Heat, light, or Sleep

[Kitty&Eva]

Temperatures here have been dropping into the teens. We have a light in white light in the coop, but if we keep it on the chickens stay up and party in the coop. The nice thing is that they have been laying more than one egg a day each. Does anyone have a solution? I think a red heat lamp might work, but I am worried it would get too hot.

 

[Wildsky]

Are you just trying to solve the cold problem?

 

[jjthink]

Not good to have a light on at night.

If you want to take the chill out of the air, use a ceramic heat lamp (just heat, no light) or some other heat source that you can set up to be safe - (so it can't ignite anything or be knocked over or burn them if they touch it). Been researching this a lot. When my two seem cold (already they seem cold here in NJ - either because there's only two of them or because they are not cold hardy or because they are under the weather, not sure which), I use ceramic heat lamp (or lamps) suspended high over them and not where the lamps can touch anything. Basically just takes the edge off the cold and in prior winters was necessary to keep their water from freezing. I am seriously thinking about ordering a heater called edenPURE that is marketed as the safest - researching.........
JJ

 

[ksacres]

chickens can handle cold temps as long as they can get out of wind and rain. Mine don't get any supplemental heat after they are fully feathered out.

 

[aliena614]

I got a bur up my butt and bought a new bed for myself! I took my old waterbed heater pad and put it in the coop under the hay and keep a 100w green light bulb on from 7pm to 6am. It stays a perfect 60 degrees in my coop at night when the temp has dropped in the teens!
At first my hubbie freaked out about the heater. But I quickly explaned to him that it doesnt get hot enought to melt the water bed or catch the matress on fire. I keep it set on 80degrees in the coop under the hay 24/7! It works great!

 

[NewGuineaChooks]

If you are wanting to try a red light, this time of year you can get red floodlight bulbs designed for Christmas decor. I've seen them in 100W and 75W, this week. Try Lowes, or Home Depot. So, you don't have to use a 175W brooder-strength heat lamp in order to get red. That's what I'm using for my 8 week old ones right now.