angry!!!!! so angry!!

[coberdor]

I don't heat mine either. Nor do I heat my barn for my horses, donkey's or goats. They all get through fine. My horses stalls stay open 24/7, unless it's going to be below 0 and windy. It's alot healthier for them. It's better than respiratory diseases from being cooped up with all the dust that is prominent in any barn. I've only ever had to put a blanket on my old, 30 year old horse, but I still kept the barn open. In fact that old horse would get stressed when I tried to close him up, even when it got to -25

for 5 days.

Unless you have chicks that aren't fully feathered, they are better off without the heat.

 

[wing it]

this is why I don't heat my coop. Never know when bulb will die, power will fail.

 

[Airilith]

I hate worrying about the cold and the chickens. I drove myself nuts when my lil ones went outside for the first few nights (Christmas Night onward). But hey if my 8 week olds are fine with nights at about 25-30, I'm sure your 7 month-olds are fine!

 

[gsim]

It has been 12 degrees here three days in a row in AM when I go out. No heat or insulation but no drafts either. So far, so good. Mine are breeds that are cold hardy and cold weather layers too. A lot depends on the breed. As long as no excessive humidity, you will be fine down to zero or so.

 

[patandchickens]

I agree about the husband thing -- mine does that too, like I discover that some gutters have fallen off the back of the barn and the barn is flooding and he says "oh yeah, I noticed they were down a couple days ago." Gee thanks.

OTOH I also agree your chickens are unlikely to need a heat lamp and as long as the unexpected transition to cold has not caused a problem thus far (and, in that regard, think about what'd happen in a power outage if they're used to heat...) then they will be quite fine.

I am glad to hear you have the lamp multiply-secured to the ceiling, but it sounds as if you could use one more important safety precaution: a chicken-proof guard on it. The little 'two crossed wires' type dealies that come with the heat lamp are not really sufficient. This is not just to save you from having a bulb knocked askew or the heat going out; a hot bulb is quite easy to break or to knock *out of* the metal part that screws into the socket, and you really don't want a hot bulb or little broken pieces thereof falling down onto combustible litter. That's a good recipe for a fire. So, put up a good chicken-safe guard (large, rigid, and fairly strong) and remember to knock the cobwebs off it periodically and you shouldn't have to worry about this particular problem again

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[windtryst]

I have 4 chickens that insist on roosting in the run at night...it has been cold here in Pa. so after dark I go out and climb up to get them down and put in the coop. When I hold them and reach under the feathers, they are so warm! I really think they are fine and will leave them when it warms up a bit closer to 30 degrees.
Also, you should get a heated dog dish...the best for a small flock

 

[gsim]

Quote:
If they do not want to go in then is is possible that something is in the coop that you do not know about?

One post on here had that condition and resulted in several being killed by a possum that the owner could not see. If you have others that go in the coop tho, not likely that is it.

 

[The Chicken People]

Its 4 degrees here with a windchill of negative something crazy like 10...we have a red warming light aa 40 watt bulb in one lamp and a 100 watt bulb facing the nests and roost area and it is 12 degrees in the coop! I have a few hens with some frostbite on combs and felt a little heat was needed as we are to get down to neg 16 tomorrow.

 

[redhen]

I'm not usng a heat lamp this year..
i got frostbite on some combs last year...and i think that it was becasue i was heating up their coop and making condensation inside the coop and it was giving them frostbite...

 

[windtryst]

Quote:
If they do not want to go in then is is possible that something is in the coop that you do not know about?

One post on here had that condition and resulted in several being killed by a possum that the owner could not see. If you have others that go in the coop tho, not likely that is it.

Nothing in there except the other 4 cochins, who are not their best friends...