Are Heat lamps a good idea in the winter???

[SmallFlocker207]

I have three heat lamps in my coop in the winter and i was wondering if that is a good idea.??..

 

[aoxa]

You'll get varying opinions, but mine is that it is not a good idea.

You want your birds to be acclimated to the cold in case the power were to go out.

They have a big fluffy down coat. They don't need any more heat than that, unless they are chicks of course.

Also the heat lamps are a fire hazard.

 

[CAjerseychick]

I have three heat lamps in my coop in the winter and i was wondering if that is a good idea.??..

Whats your space like? If it is a barn type set up your chickens may not the have the huddle in a small space factor that mine do in their 5ft x8ft coop- that said mine have done fine so far (am bragging everywhere they started their first eggs in mid December w/o supplemental light or heat) and its been snowing off and on for the past month....
Also what kind of birds? Mine are designed for winter (Jersey Giants) and I would wonder of some of the other breeds are more delicate? (Silkies? Bantams?)...
But overall, I agree with Aoxa, unless you are in very extreme climates, let them acclimmate....
but feed them well!

 

[HouseCat]

i would just make sure your lights have at least one if not two safety straps just in case the original mount should fail. Also if you could put some kind of guard on the front of it to limit any direct contact, that will help to hedge your bet a little as well.

 

[patvetzal]

Where are you located? We occasionally get to -30C (about ther same as -30F) and when it gets that cold I have a radiant heater on the wall behind the roost that turns on via thermostat. I know that they are OK down to 5 or 10F without it however......
The heater is made from two waterbed heating elements wired in series so it doesn't get very hot, it just feels a little warm when you put your hand on it.

 

[PhilErvin]

I think you're all being way too concerned for your girls! Nature has provided them with a down jacket that keeps them toasty warm . As long as they can get in out of the wind and rain they will stay warm. Where do you think the birds in the air spend the cold nights, huddled in a tree exposed to the wind and rain. I close my coop up in the Fall (close the windows) and my girls stay happy all night.