Banty's- Heat needed?

[Nadilli]

Ok, I have 1 rhode island, and 3 Bantys: golden seabright, barred chochrin, golden silkie. All about 10 months old.
I use to get about 3-4 eggs per day, and now only the rhode island is laying each day, and sometimes the silkie. The seabright is molting at the moment.
I have a temperature gauge inside the coop, and am monitoring the temperature. It is starting to get to or very close to freezing each night inside the coop, and I am wondering if I should add a little heat at night. They have fresh water and are getting good food- birdseed block and laying pellets available 24/7, and soaked grains at dinner time (cracked corn and steam crimped oats), and still only the rhode island is the only one laying.
I have 2 light bulbs that I can put in for at night with a timer, a 100w and a 250w heat bulb.
Advice? Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

Silkies are not known for being stellar layers and the Sebright is molting so she won't be laying.
If your coop is dry and well ventilated it doesn't need heat. Heat lamps are a major fire hazard and prevent proper acclimation to the colder weather.
The Silkie MAY need a huddle box or something as they have abnormal feathers not well designed to trap heat.
Feeding the seed block and cracked corn and oats should be stopped. Permanently. None of that is good for your birds.

 

[Nadilli]

Inside the coop, there are 3 nesting boxes that have a lot of straw, coop is dry and well ventilated.
I was told to give the block, and soaked grains to help them stay warm and keep laying in the winter. They use to get it each morning, but switched to dinner time when it got cold. I check the coop at night and usually the seabright and silkie are huddled in a nesting box together sleeping.

 

[ChickenLeg]

Sounds like theyll be fine, I wouldnt add any heat lamps to coops. I give my chickens cracked corn all through the winter. When their body breaks it down it is suppose to warm them up a bit, it doesnt do much for over night but on cold days I like to think they enjoy it

 

[DobieLover]

I was told to give the block, and soaked grains to help them stay warm and keep laying in the winter.

Someone misinformed you. Neither will keep them laying in the winter.
Pullets typically lay during their first winter.
Hens will stop just before and during their molt. Some will resume laying at a reduced rate during winter. Most will wait until the days lengthen in early spring.

 

[Nadilli]

What temperature should I add heat for? It doesn't get much past freezing in the winter usually, sometimes in the teens.

 

[ChickenLeg]

What temperature should I add heat for? It doesn't get much past freezing in the winter usually, sometimes in the teens.

Shouldnt ever have to unless they are still chicks or young juvies

 

[Nadilli]

Shouldnt ever have to unless they are still chicks or young juvies

They are roughly 10 months old.

 

[Folly's place]

Agree with @DobieLover on all counts! Except that layer feed is also not best, right now you only have one pullet who's actually laying eggs. Better to feed an all flock feed with higher protein and lower calcium, with separate oyster shell. The corn and bird seed are being overfed, either should be only occasionally offered in tiny amounts, as treats.
Your Silkie, especially if she's tiny, might need extra heat, as in a huddle box, or maybe a small wall heater. Only if she actually will use it though. And close to freezing isn't all that cold.
Mary

 

[Nadilli]

Just wanted to post a little update for the chicks.
The chickens are under a year old still, and did great over the winter. We got into single digits, I turned on the heat lamp which i put an old regular 100w bulb in, and the lowest it got in the coop was 6. I turned on the heat lamp when i saw the temp under 15. I put extra straw in the nesting boxes and on the usually clean metal floor, and put some scratch grains in a small dish inside the coop. Some of the bantys seemed to be molting, but never got bald patches. The rhode island never stopped laying, the bantys stopped for about 2 months and just now started laying again.
Everyone is happy, and my cochrin banty is still having eye issues, but I will address that in a different post.
Everyone pulled through winter here with flying colors, and I am now very confident in coop.
Thank you for the support and advice! <3