cold weather &heat lamps

[newchicks]

My DH and I are getting our 2 girls ready for winter...they are in a part of the barn that is the size of a single car garage. There's pine chips on the dirt ground, hay and straw bales around the edges to keep the drafts out, and bales up to their roost. Being such a large building for just 2 sweet little girls I wanted a heat light for them above their roost. I just tried it out tonight for the first time and at dusk when I went down the light was on and they seemed unsettled by it. The fixture has been hanging there for a week, today was the first time it was turned on. It's a red heat bulb that we had in our bathroom. I was wondering if that would be a different type of bulb than what I should use for the girls in the barn? I thought they acted too alert, though they were on their roost, but they were being active and chatting. When I turned it off they went right into their sleepy cooing. Is there a different type of bulb that I should use, or will they get used to this one?

 

[lovemychix]

Some peps call me crazy but I'm putting one out for mine this winter in those very cold nights.

 

[Chicken Woman]

I live in Montana and it gets really cold ! I have a white heat lamp set on a timer for 16 hours a day and a red heat lamp for the other 8. That way my girls are not having short daylight. Sometimes they will stop laying when the days get shorter.

 

[newchicks]

Chickenwoman, so you don't think the red light is too bright, and will upset their naturalnight time rest?

 

[swtangel321]

Quote:
It shouldn't, I have 1 in each my coops !!!!! I did notice it took them a few nights to "get use to it" Now they all huddle near it, But then again all hens are different !!!! Give it a few nights and see if they get better !!

 

[newchicks]

congrats on the upcoming human baby boy..love every moment, before you know it he'll be out collecting eggs. Thanks on the advice about the light.

 

[swtangel321]

Quote:
LOL, Hubby and I were just talking about that the other day, He was telling me how he was going to teach him how to "let the chickens out" when he's young !!!!! THANKS !!!!

 

[Omran]

Please be VERY careful with heat lamps,straw & hey can catch on fire very quickly.
God protect all of us.
Omran

 

[newchicks]

We had a rotti shepard mix, and she loved kids soooo much. she would never come off her belly when kids were around, and they would climb on her, give her treats and she wouldn't take them unless they would drop them out of their fingers. Fabulous dog, the best we ever had, she was a dogs dog, but loved humans.

 

[newchicks]

Thanks Omran, We do have it securely tied up, with wire and I don't think I should need it but when it's very cold at night or the winds are making a wind chill factor. U hyst wirrt abiyt tgen because it's such a large space and they only have the 2 of them to keep each other warm.