Cold chickens.....when to use heat lamp?

[Phoenixxx]

Thank you.
I was going to start imtroducing them to the outside for small amounts of time before leaving them our there but wasnt sure if i was chancing it too early? X

Nope, not too early. Maybe gradually lower the temperature in their room over the course of a couple days before bringing them out. Are they big birds or banties?I think that plays a role in how sensitive they are to climate changes. It was easy with my latest pair because they were born and raised outdoors. They actually objected to the heat in my car (panting) when I was driving them home so I had to open the sunroof - on an icy winter day at 110 km/hr - for them!

 

[ali d 1985]

Nope, not too early. Maybe gradually lower the temperature in their room over the course of a couple days before bringing them out. Are they big birds or banties?I think that plays a role in how sensitive they are to climate changes. It was easy with my latest pair because they were born and raised outdoors. They actually objected to the heat in my car (panting) when I was driving them home so I had to open the sunroof - on an icy winter day at 110 km/hr - for them!

They are hybrids. Thank you we already dont have any heat on them indoors so apart from the occasional boost of heating they are used to a cool temp. X

 

[icedog05]

I am new to raising chickens so take that into consideration. Live in West Central Wisconsin due East of Mpls/St Paul. Have a 125W heat lamp and a heated qt. size dog dish. Coop is 2ft of the ground, insulated, deep little method, vents open on East and West walls at top, 30 sq ft of footprint and 10 chickens (app 16-18 weeks old). I might be off a day but it doesn't really matter as far as content of message:.
Friday (12/27/2013) morning it was -12F and the coop temperature was +12F. Saturday (12/28/2013) morning it was -20F and the coop temperature was +20F. Anything above +15F the coop temperature has been about 10 degrees warmer on the average. I believe the difference inside the coop between Friday and Saturday due to the direction of the wind or speed. Chickens appear to weather the temperature ok but don't seem to like going outside. Will try to entice them with chicken scratch feed outside. I change over to a 60W bulb when the low temps at +30F. Only regret was getting the 1 qt heated dog dish instead of the 2 qt size. I will have to take care of the rooster(s) and cut the number down to 5 per city regs. .

 

[JacobMaxwell]

For those of you who are using a heat lamp right now, I'm just going to say that you don't necessarily have to keep that lamp on, because right now it's -28C where I live and my hens are absolutely fine in the metal uninsulated chicken house. Personally I think the little bit of extra heat that a lamp gives is not worth the hazard of fire, at least in my small, short coop. It is totally up to you to use heat or not and I'm not trying to offend anyone.

 

[4 the Birds]

For those of you who are using a heat lamp right now, I'm just going to say that you're using electricity you don't have to use, because right now it's -28C where I live, and my hens are absolutely fine in the metal uninsulated chicken house. Personally I think the little bit of extra heat that a lamp gives is not worth the hazard of fire.

When the temperatures are way way below zero it is about survivability and not saving a few bucks worth of electricity. It is also not about bragging rights as to who has chickens that can survive the coldest conditions. I hear the "don't use a heat lamp because your coop will burn down argument" all the time. Use common sense with securing the lamp with ample ventilation and the birds will have a safe area to huddle and stave off frigid conditions. I leave the pop door open full time so they can simply go outside and enjoy the sub zero weather, hang out in cold part of the coop, or hunker down near a heat lamp. They choose.... I just provide them options.

We have 4 dogs that live outside and one is a Husky mix. Just like the chickens, they get well built housing (insulated with hound heaters) and an area to warm up to survive the depths of Winter. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Hokum Coco]

When the temperatures are way way below zero it is about survivability and not saving a few bucks worth of electricity.

Chickens are not polar bears we have to keep in mind. Laying, vocal, and active birds in my opinion is a sign everything is right in their world. That being said when a chicken has 4 trips around the sun it is there as a pet not for egg production. If your birds or animals are showing signs of stress you have to do what is right in your situation. The one size fits all is a recipe for disaster.

Take inventory on your animals daily and make daily decisions is what I do summer and winter. A heat lamp and TLC can happen not only in winter and not always due to cold.

In Canada I am subject to -40º cold snaps. I do NOT heat or give extra light in my coop. Murphy's law says my birds will find out what -40 is all about when my hydro goes out. Regardless what you decide feed Extra Corn over the winter you will not be sorry.

Or something like this may help also; You could even knit a hoodie for those extra cold days..

 

[pappy1264]

I am in Massachusetts. We got over 2 feet of snow last night (our coop and run are all covered, so snow is not the issue.) I do not have a heat lamp in my coop, but do put a light on during the day (a regular bulb, not a heat one), it does bring temp up. But I have the roofline vented both front and back (see attached pic) so the air flows through. Tonight they are calling for temps to go as low as -20F (that is actual temp, not including wind chill.) Those are not normal temps for here. Should I add a heat lamp? Will they be ok? I am keeping them inside, but again with that roofline open, will they be too cold? Here is a pic. Coop is 8x6, partially insulated and have 8 hens (7 full size, 1 bantam). I don't want to loose anyone. Please, what should I do? You can see the 2/4's up on end at the roof. Run is completely covered in plastic.

 

[kdwag]

Well, I'm down to 2 chickens in an 8 x 8 chicken coop,, and since there are only 2, my theory is they don't produce enough body heat to keep each other warm?? Anyway, I leave a heat lamp on all day, and sometimes I turn on a space heater set on a timer for 2-3 hours at a time. Spoiled?? Probably.

 

[Phoenixxx]

If it wasn't for the one tiny white phoenix hen, I don't think I would've bothered with the lamp. But when our temps dropped way down the other day, she wasn't looking so great. With the light, she's much better. Hopefully when she finishes growing she'll have enough meat on her to tackle next winter. The golden phoenix - a bit older, definitely full-grown - was looking just fine with the cold so hopefully this will be true with the white one as well.

Pappy1264: there are good arguments here on both sides of the heatlamp debate. I wasn't planning on using one this year myself. I've also closed all doors, vents etc. due to the wind we're having right now but my coop isn't entirely sealed, either, so while the ventilation right now isn't great, there's still some airflow. Pay attention to your birds: if they start behaving differently when a cold snap hits, maybe they need a light; if they're just as perky and active as ever, then they're not being bothered and can go without.

 

[pappy1264]

They do seem perky and normal, but my concern is tonight....it is going from 20 degrees to -20F overnight (that is actual temp, not counting windchill, could be as bad as over-30 below with teh windchill...we never get that cold here!) Was just doing this for tonight, as I think they have done fine in the teens but have not gone down to single digits yet, and tonight going to be a heck of a lot colder then it has been!