Californians Do Heat or Do Not Heat Coops.....question added

[winekntrychicks]

I live about 60 miles north of SF. Tonight is supposed to be the coldest night so far of the winter. It is supposed to maybe get into the teens. Right now it's 34 out side, my coop reads 40 with a 250 watt red lamp on. Tonight is the first night I turned it on. What say you's

I've decided to leave the light off tonight. Should I shut the hatch down on the coop. Its 8x8x12 at the peak????

 

[allisojo]

I've read on this forum that what really matters is wind and wet. If the chickens are dry and not exposed to violent winds, they should be OK in a closed house with a heat lamp. I live in Albuquerque, where it's been in the low twenties several times in the last few weeks. I make sure the hens (and Bob the Magnificent) are inside out of the wind, but they don't have a heat lamp and they're happy as larks. (It did snow last night, though, and they thought I was crazy when I ushered them outside to face the day. They ultimately had a ball, though.) So I think you're OK as long as you've got a pretty tight house. That's just my opinion, and I'm sure a northern Californian's opinion is more valuable. Thanks.

 

[Mahonri]

It drizzled here all day. I shut the windows and turned on the heat lamp in the day.

I noticed that most of the girl stayed inside for most of the day.

 

[ole-crone]

When we lived in CA we never heated the coop - we lived east of Placerville.

Now we live in UT and don't heat the coop - it is 10 and heading down tonight. I think you guys are ok as long as you prevent drafts.

 

[debilorrah]

Ok, we have spoiled chickens and yes their hen house is heated. But that does not mean it needs to be! My fiance wants them to be as comfortable as they can be so we have heat.

 

[Hen Pecked honey]

I am new to chickens and we live in woodside and it hit 31 degrees earlier tonight. I have my heat lamp on with the door to the run closed so they draft does not affect them and they seem happy. I would also like to know if I need to have the lamp on as well. As I want them to be comfortable, this lamp seems to be attracting my chickens to my white crested polish and they are picking out his feathers so that he is bleeding and now sleeping in my master bathroom. What we do for our chickens.

At what temperature do we need to provide them heat? They are dry, there is no rain and the winds are minimal. Just cold air.

 

[ChanceRider]

I live in the foothills, near Placerville... this week we've had rain/hail/snow, along with pretty decent winds. I have the coop protected from drafts but do not use any type of artificial light or a heat lamp. The girls seem so get along just fine, though the ducks' outside water bowl was frozen over this am.

I have a second coop with a raised brooder which is currently occupied by 29 one week old Cornish X chicks. Their brooder coop is nice and toasty, thanks to two 250 watt infrared heat lamps, and a pleasant place to hang out and watch their antics!

 

[Oblio13]

It gets well below zero F here, and our coop's not heated. I've had roosters get frostbitten combs, but that's about it.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Ditto, except for the frostbite.

It's 13F right now and all the birds, even the young ones, are outside.
Edited to add that if I still lived in CA, I would not heat the coop. Just make sure it's cozy.

 

[Hen Pecked honey]

Thanks for all of your responses....

I think I will leave the light on tonight but from now on, I think they will be ok without the light... Their coop is very coozy and there is very little wind in the area I live. People on this website are great..