9.51am - Monday 30th March 2015 79,352

I used the Seek Thermal camera and app on my photo which is a thermal camera that allowed me to take temperature readings from around the chicken coop. What I found was that the areas with the heaviest manure load, namely under the roosts, generated some extra heat, but not enough to really make a difference.

While deep bedding, for me, would not be a good heat source, I am very happy with how thewinter has gone with managing the chickens in this way. The smell has been nothing but a barnyardy type smell, the manure has been really manageable, my eggs are clean in the nesting boxes, and the bird's over-all health has been great.

It been difficult to find detailed information on keeping a lot of egg-laying hens over the winter. I hope me sharing my information helps you in some way as you manage a flock in the colder months.

To see how I run my farm business visit me at http://farmmarketingsolutions.com