heat lamp

[JamesEdge]

I've just purchased a 300w capacity lamp and hooked in a 250 watt heat bulb for my coop. my coop is 8 feet wide and 26 feet long/ with around 210 square feet. the highest point in the pen is 6'3. would it be a bad idea to leave the lamp on all night or would that be a completely stupid idea? not sure if it would burn anything

 

[Ridgerunner]

What are you trying to accomplish with that heat lamp? Why do you think you might need it?

How old are your chickens? In Georgia if they are older than 6 weeks this time of the year you do not need any heat whatsoever. My chickens do fine in my coop when the overnight lows get below zero degrees Fahrenheit. If it is there for heat, they don’t need it. Maybe you have something other than heat in mind?

 

[Kelsie2290]

How old are your chicks? How is the light secured that you are worried about it? I would not be leaving a light on unattended if there is any question about it burning something, 250 watt bulbs get darn hot.

 

[donrae]

Just don't do it. You're in Georgia, most of the country is much colder than your area. Birds older than 6ish weeks are fine in unheated coops even in the northern states. Remember, chickens were around long before electricity. Give them a dry area, out of the wind, and they can deal with sub freezing temps just fine. That's what feathers are for! Fire danger is just too high. Plus, animals are made to experience the change of seasons. If your birds are used to a warm coop, and you get a storm and the power goes out, your birds are going to be thrown into shock, not having that heat!

 

[JamesEdge]

the problem is that i have cold air coming from three corners of my property. last year 8 of my 10 chickens died when it got below 20 degrees, there are few trees to stop the wind and my pen is comprised of a 4x4 frame with chicken wire and a tin roofing. this year i bought rhode islands for hardiness but two died in January. idk whether i need different bedding in the coop of the pen or whether i need heat

 

[JamesEdge]

what watt bulb should i use to be effective when there is a brisk wind from 6 feet up

 

[Hoakieman]

I am wondering about my 4 Rhode Island Reds as well, they have not wintered over yet in Gresham Oregon, (to the East of Portland), we get a little snow and lots of rain. I keep hay on the floor and in the nesting boxes, but don't know anything about chickens and cold weather. When we lived in Alaska where it got really cold, I know some people kept chickens but don't know if they had to heat the coop. My coop has four walls so wind should not be a problem. Any advice for this newby, by the way...Four hens,...four eggs a day! Hoakieman

 

[Kelsie2290]

the problem is that i have cold air coming from three corners of my property. last year 8 of my 10 chickens died when it got below 20 degrees, there are few trees to stop the wind and my pen is comprised of a 4x4 frame with chicken wire and a tin roofing. this year i bought rhode islands for hardiness but two died in January. idk whether i need different bedding in the coop of the pen or whether i need heat

Does your coop have walls? I am not quite understanding your setup. As long as they have shelter from the direct wind, healthy adult hens should not need supplemental heat at 20*.

 

[Kelsie2290]

I am wondering about my 4 Rhode Island Reds as well, they have not wintered over yet in Gresham Oregon, (to the East of Portland), we get a little snow and lots of rain. I keep hay on the floor and in the nesting boxes, but don't know anything about chickens and cold weather.  When we lived in Alaska where it got really cold, I know some people kept chickens but don't know if they had to heat the coop.  My coop has four walls so wind should not be a problem.  Any advice for this newby, by the way...Four hens,...four eggs a day!  Hoakieman

Wow, sounds like your girls are going to town on egg laying. We live in Ohio, and occasionally get below 0, and have never had added heat with the adult birds. Biggest problem is making sure the water stays available. Healthy chickens with appropriate shelter, especially from the wind, don't need supplemental heat. They will definitely eat more to keep warm. The only real problem I've seen is that breeds with really big combs and wattles can get frost bite sometimes if you're not careful. Any time I start worrying too much about the cold, I read some of the winter chicken housing threads from people in Alaska and Canada, they have chickens to -20 or lower and they do fine as long as they have shelter and food and water.

 

[donrae]

the problem is that i have cold air coming from three corners of my property. last year 8 of my 10 chickens died when it got below 20 degrees, there are few trees to stop the wind and my pen is comprised of a 4x4 frame with chicken wire and a tin roofing. this year i bought rhode islands for hardiness but two died in January. idk whether i need different bedding in the coop of the pen or whether i need heat

Sounds like you need a better coop. Are you saying your walls are chicken wire? If so, that's why your birds died, they simply didn't have enough shelter. A heat lamp really isn't going to keep the wind chill off, you need to have an appropriate shelter for your animals to properly care for them.