Heat lamps... You got it or no?

[somissemilyy]

Hey y'all. Hope everyone is staying warm, here is northern MS it's pretty chilly. I'm just ready to see the sun! Okay, so here's the deal. I want to know if you all have a heat lamp in y'alls coops for your lovely birds! Is it really necessary? What should I do to help keep my chickens warm this winter, & to winterized the coop. Hopefully it will be warm this weekend where I can work some. THANKS in advance

 

[Yay Chicks!]

No, I don't and neither is my coop insulated.

Check out this thread. It's excellent for perspective. img/smilies/smile.png" alt="smile" />">https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=421122&p=1

 

[teach1rusl]

Most don't add heat to their coops. Some who have small, pet flocks do. But chickens can survive in temps down below zero as long as the coop is draft free and the birds are winter hardy breeds (and liquid H2O and nutritious food are available).
Wind blocks in the run can help quite a bit...whether it's tarps or straw/hay bales. Extra bedding in the housing is good too.
I do add a bit of heat to my coops nights when the temps drop...just my personal preference.

 

[Imp]

I don't have a heat lamp, but I do have heat, electricity, and lights available if I want, in the coop.

Imp

 

[ninabeast]

I thought I would heat my coop this winter until I read up on it here. Seems I'd be doing my flock a disservice. So...no heat for you!

 

[7L Farm]

Its the triple digits I hate not the cold. Keep the cold wind off the flock.

 

[Malita]

No insulation, no lights. Walls are either half inch plywood or one inch pine. It's been 28deg F so far in north Texas. 2 hens sleep outside (although they lay in the coop daily) and the rest sleep inside. I worry about them but when I pet them they are warm. We will see what happens when/if temps drop into the teens or lower this year.

 

[M.sue]

No heat....rain, wind, & draft free coop, bales of straw-2 high around the out side, lots of nice dry pine shavings. The chickens usually roost practially on top of each other at night.....body heat....that's it!

 

[123ChickieLou]

No added heat here in southern Louisiana. What I'm worried about is when the heat sets in for 9 months straight. Our average winters are not all that cold except that its a wet cold. 45 degrees here and 45 degrees in a drier climate are two different things alltogether.

I am not planning to add heat to my coop this winter. I may treat the girls with warm oatmeal to help them stay warm but that's it. I think if the northerm birds can handle temps consistently in the 20s and below without synthetic heat, surely our southern girls can handle it too.

Ugh, now I'm dreading summer already.

 

[smalltownchicks]

Yes, I have one. It's 17 degrees here right now and dropping. I've read all of the pros and cons and I have really struggled with it. That being said, I have one on in there. My girls have not even been sleeping in the coop, they've been in the run. On the outside of the run, there are straw bales. Atleast they have an option that's not bitter. I have a thermostat on order so I can track the temp in the coop vs. outside. It's definitely not "warm" in there...I think it just takes the edge off.