Heat lamp thoughts!

[TalkALittle]

I have two heat la,ps in my hen house. They wil get plent y cold when they go outside. The la,psmare just s easy for me to get a little comfortable. It is true though, buff orphingtons area much larger breed and can tolerate cold. I'm guilty of spoiling my bantams and my big chicks. I have a fan for them in the Summer. One of my barred bantams had a heat stroke so we had to do something and they love it. Good luck.

You're in Louisiana, right? What are the lowest temperatures you get?

 

[jimbob86]

For all those that use heat lamps, what are your plans in case of a power outage? If the birds have never experienced sub-zero temps, or even freezing temps and the power goes out, what then?

Do you have a generator waiting to keep the juice going?

 

[carriebare28]

we live in Michigan, and temps tonight are going to be around 8 f, with wind chills below 0. We only have 3 chickens as we live in the city. We have never used a heating lamp, and don't really want to. They have a good 4-6 inches of bedding in their coop, and we have the roof insulated a little, and 2 sides of the coop are also insulated so they are out of the wind. Do they need extra heat tonight? Just worried as this is the coldest it has been since we got them last spring.

 

[centrarchid]

Response for adults no different than loss of photoperiod loss. Situation is not life threatening even when ambient temperatures are extremely low (0 to -15 F). What does happen and more swiftly than when supplemental daylight is lost is hens may go out of lay and feed consumption picks up quickly to approximate that of birds in pens in pasture without the additional input. The additional heat simply gives the birds a location they can move to for loafing where they can be more relaxed when it comes to thermal maintenance. Other parts of confinement are very close to temperature that would be realized without supplemental heat so birds do not experience loss as a shock. This scenario holds only during extreme cold weather events. If temperatures like no in the mid-10's F hens stay in lay although feed intake does bump up. When temperatures are intermediately cold (15 to 0 F) then some loss of lay to be expected.

Juveniles are more problematic as they are closer to their thermal limits during extreme cold we endure. Care must be taken to prevent piling that can lead to suffocation. Juveniles roosting up pose no such risks. Juveniles (games) I have pushing 5 months still pile a little when it get extremely cold which I do not like as they tend to defecate on each other. Their pelage is a far cry from that of adults that can handle the coldest weather winter can through at birds roosting even in oak trees 30 feet up.

Chicks are kept indoors through 5 weeks when brooder reared as reliability of heat source is not acceptable. This is preventing current use of current barn. House will have generator added that will be used to keep brooder in barn warm later.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

we live in Michigan, and temps tonight are going to be around 8 f, with wind chills below 0. We only have 3 chickens as we live in the city. We have never used a heating lamp, and don't really want to. They have a good 4-6 inches of bedding in their coop, and we have the roof insulated a little, and 2 sides of the coop are also insulated so they are out of the wind. Do they need extra heat tonight? Just worried as this is the coldest it has been since we got them last spring.

I'm in Wisconsin, so similar weather, they will be fine, they will hunker down on the roosts next to each other, make sure there's ventilation so moisture doesn't build up too much, it's a wickedly cold one today.

 

[centrarchid]

For all those that use heat lamps, what are your plans in case of a power outage?   If the birds have never experienced sub-zero temps, or even freezing temps and the power goes out, what then?

Do you have a generator waiting to keep the juice going?  

I think you will find many employing supplemental heating have not managed themselves into a corner. You will also find many with a lot of experience using a range of management systems that also have a good handle on the strengths and limitations of each. Where you will find your expected polarized opinions will be coming from people with the least experience.

 

[Macis Papa]

At 8am it was -8 this morning in Iowa, +1 in the coop. I opened up the pop door and about 1/2 the girls came outside. Now at 4pm it's +4 outside, and with the sun shining it's its 27 inside the coop. They have all been outside sense around 10 this morning. So they don't mind the cold as much as I do, and I got 22 eggs today.

 

[ChatKath47]

My coop is small, holds only the three chickens. The Leghorn was totally NAKED so we put a lamp out in the chicken yard, aiming the light toward the door that goes from the coop to the yard so there would be some heat for her to enjoy. At no time does it get hot near where she sits in the doorway and It doesn't shine into the coop so they have the combined body heat to keep them warm, and nothing is near the lamp that could catch fire. It's attached to a metal fence rail, not flammable, and they can't get near it. They like to sit in the light when they come down to eat, and since it gets pretty cold her in the Pacific Northwest, having a lamp in the chicken yard doesn't shine in the sleeping area, so think I'm safe....and so are they.

I do like your coop, it's lovely! Mine is very small, just room for the three girls on the roost and their egg box is inside, attached through the outside wall. Everyone has to do what they feel comfortable with, and knowing they have a warm light to sit under makes ME happy. Oh, yes, the light is on a timer, on during the night, off during the day, so my electricity bill is not a problem. Wouldn't be if it was on 24/7. A local commercial chicken farm has lights on inside the big building for their 300+ chickens and it seems to do just fine.

 

[5569]

Hello, we live in NW Montana our temps are similar to yours and we use a couple heat lamps all winter long. Haven't had any problems other than having to replace burnt out bulbs now and then. Our hens lay well with the extra warmth. Hope this was helpful.
Debbie

 

[bonniefuller]

Probably high teens.