Heating Lamp in winter?

[jreardon1918]

I currently have 21 chickens, all recently started layers. Their coop has three windows that stay closed when it’s cold. They have a run connecting to their coop too. I use pine shavings for bedding, but as winter approaches I feel they may need more heat than just the shavings. I live in Ma, so it gets cold in the winter. Should I attach a heating lamp somewhere inside their coop? What do you guys usually do to keep your chickens warm throughout the winter?

Hello neighbor,
We live in southeast mass. Close to Gillette Stadium. We do not use a heat lamp. We do use a stock tank heater the water. So far the hens have done well. The lowest coop temp we have had was -6F. We keep a remote temp / humidity sensor to keep an eye on things. I think you can skip heat. But... YMMV (your mileage may vary).

Good luck.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I agree with @sourland that if your coop has good ventilation and is draft free, you really don't need to add any additional heat. Warm isn't as important as dry. The moist air is what causes most problems, which is why ventilation is so important.

 

[Alaskan]

I once had a heat lamp in my coop (many years ago), a cold gust of swirling wind hit the hot lamp and caused it to shatter into many tiny pieces all through the coop.

Yep, hot glass shrapnel.

If you feel that you need to heat, pick an unbreakable bulb... or some other kind of heating something.

But as long as you are above -10F, there is no reason to add heat.

Long stretches below -20F (verses a short dip to -20), and heat might be nice.

 

[chrissynemetz]

If you get a shatter resistant bulb make sure it isn't Teflon coated. Teflon can release fumes when it reaches a certain temperature that can be toxic to chickens.

 

[50-45-1]

i'm in Michigan. i have never heated my coop. iv'e had chickens for years and years.
21 chickens can get a pretty good temp inside your coop with just their body heat. i have a 2 dozen birds and 4 guineas now. i had less last winter and everybody was just fine.
everybody's coop is different though so i would suggest that if you have a rooster with a large upright comb, to watch for frost bite.

 

[sorce]

I reckon with three figures...
Number of Chickens.
Cubic feet of coop.
And vent CFM. (Cubic feet per minute)

You can figure a perfect situation.

For instance, my 2 hens won't sufficiently heat a walk-in sized coop.
But they can fog up say, an aquarium.

That middle ground is where you want to be. Goldilocks.

Assuming of course you're not keeping Jungle birds in the Arctic.

Sorce

 

[Bullitt]

Chickens survived just fine for many years in Massachusetts, as well as other states, before there was electricity or people even thought about providing heat in a chicken house or coop.

If you do have a heat lamp in your chicken coop and the electricity goes out, that is when your chickens will have a problem because they will not be acclimated to the cold. Allow your chickens to acclimate to the seasons and they should be fine. As was mentioned, chickens need a coop that is dry with some ventilation like in the roof, and that keeps the wind off the chickens. Most chickens will be fine if they are dry and out of the wind.

Some people do add some supplemental light in the winter to encourage egg-laying. I would suggest allowing your chickens to have at least 6 hours of darkness so that they get their rest, though.

 

[aart]

And vent CFM. (Cubic feet per minute)

How do you measure this?

 

[Hokum Coco]

Should I attach a heating lamp somewhere inside their coop?

I live in Canada and am subject to -40º temperatures. I do"NOT" use a heat lamp or light of any kind.
The choice is yours to make I would suggest adding a safety chain in addition to the mounting method if you decide it is necessary.

 

[sorce]

How do you measure this?

It is of course, difficult or impossible to read any coop venting, but the "safe middle ground" is large enough for the actual numbers to be quite rounded.

You could use an actual chimney to exchange air and read it.

Been pro and conning coop chimneys lately.

Sorce