How do chickens stay warm in cold weather?
The most commonly used method to heat chicken houses is through propane, which is among the most expensive operation costs for farmers and ultimately isn’t a very sustainable source.
Phillip Wike, a fifth-generation farmer from Caldwell County, currently operates four chicken houses on his farm that hold around 25,000 chickens each.
SEE MORE: Farm Facts: Chickens
In conjunction with Carolina Land and Lakes Resource Conservation and Development, a non-profit group that focuses on creating a safer environment, Wike has switched to heating one of those chicken houses with wood pellets.
Using wood from furniture factories and lumbering operations, Wike is able to heat nearly 20,000 square feet with virtually no waste and is able to maintain an environment for the birds that is significantly less humid than houses heated with a propane equivalent.
Watch the video below to go inside Wike’s wood-heated chicken house.
