Heat

[DawnMarie64]

Hi All

My husband recently bought a thermostatically controlled outlet which turns on the heat lamp when the temp outside gets 35 degrees and shuts off the lamp at 45 degrees. I told him that is still too cold for them. What do you all think?

Thanks

 

[Bullitt]

Are you talking about baby chicks?

The temperature needs to be about 95 degrees the first week, 90 degrees the second week, and so on.

 

[DawnMarie64]

Are you talking about baby chicks?

The temperature needs to be about 95 degrees the first week, 90 degrees the second week, and so on.

No, sorry...... I'm talking about 6 months and older. 1 of my 5 just started laying and 1 should start laying in a few days. The other 3 will probably start laying in Sept sometime. I live in WA state and it's starting to get down to as low as 48 degrees at night. Then when winter sets in; it will be even colder at night. 20's to 30's.

Maybe I just answered my own question. I been working about 25-30 hours a week of OT and I'm starting to get stupid/scatter brained. LOL

 

[Bullitt]

No, sorry...... I'm talking about 6 months and older. 1 of my 5 just started laying and 1 should start laying in a few days. The other 3 will probably start laying in Sept sometime. I live in WA state and it's starting to get down to as low as 48 degrees at night. Then when winter sets in; it will be even colder at night. 20's to 30's.

Maybe I just answered my own question. I been working about 25-30 hours a week of OT and I'm starting to get stupid/scatter brained. LOL

Oh, I see. You posted in the baby chicks section, so that is why I thought you were talking about baby chicks.

You do not need to heat a coop unless it is well below freezing, like in the teens. Some people who live in Canada or Alaska never heat their coops. Some people use heat and light to improve egg laying. But the effectiveness of that may depend on what breed of chicken you have.

Some people recommend not using heat, because if the power went out and your chickens are not used to the cold, they could get sick or die.

The main thing is to have a coop that is dry and that keeps the wind off of your chickens. If they have access to food and water, that is good also.

What breed are your chickens?

 

[DawnMarie64]

Yea, I had realized where I posted it after I posted it.

I have a RIR, a white Leghorn and 3 sexlings of which I'm told are actually called sexlinks.

 

[Bullitt]

Yea, I had realized where I posted it after I posted it.

I have a RIR, a white Leghorn and 3 sexlings of which I'm told are actually called sexlinks.

Sex Links, or Sexlinks, or sexlinks, or however it is spelled, are crosses.

They are all hardy breeds or crosses and great layers. Because Leghorns have such big combs, they can get frostbite on their combs. But again, the temperature would probably have to be in the teens and the hen would probably have to be in the open.

I don't think you will have any problem if it only gets down in the 20s where you are.

 

[DawnMarie64]

Dang, now I have to tell my husband he is right and I hate that... Thanks for the information. I'm new at this and I appreciate all the help.

 

[donrae]

Hopefully he takes it gracefully!

I'm in the "no additional heat or light" camp, personally. Folks raised chickens long before there was electricity. As long as they're dry and out of the wind they can go well below zero.