Cold chickens.....when to use heat lamp?

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
Brrrrrr! Sounds cold there. We are cold here, but no snow.

I pulled the plug on the party chickens last night. The heat light was to stimulating for them. I was afraid they would never go sleep. I wonder how many eggs I'll get today with all their partying under the heat lamp?

I let them out at about 8 am to the run, but I just checked the weather and it's only 8 degrees outside. Should I keep them in the coop today?

My water in the coop was just a little frozen on top. In frigid weather do you keep the red 100W light on during the night or just during the day or both?

Thanks,
Kim

 

[speckledhen]

I kept their white 125 watt lamp over each waterer on all night long, knowing how cold it would get. They don't seem to party at all. Maybe yours are just not used to the light yet. Usually, it only comes on at 6 a.m and stays on a couple of hours, then comes on at dusk and does the same. Suede's coop is 8x8 and the other side is 8x12, so that light hanging low really isn't bright at all, being a heat lamp and not a regular 100 watt bulb. In the larger side, the roosts are pretty far away from the light, so it doesn't keep them awake at all that I can tell. Today, since tonight will be colder than last night, I'll keep the lights on over the waterers all day and all of tonight, too-just till we get over this really cold spell.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
I guess mine just weren't use to the light. It's a 125W Infrared Heat Lamp, but clear and not red. I'm wondering if I should go get a red one today? Maybe I have it hanging to high?

I haven't used any heat at all until last night & I pulled the plug on it about midnight. Typically I was using a reg light to come on at dusk for a few hr., then they would go to sleep in the dark.

Are you letting yours go outside or keeping them in the coop?

Sorry for all the questions. Thanks so much!
Kim

 

[speckledhen]

I opened the doors and they came running out. Suede's bunch stood on a log that goes across their pen as a sort of terrace, all in a row outside their door then one by one tried to fly back over the snow to their pop door, LOL. My others just refused to come out after one girl jumped out into the snow and just stood there, horrified. I picked her up and put her back in and nobody else ventured out so I closed them back in. I have an almost naked BR girl who is just miserable in her extended molt so I thought, if they aren't coming out, why let all that frigid air in and make her a barred popsicle?

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
That is to funny! Thanks so much for your replies! I really appreciate it. I've read a ton of post on winterizing and in my books, but the super cold hasn't hit us until now. Just want to make sure I'm doing everything right for them. I'm a worry wart, but don't want to over spoil them either.

Mine all like to come outside, but I don't have snow on the ground at the moment either. They are under the protected tarped end all puffed out like a big puff ball. I guess they are ok. I assume if they were to cold they would coop up???????

Thanks,
Kim

 

[KrisRose]

Smitty- my red heat lamps also keep my chickens up at night. I'm switching out to a flat panel heater. This only takes the edge off the cold so my chickens arn't going to turn into wussies.
I know people don't heat their coops but my chicks DO NOT like the cold. Only one went out in the run and headed straight back into the coop after the snow strom on Tuesday.

I also work with a lady who kept chickens in the 70's. She did'nt have a heater and poo-pooed me using one. Went on to say that the cold did'nt bother chickens and they only lost part of their comb and some of/part of their toes!!!

 

[speckledhen]

We rounded up everybody yesterday and got all their combs and wattles rubbed with bag balm mixed with other stuff to keep them from freezing. Dont want to lose any parts off any of my chickens! It's the only time I ever get to pick up Suede-he's very sweet once you get him in your arms, but he does not want to be picked up, LOL. When he struggles, I have a time grabbing that huge armload of rooster! Anyway, they are all fine, but the one hen who is almost naked except for her saddle is pitiful! The sun is out, so the metal roof on the coop will help heat it up inside. If it stayed like this all the time during the winter, I'd probably put a 250 watt red lamp in each side rather than the 125, but this is not our usual weather.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Ooops! I must of been tired and worried this morning, b/c I missed reading some post that were posted after I went to bed and before I got back online.

DougD: Thanks for all the ceramic light links. I have heard of them, but I guess I didn't think I'd have to use them. In denial that yes, it is winter now. Ha!Ha! My flock definitely need the no light emitt so they won't party all night.

jjthink: I would like to know about the thermostatically controlled thingy also. Sounds cool! Someone on this thread had a waterer that turns on at freezing. I'll have to scroll back and read.

I am in deep doo doo, but I only have 16 chickens (not 30 like Speckledhen) b/c they just wanted to party with the clear heat lamp. They were eating, drinking & pooping! It was like....yahoooooooo!

anya40: I'm in Illinois also. Where is Greenfield?

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
Good to know about the red heat light. I think I'll look for a ceramic one at Petco today, just to take the chill off and to get them through this unually cold weather. I don't think it would be as bad if we had snow to insulate the ground. It's cold & windy. Brrrrr!

Yipes!

Losing body parts is not good!

Thanks!
Kim

 

[MTtroutwithwings]

Hi there!
Temps here are usually in the teens & twenties although we're currently above normal for MT. I have 15 pullets in a 10 x 12 coop with two 250w infrared heat lamps on a timer that runs from 5:00 pm to 10:00 am, (I don't have a thermostat in the coop but you can still see your breath) and I do the deep litter as well. The water doesn't freeze either, not yet anyways. The girls are 6 mos. old today, they're laying fine, I average a dozen a day, give or take 2 and everyones happy!
Lori