Coldest night yet - heat lamp for one night?

[Dark Dozens]

I broke down and installed a heat lamp this weekend. Tonight is supposed to be -23 without factoring in the wind chill. I didn't think I would add heat, but that's just too cold.

 

[buckabucka]

I confess we are trying it for one night. I put a reptile heater in. It is away from the roosts, right by a lower window. Really, I'm not sure it gives off enough heat to do much. My goal is to keep the coop from dropping too much below zero. We're headed for -20 tonight. I plan to take it out tomorrow. They've been fine at -10.

I'm also thinking it might come in handy when I do the chores very early tomorrow morning in semi-darkness, -I'll be able to warm my hands under it!

 

[annie3001]

i leave my heat lamp on. especially with these awful freezing temps. thats just me tho. as soon as the chickens have the run open. its off tho. no sense in heating the outdoors.

goodluck

 

[augustwest]

I have only 2 hens in my coop and it seems like one is roosting and the other sleeping in a nest box. I've not heated the coop thus far, but it's supposed to be -10 here tonight. I've gone back and forth as they seem totally fine in the am- even when it's in the single digits.

For the first time, I have a light on tonight. I've checked on it a million times- it's making me so nervous. it's supposed to be below zero all day tomorrow as well.

I have a remote thermometer in the coop. It's 19 in there with the light on! It's not a sauna.

 

[tamberlin]

Our 3 girls are in the garage for the rest of the winter - their coop is in pieces. Tonight they are all huddled on the steps leading into the house, rather than roosting on the step ladder. I put a thermometer next to them and it's a cosy 45F, as opposed to 33F over on the step ladder. The one who picked the middle of winter for a hard molt is pretty much underneath the other two. I wish I could bring them in the house!

 

[Wolfwoman]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=421122&p=1

 

[naturababe]

i know, i've read that thread a million times but there is a difference between 0 with 20 chickens and -24 with 3 chickens. isn't there?

 

[bad_coffee]

I just put a sealed 5 gallon bucket with an aquarium heater in the coop for our three birds. It's supposed to get down in the single digits tonight and tomorrow.

I figure the thermal mass of the water will make the coop temps change slower than just popping on (or off) a heat lamp. The only issue I see is the extra moisture if I didn't get the bucket sealed completely.

Could our chickens suffer through the really cold night? Sure. But there's also a chance they could end up with frostbit combs and toes. I'd rather not deal with toe-less chickens.

B

 

[coralanna]

Tell those Canucks to keep that cold crap up north, Oh ya, I`m one of those ha ha. `Here is a question. If the hens are still laying, how do you keep the eggs from freezing if the coup is at -25.

 

[naturababe]

someone mentioned that you can still eat the frozen eggs, even if they are cracked a bit.

i know what time of day my hens tend to lay, of course i only have three, but i just grab them as soon as i can.