Below Freezing Care

[TinyT]

We live at 8400 ft elevation so the nights are below freezing. We use a heat lamp in the coop to keep the chickens warm. Will the red light from the lamp disrupt the chickens’ normal sleeping cycle? Does anyone have a better heating solution?

 

[nuthatched]

Turn off the red light, they're not good for them and dangerous in many ways.
Make sure they don't have wind hitting them and proper ventilation.

 

[MamaPoult]

What breeds do you have? They may not even need heat. I don't add heat to my coop and it gets in the negative temps. We see 20-40 below regularly. That's not to say your chickens aren't acclimated to warmer temps. Is this much colder than normal?

 

[Mrs. K]

We use a heat lamp in the coop to keep the chickens warm. Will the red light from the lamp disrupt the chickens’ normal sleeping cycle? Does anyone have a better heating solution?

There are a lot of problems, and it really does not fix the one you are trying to fix.

In order to keep it warm in there with the heat lamp, well you need to close the coop up tight. It does little to trap the heat, what it traps is moisture. Moisture makes for cold chickens.

The light is not good for the chickens sleep schedule and a lot of people have burned the coop down with a heat lamp. They are a real fire hazard.

Let us see your set up, post a picture and we can help get a coop with good ventilation, protections from the prevailing winds, and keep your chickens dry, which will keep them warm.

Mrs K

 

[Ridgerunner]

Will the red light from the lamp disrupt the chickens’ normal sleeping cycle?

I use a red heat lamp in my brooder. The simple answer is no, the red light does not disrupt their sleep cycle.

Does anyone have a better heating solution?

How cold can it actually get? What is your record cold temperature? Averages don't matter, it is the extremes where you run into problems if you design for averages.

I'll provide a link to an article about chickens and really cold weather. I've only experiences temperatures down to -10 Fahrenheit with chickens so I may not be a great resource for you. Some of those single combed chickens slept in tree at -10 F and did not get frostbite. The ones that slept in the coop did not get frostbite either.

Good luck!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

 

[TinyT]

What breeds do you have? They may not even need heat. I don't add heat to my coop and it gets in the negative temps. We see 20-40 below regularly. That's not to say your chickens aren't acclimated to warmer temps. Is this much colder than normal?

When I originally did my research before getting the chickens, I picked ones that are supposedly “winter hardy”. I have Buff Orpingtons, Plymouth Rock chickens, and Australorp chickens. I ordered pullets so they were approximately 15-20 weeks old when they arrived at the beginning of September. The lowest temp so far this season was 25 degrees F. Last winters coldest temp was 11 degrees. I don’t like the chicken coop we currently have because I think it’s too drafty, which is why I thought I should give them some heat. Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

When I originally did my research before getting the chickens, I picked ones that are supposedly “winter hardy”. I have Buff Orpingtons, Plymouth Rock chickens, and Australorp chickens. I ordered pullets so they were approximately 15-20 weeks old when they arrived at the beginning of September. The lowest temp so far this season was 25 degrees F. Last winters coldest temp was 11 degrees. I don’t like the chicken coop we currently have because I think it’s too drafty, which is why I thought I should give them some heat. Any help you can provide would be much appreciated.

If the chicken coop is otherwise ok, can you just reduce the drafts?

Heat won’t really help if you have serious drafts. The drafts strip that blanket of warm air around their bodies produced by their down.

 

[Ridgerunner]

One morning when the temperature was around -4 F I opened the pop door and gave them the option of staying in or going outside. They immediately went outside. That might tell you what they think of cold weather, not a big deal. That morning was bright and sunny without any wind, as it often is on a really cold day. If it had been +11 F with a strong wind blowing they would not have been outside. They do not like a strong cold wind. Some of my chickens were Orpington and Australorp.

You want good ventilation to remove the bad air but you do not want a breeze blowing on them, especially at night on the roost. Blocking the wind at roost level should be your priority, not worrying about heat.

 

[Mrs. K]

Take a few pictures of your coop.