Heat lamp for coop...regular light bulb or "black bulb"?

[mrsbos]

Thank you so much for all the responses! When I think of all the wild birds (sparrows, quail, etc) that survive without anyone doing anything for them (I have no idea how they even find food in the winter), it makes sense that my chickens probably don't need supplemental heat. I was outside today though wondering if I would need my brooder lamp for anything anymore, and I was thinking of hanging it over the chickens' water in the winter so that it wouldn't freeze. Is that how some of you in colder climates tackle that issue? I'm sure there are heated water bowls I could buy too, but I was just trying to make use of something I already had.

 

[woodmort]

After rereading my post I realize I may have sounded a little blunt but I've seen at least 3 people burned out from fires started using heaters in coops and barns for chickens that didn't need it. You will need something to keep the water from freezing--the best thing are heaters designed specifically for chicken waterers--please, no aquarium heaters!!! I use galvanized heaters under galvanized waterers, some use dog water heaters and there is, someplace, plans for a self-made heater using a cookie tin and a light bulb that you can make if you're handy with electric wiring. I would not recommend a kind of heat lamp for the reasons stated above.

 

[Ohhhdear]

Is it the added hours of light a lightbulb produces which keeps hens laying through the winter, or is it the heat?

I've read hens need 14 hours (or so) of daylight to keep laying. If that's so, then any kind of white light source, like an LED strip hung from the inner roof of the coop on a timer should suffice.

If I wanted or needed to add heat, then I'm going to put a 25 watt Dampp-Chaser heating rod in the middle of the coop in a larger PVC pipe. Since heat radiates upward, it'll help keep the girls more comfortable and consuming less fuel to produce eggs. Ask your local piano technician for Dampp-Chaser humidity control products. We have a couple leftover rods from when we used to tune/repair pianos full time. I used them in the stock tank brooder in my garage early this spring when the girls were chicks. These rods are UL listed, insulated, and designed to be used in vertical and grand pianos. Still, I'm going to surround it in a larger PVC pipe to keep the straw away from it. No sense taking chances.

I'm sure the girls will ease off on laying during the coldest part of the year, that's ok.

 

[mrsbos]

O.k....I've been convinced...surprised..and convinced. Normally by nightfall, my 3 six-week old pullets put themselves to bed in the inner part of the Eglu coop (only 7 sq ft) which has the 75 watt bulb, roosting, and nesting area. I close the door to the run until morning. Tonight, they went back into the run, but instead of going to the cozy inner coop to sleep, they stayed in the run and cuddled next to each other in the cold grass. Temps were in the upper 40s. It was their choice--I was freezing outside--but they seemed to be perfectly content out in the night air on the grass. In case you're wondering, the run is supposed to be predator proof, surrounded by a metal skirt which is supposed to keep tunneling predators from breaking in. So I've left them overnight how they were...on the grass and in the cold. Guess they didn't need any extra heat after all! Makes life easier for me!

 

[chkn]

Well, it may only get down to the teens here on occasions, but I think they're perfectly fine if they have a nice dry place that is protected from the wind. If they're up in their roost they're usually sitting on their feet. The hot weather is really what you have to watch out for.

 

[Tracyfeltsmills]

Told you! I'll try pics, But it's pretty easy. A electric cast iron stove that i stripped out. The ones that have the fake flame heaters,The candles are ones i picked up at garage sales pillars work great. Put in a metal container to catch wax and shut the door. They go all nite and it keeps a bit of heat with out over doing it.I'm not looking for beach temps but i feel that a bit of easy cheap heat will keep them comfortable in northern ny wet snowey weather. Look on newzjunky for stove.

 

[Judy]

If you fill something like a 5 gallon bucket with water and paint it black, it will hold some of the daytime heat and give it off at night. Works better if it's in the sunlight, of course.

We wound up using a heat lamp last year to keep the water from freezing. The bulbs are expensive to buy and, I suspect, more than I want to pay to burn. I'm going to figure out something with a metal container and a light bulb this year, like the cookie tin idea; it's very simple to do.

Have you read that they do better with wide roosts in cold climates? Like at least the flat side of a 2x4. Lets them touch all their toes to their bodies so prevents frostbitten toes. The combs should not get frostbite if there is good ventilation so the humidity does not build up. Mine never did. I live south of you, of course, but we do have 20 degree nights.

 

[ND Sue]

mrsbos, from what I have seen with my chickens and from what I've read here, if your chickens don't go in to roost, that night there may have been or still may be something that is scaring them inside your coop. Maybe check it out to be sure a predator of some sort didn't get inside. I have my young ones in a grow out pen where the whole thing, coop and run is wrapped in 1/4/inch hardware cloth and the coop is never closed. They always get inside, no matter what.

It's pretty unusual for chickens to choose to be outside when they are creatures of habit and usually are in a coop. Mine have never done that, even on the very hot nights where it would most definitely be more comfortable outside! Just a thought!

Edited to add: I don't think 40 degrees above zero is very cold to worry about heat either.

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

We get temps down to -30C every year and -40 every few years.

I'd like to know for sure but I would guess each chicken puts out about 5 watts of heat, stick a dozen of them in a well insulated coop and it is like having a 60 watt bulb going 24/7.

Add in a heated watter fountain and that will be another 50 to 100 watts of heat. If insulation is good and ventilation controlled or adjustible that alone is likely to keep temperatures a good 20-30 degrees above the outside temps.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
If I were going to keep lighted candles inside my chicken coop I'd keep 911 on my speed dial and hope I wasn't too far from the local firehouse.