I was going to put a red lightbulb (not a heat lamp, but just a colored light bulb so I could leave it on 24/7 without forcing or disrupting their egg cycle) for some warmth as I live in new england it is gets very cold here in the winter. I have seen all the posts about coops catching on fire though and am petrified about that... so, if they will survive without it, I don't want to put one out there. BUT if they won't survive, then I'll put one out there and hope there won't be any fire.
As it is, I have a heated waterer... I haven't plugged it in yet but will probably need to soon. That is going to have to be on a long extension cord from my garage. 100 foot cord as a guess? I am not sure. So that worries me as it is. Electricity in general does.
My flock is: 3 golden comets, 1 RIR, 1 silkie, and 1 Ameraucana. They are all fully grown, ranging in age from 25 weeks to about a year and a half. This is my first winter with chickens though. I worry the most about my silkie because the others roost up on bar together and she is by herself down on the floor of the coop, lacking the body heat the others might be getting.
They have an enclosed coop with wood shavings/hay. It is not have any building insulation, but I am going to (today maybe?) staple some cardboard to the studs inside the coop and stuff hay in there.. I read about that before as a way to try to insulate it. Their run is semi-enclosed. It has a roof and partial walls, with some good amounts of chicken wire too of course. I bought a roll of plastic sheeting to put over the chicken wire to block out most of the wind.
So, do they need a lightbulb for heat? Or will they all be ok without one? What about my silkie??
THANKS!!!!!
As it is, I have a heated waterer... I haven't plugged it in yet but will probably need to soon. That is going to have to be on a long extension cord from my garage. 100 foot cord as a guess? I am not sure. So that worries me as it is. Electricity in general does.
My flock is: 3 golden comets, 1 RIR, 1 silkie, and 1 Ameraucana. They are all fully grown, ranging in age from 25 weeks to about a year and a half. This is my first winter with chickens though. I worry the most about my silkie because the others roost up on bar together and she is by herself down on the floor of the coop, lacking the body heat the others might be getting.
They have an enclosed coop with wood shavings/hay. It is not have any building insulation, but I am going to (today maybe?) staple some cardboard to the studs inside the coop and stuff hay in there.. I read about that before as a way to try to insulate it. Their run is semi-enclosed. It has a roof and partial walls, with some good amounts of chicken wire too of course. I bought a roll of plastic sheeting to put over the chicken wire to block out most of the wind.
So, do they need a lightbulb for heat? Or will they all be ok without one? What about my silkie??
THANKS!!!!!
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