Heat Lamps

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ileggs

ileggs

Chirping
6 Years
Mar 29, 2013
68
0
77
Chicago IL
It is starting to get colder and I am not sure when to start turning on the heat lamp! I think my girls are fine in 50 degree weather but I am not sure when the right time is to introduce it. Please help me! :)
 
Unless you have severe cold weather, heat lamps are usually not needed and run the risk of burning down your coop. Chickens have a lot of feathers for a reason. Just like your doves and cardinals don't have electric heat sources, you chickens won't either unless there ae extreme circumstances. Shelter from the elements and water that isn't frozen is all that is required most of the time.
 
We're in MN, the overnight low on Saturday night was 32. There was frost in the grass. My girls had an open pop door and their window is still open as well. They came dashing out of the coop at 7am and were totally fine. I think the best thing that you can do is to get them used to the weather. You don't want to shock them when they go from a warm coop to a cold outdoors. My girls are super fluffy and happy in the cooler weather. My EE gets so HOT when the temp goes above 72, she pants. She is loving the coolness. The biggest thing is to keep the coop dry and the chickens out of drafts.
 
Do u close the door at night? I have a small coop so I think heat will stay in but we do has a lot of windy and cold winters in IL. I myself have not totally adjusted to the winters so it is hard for me to think that the chickens can stand being outside in those cold nights. :D thank you for your advice!!
 
I just got the door installed on Sunday. :) It closes automatically now, but their window will be open until Friday night. It's supposed to be in the 20's then.

How many birds do you have and how big is your coop?
 
I know exactly how you feel. I have lived in Illinois for 4 years (just moved to Michigan) After 7 years of living in the mid west i still cant get used to the cold.

Makes me worried my chickens will get cold. I wont be heating my coop but my husband is making it warm so we wont have to wake up to frozen chickens. They huddle together and keep warm that way.

Just think about it, they have all those feathers, ever have a coat that had feathers inside? It gets you hot real quick! I assume its the same thing for chickens. I just ready that you have to make sure you watch their crowns, legs and toes so they wont get frost bite
 
ileggs - my coop is insulated. We insulated to keep it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. It really worked for summer. The temp in the coop was noticeably cooler this summer, so it worked for that. We'll see how it goes for winter.
 

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