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

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
Lori, do your chickens go to sleep w/ the heat lamp light or party? Is it a red or clear one? Just curious if I'm the only one with party chickens!

I bet you are cold if you are in MT. I'm just worried,
b/c we are in single digits today & windy.

Thanks,
Kim

 

[MTtroutwithwings]

Hi Kim,
The lamps are red, I was told the red ones provide enough light to keep them laying through the winter but not to keep them up all night. To be honest, after I close them up for the night, usually around 5:30ish pm, I don't check on them until they're let out the next morning, around 10:00ish. We've only been here in MT for 1 1/2 years, so this is our 2nd winter here and we're having a mild one so far. It's also my first year with raising chickens so I've just been following queues from the folks of BYC and my girls own behavior. I do get strange looks from the local ranchers when I tell them how I spoil them but I'm the only one who is getting plenty of eggs, so I just smile at them when they laugh at me!

Lori
P.S. We relocated from Denver Co. April of 2006 so cold weather is not an issue, we expected colder & more snow but we're actually warmer than Denver right now!

The last snow we had was at Thanksgiving! The chickens like it!

Ahh yes, the wind, plenty of that here Too! We should be called Windy Creek, not Canyon! It's currently 17 degrees but suppose to warmup to 37. The end of the week, we're suppose to have 45 degrees & rain! What's wrong with this picture?

 

[ozark hen]

Welcome MT, to the site and to the addiction

 

[OHbluecoop]

We have 2 heat lamps on a timer on at 10 pm off at 3 or 4 am and the metal htr under the waterer. We have a plastic waterer the one with a black bottom- heater hasnt melted in 3 yrs. I used to have eggs all winter but not this yr. I think we need to cull - some chickens are 4 or 5 yrs old!

 

[ToniBuzzard]

My flock is not acclimated yet so I do have to heat my coop. I use an oil filled radiator heater. I hatch chicks year round so I basically pretty much need it. On cold nights like last night I also used some 250 watt heat lamps. I think it should take a few more years for these bantams to acclimate to this weather in WV, if they ever do. They are the smallest little things and don't have much body heat, but I do know there are several breeders who just provide a light bulb for them in a very well insulated coop, and they do well and acclimate. I am just not brave enough to try it yet, perhaps next winter. lol. maybe.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

The water in their run froze about an hour after I changed it this morning, so I had to boil some water and pour it in their water to melt the ice. The one in their coop is ok so far.

It's about 17 degrees F now and the sun is out. Yea!!!!

They are braving the cold. They are all outside in their run, except the ones that are going into the coop to lay.

I guess I need to invest in something to keep water in the run from freezing.

 

[Wildsky]

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Last night was a VERY COLD night for my girls. Inside the coop went down to 2 degrees.
We don't use heat except for the water - heated base.

 

[KrisRose]

Smitty- why do you have water in their run? They have it in their coop and they will go inside to drink.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
WOW! That is Brrrrrrrrrrrr cold!

That's good to know that your girls are doing ok in that cold of weather and no heat. How cold was it outside if it was 2* in the coop? Brrrr!
How many are in your flock and what size is your coop? Do you ever use heat?

I don't know how cold it got in the coop last night. I ended up pulling the plug to heat lamp at midnight since it was keeping them up.

Thanks,
Kim

 

[Catalina]

Something I just learned today about water: Cold water takes longer to freeze.
So, if you put boiling hot water outside it will freeze faster than lukewarm water.
Wierd huh?