Heat Lamp at night & winter?

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Remove the light. Your birds need this time of year to acclimate to the coming colder weather. Their feathers will thicken up and they will gradually get used to cooler temperatures.

Keeping them artificially heated will cause them to not be able to handle the winter temperatures, and can cause them to be more prone to illness.

 

[lazy gardener]

Thank you very much. In Washington we don't get much of that. With that said, last winter we had a week of freezing temps, so I will keep this in mind.

A week of freezing temps is a cake walk, We have that in November and April! No heat needed. Trust me! Big difference between freezing, and sub zero!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

A week of freezing temps is a cake walk, We have that in November and April! No heat needed. Trust me! Big difference between freezing, and sub zero!!!

Exactly, everyone should try a few weeks of -20's with -40 wind chills just to understand what cold really feels like. Nothing like your face instantly freezing the minute you step out the door. Some days I need to go in and warm up before finishing my chores. My chickens on the other hand are fine.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The coldest I worked in was -29 C or about -20 F when I worked in Kazakhstan. As long as the wind wasn't blowing and you were dressed for it that wasn't that bad. If the wind is blowing that's something totally different. I wore a baklava that funneled my breathe up to my eyes instead of coming out the mouth hole. When my vision got blurry I'd clear the ice off of my eye lashes, but that was just an inconvenience.

But yes, wind chill is different than just temperature.

 

[Dee Dee N Desiree]

Exactly, everyone should try a few weeks of -20's with -40 wind chills just to understand what cold really feels like. Nothing like your face instantly freezing the minute you step out the door. Some days I need to go in and warm up before finishing my chores. My chickens on the other hand are fine.

I know, I have it pretty good. Thanks for the information though. It will help when we have a short cold spell.

 

[Dee Dee N Desiree]

I turned the lamp off Thursday night. My girls seem happier. I don't find them still out wandering in the run when I get home from work at 9:30PM. They are all nestled together in the coop and getting a good night sleep. I'd really like to thank everyone that shared what they do for their chickens. Ridgerunner a very special "thank you" for your very detailed response that helped me put things in perspective.