This has been a game changer for us. We use it for a brooder box and it is perfect for that. It will easily keep 30 chicks for the first few weeks. One batch of chickens (12) we left to see how they would do and it will indeed comfortably house them. We live in the Rocky Mountains at 7300' so it was tested in a cold climate. The chickens did not need added heat and there was no frost bite. We did use heat when used as a brooder.