new heat lamp!

[dixiechik44]

So we just put a heat lamp into our small chicken coop to keep up egg production. The coop is a very small one (it says it can have up to 4 chickens, but we only have 3) and my birds are brahmas and 1 salmon faverolle. Will they get too hot?
Also, when will the production start up again? Do we need to close them in so they think it's daytime or do they just need the light?

Thank ya!

 

[BorneHomestead]

They do not require heat unless they are not cold hardy to your area, if you are adding light to help with egg production then you should use one that is low enough wattage that it is still bright enough to read by. it can take several weeks before you would see production back up.

 

[Going Quackers]

I agree, i doubt they need the heat, besides if the coop is that small, could be even more of fire risk. We've been cold here like 18F no heat. I don't artificially light my birds so am no help there.

 

[teach1rusl]

Yeah, with three hens of the breeds you named (good sized fluffy butted breeds), and a small, draft free coop, probably a 40w regular bulb would be fine...wouldn't make coop too warm and should offer decent light for a small coop. Are you using it on a timer? You won't want it on all the time of course...coming on early in the morning would work best IMO. If it's set up to come on of the evening time, I would worry about them not being on the roost when it suddenly shuts off late in the evening...