winter. And to do this, several methods have been presented to you. Which one to choose is up to you. It is not necessary to stop at any one option. You can combine the artificial heating method with the natural one. Just remember that before you engage in insulation in the chicken coop, take care of its high-quality thermal insulation. Then the chickens will be provided with ideal conditions.

Heating the chicken coop in winter is especially important for caring for poultry. Chickens are not adapted to life in the cold; at sub-zero temperatures, individuals begin to experience discomfort. Much depends on the breed of bird, as there are also frost-resistant varieties of laying hens. Despite this, you need to think in advance about how to heat the chicken coop in winter without electricity with your own hands.

Gas heating is most optimally used for large areas of utility rooms. You spend a lot of money on the purchase of a boiler, auxiliary equipment, in addition to everything, you need to pay for gas.

Thus, it is not advisable to use this option if you have only 15-40 chickens living in a small barn.

In addition to all this kind of equipment, maintenance is demanding. The installation of a gas boiler is carried out only by specialists of the relevant services, as they must try and test the entire system.

natural warmth

A combined poultry house with sheds where other animals are kept, cattle do not need heating. Everyone who lives in the village knows that one cow gives so much heat that it is enough to heat the whole shed. It is recommended to combine the keeping of animals in order to save money as efficiently as possible.

However, when placing the lamp, there are some points to consider:

• it is necessary to place the IR emitter in the center of the room so that the heating is uniform;
• it is necessary to exclude direct contact between birds and the lamp - for these purposes, the lamp is enclosed with a metal mesh;
• Avoid getting water on the lamp.

Read also:

Potbelly stove - a method without electricity

Many owners of small private households use a potbelly stove for heating. Furnace heating has many advantages, it is not picky about the fuel used. The only drawback is that the metal from which the furnace is made is corroded due to high humidity.

In addition, it is required to create optimal conditions:

• a chimney is required for the operation of a potbelly stove;
• it is necessary to constantly monitor the combustion process so that a fire does not occur;
• need to purchase fuel;
• compliance with safety rules;
• the potbelly stove should be away from flammable surfaces, it is better to isolate it.

The considered theoretical foundations of the installation will make it possible to use the efficiency of the furnace as efficiently as possible. Recently, a lot of new heating elements powered by electricity have begun to appear, but they consume such an amount of energy that the costs will increase several times than using the above methods. You should thoroughly approach the choice of the method of heating the chicken coop in winter, as your subsequent expenses will depend on this.

Diesel oven

The power of the diesel stove is very high, while it is completely harmless. For the operation of such equipment, a solarium is required, which will have to be constantly bought. Most importantly, the diesel stove is completely safe. Using such a system, you will not think about how to heat the chicken coop in winter without electricity. The efficiency of the installation is high.

Bulerian is one of the unique heating systems that can run on any type of fuel. This is an air convection oven that has many advantages and is well suited for various operating conditions. Of course, the advantage is that you can use any fuel that can easily burn and turn into energy.

Heating a chicken coop at any time of the year is a fundamental task for farmers. If you want to get constant eggs and be sure that your layers will remain healthy, then take care of the space heating system. All issues should be resolved in the summer, so that in winter your birds are warm and do not need anything.

District heating

In the matter of heating the chicken coop in winter without electricity, you should think about connecting to home heating. This method is suitable if your outbuildings are close to or adjacent to the house.

To implement the project, it will be necessary to make a separate outlet from the heating boiler. The contour should be closed as well as at home. The working agent will circulate continuously, for the greatest success, an auxiliary heat pump can be installed.

The desire of poultry farmers to get as many eggs from laying hens as possible is natural and understandable. However, this issue is especially relevant for those who want to increase the profitability of their economy, build a real (albeit small) business. For this reason, you should definitely know how to keep laying hens in winter, because it is during this period that the efficiency of laying is reduced.

In addition, competent care of laying hens is important, because nature did not provide for the breeding instinct for the winter, which means that egg laying can be minimal or even zero if you do nothing.

On a note! Winter is a very treacherous time of the year, and therefore a walking area should be properly equipped. Draft and wind should not harm the birds.

First of all, all snow should be removed from the walking area. But the main thing is that walking chickens is prohibited at temperatures below -10 ° C. Although even if the temperature is higher, walking should last a maximum of 15 minutes. If the outside temperature drops below -15 ° C, then ventilation must be postponed altogether.

Features of keeping chickens in winter and heating the chicken coop

The winter maintenance of laying hens fully pays off, but on condition that all the rules are followed. And it is not surprising, because in winter the average cost of eggs increases several times due to the shortage. So, if you keep laying hens in a chicken coop at a temperature of at least + 15 ° C, then from each bird you will receive at least 30 eggs per month. Maintaining this temperature is the best way to cost-effectively keep livestock and get the most out of chickens.

Even winter is the best time to build new nests, which can be located both in the depths of the chicken coop and separately from it. Chickens - however, like all birds - love secluded corners, and if there are any, they begin to rush intensively. Thanks to the new nests, equipped in this way, the layers will be more comfortable in the winter, and the overall egg production will increase markedly.

On a note! Another room for the winter keeping of chickens must be spacious. To calculate the required area, you only need to know the number of livestock (1 m² for 2-3 chickens).

If you ignore this point, you can prepare for a decrease in egg production, since the presence of birds in cramped conditions reduces their vital signs. Also note that with regard to the chicken coop, the rule that winter is the cleanest time of the year does not apply. During this period, laying hens should always be clean, which means that cleaning should be carried out more often than in the summer. The litter should always be dry (if it is wet, this will lead to the development of respiratory diseases in birds, and chickens are known to be especially prone to this).

Video - Preparing chickens for wintering

What should be the lighting?

At first, eggs were laid by chickens solely for the purpose of procreation, and therefore it is obvious that birds do not have this instinct in winter. But you can “cheat” them and make spring right in, while much will depend on the lighting. In winter, daylight hours are significantly reduced, but you need to compensate for this deficit with artificial lighting. It is desirable to turn on the lamps from 6 to 9 o'clock (in the morning) and from 18 to 21 (in the evening). However, daylight hours should not exceed 14 hours, otherwise the birds will not have time to rest, which will negatively affect egg production.

Egg laying - a few important points

To increase egg production, you must:

• maintain optimal temperature in the chicken coop;
• take care of proper lighting;
• provide a balanced diet (more on this later);
• isolate nests as much as possible;
• ensure optimal stocking density (2-3 birds per 1 m² of area).

If you adhere to all these requirements, then the layers will feel comfortable in the winter and delight you with a large number of eggs.

As for heating the chicken coop, this can be done in two ways:

• natural heating(we are talking about the insulation of the chicken coop, flooring);
• artificial heating(stove heating, use of infrared heaters, heat guns, heaters, diesel stoves, etc.).

A few words about natural heating

As a rule, the goal of insulating a chicken coop is to increase egg production (this indicator depends on heat by about 40%) or gain muscle mass (the "slaughter" age of birds comes earlier, which means there is a feed saving). And if, thanks to natural heating, a temperature of at least + 7-10 ° C is provided (or better + 13-15 ° C), then there is definitely nothing to worry about.

Consider the main components of the natural heating of the poultry house.

bedding

Sprinkle the floor of the room with slaked lime (consumption should be 1 kg / 1 m²), lay straw, sawdust or any other insulating material on top with a maximum layer of 10 cm. fork loosening. Heat will be released from this layer, which is caused by natural composting processes, and in the spring you will have an effective one.

thermal insulation

Insulate windows, doors (with woven material - for example, an old blanket), walls (mineral wool or foam plastic) and floors (roofing material or the same mineral wool). All these activities will protect the layers from drafts, and the poultry house itself from precipitation. In addition, chickens warm themselves - it is only necessary that they eat well.

Video - Heating a chicken coop without fuel

artificial heating

The most common option today is IR lamps. One IR lamp or, alternatively, an IR mirror bulb can heat up to 10-12 m². The advantage of such lighting is that it is not the air that warms up, but objects and surfaces where the rays hit. In addition, infrared illumination dries the litter and allows you to maintain the required level of humidity. The lamp itself can not be turned off at all - its pleasant light has a calming effect on the layers. Finally, oxygen is not burned in the house, the IR lamp is easy to install and change, and its light helps digestion of food and strengthens the immunity of chickens.

Note! The efficiency of the infrared lamp is quite high - up to 98%. It not only shines, but also warms - about 90% of all energy is spent on heat.

But IR lamps also have disadvantages - this is, first of all, high electricity consumption, short service life, as well as frequent cracking in case of moisture ingress. Although this is more a matter of proper operation and the quality of the lighting fixtures themselves.

Important! When installing such lamps in a chicken coop, remember: they must be located at least 50-100 cm from the heated objects! Also, chickens love to jump on everything, including lamps, and therefore you should take care of ceramic cartridges and protective fittings in advance.

If the chicken coop is small, then a 500 W infrared heater will suffice.

What about stove heating?

The chicken coop can also be heated with the help of a potbelly stove, but this method can hardly be considered ideal. If you install a "potbelly stove" (or a brick oven), you will inevitably encounter a number of mandatory activities.

These include:

• insulation of the heating elements of the heating unit (laying hens can get burned);
• constant temperature control in the poultry house;
• fire safety (especially if the bedding is made of straw, and the room itself is wooden).

You should also pay attention to less popular methods of heating, which are still often used. All of them are listed below.

Table. Less popular ways to heat a chicken coop.

As you can see, there are many methods for heating a chicken coop, and therefore there really is plenty to choose from.

Winter feeding of laying hens

In the autumn, laying hens' egg production is high, and therefore nutrition should be appropriate (many vitamins and elements that are important for the body of birds). In the summer, there are no special difficulties with feeding at all. But in winter, everything is more serious, because birds practically do not walk in the fresh air, therefore they do not have access to food that they could get on their own.

On a note! Feed laying hens in winter three times a day (more as possible), without removing all kinds of mash and feed from the diet. The grains you use can be ground to make them easier to digest and benefit the chickens' bodies.

Table. Daily ration for laying hens depending on the season.

In some cases, the grain is given whole - this is how the body additionally releases heat during digestion. If the winter is cold, this will help the layers stay warm. We also note that it is better to take care of feeding in advance - prepare all the necessary products for the summer and autumn.

Note! Do not spare chalk, pebbles and gravel - laying hens should eat enough. There is no green grass in winter, and therefore you must take care of an equivalent replacement for greenery.

What can replace it? First of all, pumpkins and zucchini. They contain enough calcium, as well as vitamins. Carrots contain a lot of carotene, which will help increase egg production and strengthen immunity. Also, all root crops that were grown in the beds are suitable for this.

Even in summer, you can dry herbs (nettles, for example, or clover), and hang them in a chicken coop in winter. Pamper your hens with fish oil, meat scraps, and bone meal. Give the birds plenty of warm water.

Video - How to feed laying hens in winter

Master Class. Drinking bowl for chickens, in which the water does not freeze

The bottom line is to heat the water with an ordinary incandescent lamp. It will look something like this.

To get started, prepare everything you need:

• cuttings of galvanized sheets;
• 40 W incandescent lamp;
• cord with a plinth (can be found in any old chandelier);
• profile pieces for drywall;
• hand riveter (as an option - you can use bolts).

How to make a box for heating a drinker

Step one. Cut the galvanized sheets to size, and bend the edges with a mallet or hammer.

step two. Cut out small rectangles from the profile, make 2 holes in each.

Step Three. Bend these rectangles into corners to hold the sides of the box together.

Step Four. Connect 3 walls together using a riveter. You can use, as previously noted, and ordinary bolts. But rivets are definitely cheaper.

How to properly mount a cartridge

How to fix the fourth wall with a lamp

It is advisable to use such a device in chicken coops without heating and turn it on when the temperature drops to 0 ° C. If the frosts are really strong, you can use a more powerful light bulb.

As you can see, above the drinker there is a small cover at an angle of 45 ° - it is necessary so that birds do not fly onto the device. And, accordingly, they did not shit in the water they drink.

Winter drinker for chickens

Now you know everything about keeping laying hens in winter. There is really nothing complicated here, but everything needs to be taken care of in advance.