This is what I call my "Fifth Hen". It makes an appearance in the chicken run every winter.
The Fifth Hen is not just an upside-down clay flower pot and saucer--it is actually a warmer for the hens to cozy up to on cold days. It is wired with a porcelain socket containing a 75-watt light bulb, and it plugs into an outlet in the coop. I got the "idea" from the February/March 2008 edition of Backyard Poultry.
The heat radiates warmth to the surrounding perch area.
I often find Meg snuggled up to the Fifth Hen. She does not have as much heavy feathering and fat as the big girls, and it has been a cold winter!!
I won't argue with the fact that the Fifth Hen probably does more for my conscience than the hens' comfort. What can I say? I just adore my girls!
(And I think my girls kinda like me, too!)
Love, Bonnie Jo
