Heat for chickens

[animal boy]

With the day and nights getting colder I went to put on my white heat lamp for my chickens to find it wouldn't turn on. I have an open air coop and I think it got ruined in a bad storm we had. I thinking about getting a new red heat lamp because I hear there better for them. With my coop being open aired how long until I will absolutely need a lamp. I can probably get one within the next few days but I'm concenred because it's getting below freezing at night. Please respond ASAP

Edit: I went out tonight to check on my broody hen and as i was out there the light went on. I'm still thinking I should get a red bulb though. Does anyone else use a white heat lamp at night? How does it affect your birds? And does the heat lamp need to be over the roost. I put mine over the nest boxes, food, and water. Their roost is on the other side of the coop. I didn't want the water to freeze or the broody hen to get to cold.

 

[bobelot]

yea i was wondering to i am planning to put a regular heating lamp in there not a red one but i heard that u should get a red lamp if u have baby chicks but the white ones probebly work pretty good too. sorry i couldent answer very well its my first winter with the hens

 

[Hishigata]

I used a white heat lamp for my flock a couple of years ago. It worked just fine and kept the coop fairly warm but the water would still occasionally freeze (my water was not right near the light). I recommend a second water container kept indoors to replace frozen ones in the morning/evening if it gets really cold. You can also buy heating elements for the water containers but I have never used one.

 

[real_redhead]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/720968/to-heat-or-not-to-heat
I don't know if this link will work having trouble with my dang computer that my son has messed with. Or search for "To heat or not to heat" there was some good info there!

I do not heat my coop, this is my 2nd winter with chickens and they did fine last year. I had to come to realize that these are farm animals and most of ours (us crazy Chicken people on BYC) treat them as pets, I DO!, but they have lived for hundreds of years or more outside and do fine. I would since you have an open air coop try to winterize it somehow maybe with a tarp or hay bales. I am sure some of hte old timers have more to say. Good luck

 

[JackE]

I have an open air coop, and I don't heat it at all (No insulation either). The front of it is wide open year round. The chickens do very well in there. I do have a cookie tin warmer for the water fount.
Jack

 

[cary 1973]

i know the white light caused my chickens to fight more and be more agressive thats when there where chicks the red one did not seem to mess with there sleeping or added agression. I would say if you are going to add a heat lamp use red but I have also read about a lot of dead chickens due to heat lamps braking or falling and catching the coops on fire.

If I were you I would just help seel up the coop but leave some air flow just to keep drafts off them

 

[bobelot]

This is where I had my first post ever
I just remembered