heat lamp fire?

[Duck mommy 2019]

i have a heat lamp bulb hung about 2 feet above our feed bags. along with a heater it’s staying on 24/7 to keep this space warm for the ducks who are in it during the day

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have a heat lamp hung about 18 inches from the ground in my coop, I use a clamp to keep it securely in place. I just got some new babies so I needed to get it out again, but my older pullets and ducks finished with it this month, and they used it since August. I’ve had no issues. I always tug on it to make sure the clamp keeps it securely in place, and I always clear the shavings out from under it as a precaution. My pullets and ducks are pretty rowdy, but not usually at night so I feel like it’s okay.

If that is the clamp it came with do NOT trust it. Add a chain to secure it.

For real those clamps are NOT trustworthy.

 

[Trisseh]

... there’s just so much to unpack in this thread... you’re not really doing the ducks any favours by having that swing in temps for them. Much more stressful to go from toasty warm to cool, even with a heat lamp, than to be cool to cold. Ducks are WAY more cold hardy than chickens, too, but even so that’s a lot of stress on their bodies each and every day. Most livestock prefer temperatures much lower than a person does, because they have built in defences against the cold.

my suggestion, since you’re bringing them inside at night, would be to gradually reduce and then remove your heat source outside, and acclimate them to an area of the house that is just moderately warmer than outside. That’s actually what I do for my dog, who wants to be outside all day but much prefers to come in at night. She stays in the unheated porch overnight, which hovers right around the freezing mark in the dead of winter, and happily spends all day out as long as it’s not horrifically cold. There’s nothing wrong with a little extra warmth on those days that drop way way below what’s been normal, but those are few and far between.

As day time temps are usually quite a bit higher than night time lows, why not use the sunlight to your advantage too? Clear plastic, old windows, plenty of ways to create little warmer areas during the day that will be a moderate increase and not stress them unduly.

if you’re adamant about keeping heat on for adult birds (which, in my opinion, is superfluous) it would be much safer for them and you to use a radiant form of heat, like the panels or even a plain ol heating pad. That way they can approach it to warm themselves if they’re cold, but aren’t subjected to heat they don’t need or want. Safer, more economical, and you may be surprised by how little they actually use it.

The only situation that I would ensure there was additional heat for adult birds is if they have some sort of impediment that would make them less hardy. Sick birds, old birds, that kind of thing. there’s a lady I know here that had a very old, arthritic Muscovy. He had a little wooden house with a regular light bulb in (like a lot of people use in dog houses) on a thermostat. If it got below a certain temp that he struggled with, the bulb would come on and warm him up.

just my opinion, but if people can keep chickens in Alaska without additional heat... Haha.

 

[azygous]

If you must use a heat lamp, be sure it has the metal guard hanging below the bulb so there aren't any burned feathers. Only thing worse than burned feathers is burned birds.

 

[21hens-incharge]

It’s winter in many places. I’ve got friends in Idaho who are cranking their house up to 90! They certainly should never be denied extra heat in the winter. I mean try turning your heat off! It gets cold! If it’s snowy or very cold, then a heat lamp is never a bad idea.

yes I know ducks and humans are very different, but one universal thing is that we all get cold!

You and I can certainly disagree......apparently on a lot of things.

It IS winter here. We just had record lows falling below zero. Today was 49° outside. I did turn my furnace off AND opened windows. I did not do it because I wanted to be in the same temps as my birds. I did it because it does not bother me.....likely because I spend a great deal of time outside.

Birds are designed to grow extra feathers to handle the weather....and have an oil gland so they can waterproof themselves. Not being allowed to slowly acclimate to the cold (due to added heat) when power fails or the heat source fails THEN they struggle.

I provide a dry draft free safe space for them. I am not willing to risk a fire.

The chickadee, sparrow, and other birds do not die because no one gives them added heat. Our pioneering forefathers did not add heat and somehow chickens and ducks survived.

I understand the OP brings their birds in at night so they are not acclimated.

 

[21hens-incharge]

https://wholefedhomestead.com/what-temperature-can-a-duck-survive/

Interesting read thank you. The heater they use is the exact same as the one I have in the duck drinking water. Yup it works great.

Side note.....having just had my ducks go through their first super cold nights I found it interesting that the first thing mine did when the coop was opened was hop in the drinking water tub for their morning baths.

 

[bobbi-j]

So, I have an analogy I usually use for people who want to give heat to their outside chickens who are already acclimated to the weather. I tell them to put on all of their winter gear, go out in the cold for an hour or two, and then come back in, leaving all their gear on for an hour or so to see how uncomfortable it could be. In your situation, I would suggest the opposite. Since your ducks are not properly acclimated to the cold (meaning they have not had a chance to grow their down coats),after spending the night in your warm, comfy house, I would suggest that you go outside without your winter gear for a couple of hours, maybe hang out near the heat lamp or heat plate for a bit and see how comfortable that would be. The point is, consistent temperatures - whether warm or cold - are far better for your birds than in and out. If you want them to be warm, then keep them in all the time rather than putting them out in the cold without proper acclimation.

 

[azygous]

The guard will also prevent the bulb from touching the feed sacks should it fall. I didn't have a guard on the heat lamps I purchased years ago, but I went to the store where I bought them and the clerk gave me one free of charge. He says people almost never pick up the metal guard when they purchase a heat lamp and he had dozens left over that weren't labeled to sell separately.

 

[21hens-incharge]

What state are you in?

I doubt that your ducks need added heat at all. If I recall yours are all fully feathered and old enough to lay/mate.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

https://wholefedhomestead.com/what-temperature-can-a-duck-survive/

surviving and being comfortable is different