Heat Lamp - and Chickens won't go to bed

[WindingRoad]

I've always thought that Maine was so cold, I guess not. The lowest temp this week is -2.

My Mom emailed this to me earlier if any of you agree:View attachment 1657607

Depends what part of the state you live in. Maine is the largest ( area wise) state in New England. And believe it or not the Atlantic Ocean buffers the southern part of the state. I live in West Central Maine and we've had temps in the -20F range this winter. I currently have about 15" of snow in my yard and it's snowing now. 11F for a temp tomorrow. Check out Clayton Lake.

 

[CruellasCoup]

Our birds have done fine with single digit temps and NO coop heat. Just make sure they are dry and protected from drafts. Because the wind is howling so hard here tonight, I put fiberglass batting in the eave ventilation slots to reduce the drafts inside the coop. Most of the time it’s not needed, but this storm has wind just swirling, and I felt like the currents inside the coop were too strong considering the extreme low temps also.

 

[CruellasCoup]

I did a little of that also, for tonight the wind is pretty strong here too. Thanks

 

[WindingRoad]

I don't usually use a heat lamp, because we have a nice coop with good ventilation, proper wide roosts, and draft protection, and that's usually fine for the ladies. But we've had a long cold spell, and we're headed into extreme cold, like -25 F and gale force winds. So in advance of that, I (CAREFULLY, SECURELY, using a drill and heavy gauge wire and carabiners - they should NOT get knocked down!) hung a couple of red bulb heat lamps from the rafters of the coop. It's been dark for hours, and MOST of the chickens have settled on roosts. But some of them are still running around like it's party time... Anything I can do to help them settle down? I thought the red bulb was supposed to help with that???

Could they be trying to create a breeze to cool off?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I want to get one of these, but this extreme cold snap sneaked up on me and nobody had these in stock.

I've bought them on ebay. They are much cheaper than at the pet stores.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...itter.TRS0&_nkw=ceramic+heat+emitter&_sacat=0


Good luck to everyone and their animals. It only got down to 5 below overnight here. No record. Only getting up to 8 today and one more really cold night, then a quick warm up.

 

[MIChickandGuinea]

I've bought them on ebay. They are much cheaper than at the pet stores.
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...itter.TRS0&_nkw=ceramic+heat+emitter&_sacat=0

Oh! Great idea. I should get a couple of these to have on hand for the next time things get super-cold.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Oh! Great idea. I should get a couple of these to have on hand for the next time things get super-cold.

I used to use them for brooding chicks. Either 75 or 150 watt. I like the fact they don't put out light so you can give chicks a daily dark period. They can break but are much safer than the glass ones which are more prone to breakage and make a mess when they do.

For warming a large space, I think there are more efficient ways to do so.
Infrared, whether glass or ceramic, heat what they are aimed at, not radiating around the lamp.
Those cozy coop panels discussed above are the way to go. They're the most efficient way to heat with electric. I'll be running electric to all the coops in a few weeks so I'll probably be fitting each building with one of those before next winter. In the interim, I think a small space heater works better than a heat lamp. They're pretty safe since they shut off if they aren't level. I have the smallest space heater you can get in a building with open windows. and it is 20 degrees warmer in the 8|X 12 building than outside. at 14F, that may keep the cocks' huge combs and wattles from frostbite.

 

[MIChickandGuinea]

I used to use them for brooding chicks. Either 75 or 150 watt. I like the fact they don't put out light so you can give chicks a daily dark period. They can break but are much safer than the glass ones which are more prone to breakage and make a mess when they do.

For warming a large space, I think there are more efficient ways to do so. Those cozy coop panels discussed above are the way to go. I'll be running electric to all the coops in a few weeks so I'll probably be fitting each building with one of those before next winter. In the interim, I think a small space heater works better than a heat lamp. They're pretty safe since they shut off if they aren't level. I have the smallest space heater you can get in a building with open windows. and it is 20 degrees warmer in the 8|X 12 building than outside. at 14F, that may keep the cocks' huge combs and wattles from frostbite.

I just can't make myself use a space heater. I know they have all kinds of safety shut-offs, but I'm still so afraid of fire. I usually don't use any heat, and in typical winter cold, that has been fine. The birds huddle together to share warmth, and their coops are as properly wind-proofed and ventilated as I knew how to do. But this extreme cold snap ... ugh. It seemed too much to ask of my little feathery friends without some support. I have seen some ideas in this thread and others, and I will set about to put a plan in place for the next severe cold spell.

 

[spiritpots]

I just can't make myself use a space heater. I know they have all kinds of safety shut-offs, but I'm still so afraid of fire. I usually don't use any heat, and in typical winter cold, that has been fine. The birds huddle together to share warmth, and their coops are as properly wind-proofed and ventilated as I knew how to do. But this extreme cold snap ... ugh. It seemed too much to ask of my little feathery friends without some support. I have seen some ideas in this thread and others, and I will set about to put a plan in place for the next severe cold spell.

I live in east central Minnesota and this is my first winter with chickens. I also do not add any supplemental heat as I live on a heavily wooded property and a fire would be beyond devastating for myself and hundreds of acres around me. I have 4 chickens in a 4'x7' coop and they did great last night. The coop temp was near -20 this morning and the girls were still perched when I opened their door but then went into the run like usual. I built my coop with plenty of open venting and lined the interior walls with straw for a bit of winter insulation. I also leave the pop door open at night (I have a predator-proof attached run) for more ventilation unless it's going to get below -10 overnight or if there's a snowstorm.

Here's a link to another thread I've been following relating to extreme cold weather you might find helpful. Now just one more night of super cold temps then we're looking at +40 on Saturday!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...frostbite-advice.1289557/page-3#post-20922634

 

[mixedbreeds]

When I do use heat lamps I use the ones from premier they are more spendy but safer for a heat lamp