I broke down and used a heat lamp...how do I wean them off?

[bobbi-j]

Well, the hens like to stand under the light, one of them more than the other because she decided to molt some back feathers recently. She now has a hen apron made of wool. (I was thinking natural fibers are best?) The Roo was standing under it this weekend off and on. But, again, it has been unusually cold.

Thank you for the ... calming reassurance.

I have one that started molting two weeks ago. I notice a nest box full of down and feathers, then saw my poor, tail-less chicken wandering around. I think she only has about 1/2 as much fluff as the others. It was -29 here Saturday night. No heat lamp, no sweater, and she was on the floor scratching around on Sunday morning right along with the rest of the birds. The best thing we can do for our chickens is let them be chickens. They managed it for centuries before we humans started messing with them and pampering them. They'll be fine. They will. Take out the lamp, take off the sweater and she'll be just fine.

 

[Earl Medcalf]

Waite for a warm day followed by a night. Turn off light. This will make so cool down into night so abrupt. Thereafter natural change in temperature will be gradual enough to not shock them.


The added light may be beneficial if you are at a much higher latitude than from where chickens are from. Remember they are subtropical critters by nature. If you are way up north, then added light will allow more natural feeding schedule. You are not obligated to push lights to point where birds are in lay.

 

[grnidone]

It's not a sweater. It's a hen bib/ saddle thing. I happened to have some leftover wool from a coat I made, so I used that. I figured I should put it on her to prevent any more feathers being lost due to Rooster mount.

You're right, it makes me feel better.

As does the costume I have for my Rooster to dress him like Liberace. (He's got such a large pompadour-like comb, after all.) He only has to wear this on Halloween for 20 minutes or so because it makes me laugh. His costume has no other application other than that.

 

[azygous]

It's not a sweater. It's a hen bib/ saddle thing. I happened to have some leftover wool from a coat I made, so I used that. I figured I should put it on her to prevent any more feathers being lost due to Rooster mount.

You're right, it makes me feel better.

As does the costume I have for my Rooster to dress him like Liberace. (He's got such a large pompadour-like comb, after all.) He only has to wear this on Halloween for 20 minutes or so because it makes me laugh. His costume has no other application other than that.

Oh, please post a picture of the roo in the Liberace costume! Please, please, please! Pretty please?

 

[Beekissed]

Relax, you haven’t done anything to hurt your chickens.

I’ve seen that ovarian cancer thing a couple of times recently. I don’t know who’s spreading it but I wish they’d stop. I don’t know where they got that. They’re probably well-meaning but they are scaring people needlessly. As Azygous said it’s not light causing ovarian cancer.

Not saying it's true, nor have I made that statement but one does have to wonder if there is some validity to it. Melatonin uptake contributes to so many things in the body, but mainly the immune system and hormonal activity, so there may be something to manipulating light to achieve more ovulation.

Maybe from things like this? https://projects.ncsu.edu/cals/agcomm/magazine/spring05/night.htm

Quote:
Studies have shown that ovulation, or events associated with ovulation, increase the prevalence of ovarian cancer in hens. Inhibition of ovulation in hens through a hormonal strategy mimicking oral contraceptives results in a decrease of ovarian cancer incidence.

 

[Howard E]

How to wean them off? The heat the lamp provides increases or decreases with proximity. The closer, the hotter. So start moving it back / up and away from them. Eventually, it would not be providing much, if any heat. It is then you can remove it. Or else wait for a warmish day and take it out then.

 

[Sseckel]

Dont feel bad over using a heat lamp. There are always exceptions as to the noraml rule of avoidance. We have very cold weather here as well with -20 overnight and -30 windchill. I didn't worry about it as my coop is well designed and ventilated. In six years and colder temps I have never had even the slightest frostbite let alone had a chicken get stressed by cold. But this weekend I should have worried, my girls are all older 2+ and healthy, but that -20F was a 25 degree drop in about 36 hours. I lost 1 hen, had 2 others nearly followed and nearly all were showing signs of moderate to extreme stress to the cold. I had to add 2 heat lamps to save them. My coop is 11x14 ( plus a 14x14 run) and houses 22 hens, if the temps had gotten that low over a period of days or weeks they could have adjusted, but 36 hours was too quick. Use your gut, most breeds can handle -20 F,but if you think they need assistance then do what you think is best. Heat lamps can be dangerous but so is driving a car, exercise caution and use your head. It is a better problem to have to wean them off a lamp than to have them suffer and freeze to death.

 

[Sseckel]

Dont feel bad over using a heat lamp. There are always exceptions as to the noraml rule of avoidance. We have very cold weather here as well with -20 overnight and -30 windchill. I didn't worry about it as my coop is well designed and ventilated. In six years and colder temps I have never had even the slightest frostbite let alone had a chicken get stressed by cold. But this weekend I should have worried, my girls are all older 2+ and healthy, but that -20F was a 25 degree drop in about 36 hours. I lost 1 hen, had 2 others nearly followed and nearly all were showing signs of moderate to extreme stress to the cold. I had to add 2 heat lamps to save them. My coop is 11x14 ( plus a 14x14 run) and houses 22 hens, if the temps had gotten that low over a period of days or weeks they could have adjusted, but 36 hours was too quick. Use your gut, most breeds can handle -20 F,but if you think they need assistance then do what you think is best. Heat lamps can be dangerous but so is driving a car, exercise caution and use your head. It is a better problem to have to wean them off a lamp than to have them suffer and freeze to death.

 

[mobius]

Dont feel bad over using a heat lamp. There are always exceptions as to the noraml rule of avoidance. We have very cold weather here as well with -20 overnight and -30 windchill. I didn't worry about it as my coop is well designed and ventilated. In six years and colder temps I have never had even the slightest frostbite let alone had a chicken get stressed by cold. But this weekend I should have worried, my girls are all older 2+ and healthy, but that -20F was a 25 degree drop in about 36 hours. I lost 1 hen, had 2 others nearly followed and nearly all were showing signs of moderate to extreme stress to the cold. I had to add 2 heat lamps to save them. My coop is 11x14 ( plus a 14x14 run) and houses 22 hens, if the temps had gotten that low over a period of days or weeks they could have adjusted, but 36 hours was too quick. Use your gut, most breeds can handle -20 F,but if you think they need assistance then do what you think is best. Heat lamps can be dangerous but so is driving a car, exercise caution and use your head. It is a better problem to have to wean them off a lamp than to have them suffer and freeze to death.

So sorry you lost a hen to bitter cold! I wonder if you would post the signs of moderate to extreme stress that you observed? And -20F is ultra cold for chickens for sure. I am glad you were able to save them!

 

[Beekissed]

Keep in mind that birds that succumb to extremes in temps were likely already compromised in their health in some manner, so this is nature's way of weeding out the weak members of a flock. Case in point, the whole flock didn't die of the cold. Same with extremely hot temps....if one or two birds die from it, it's likely a bird problem and not a flock problem. If whole flocks die from it, it could be a management problem or a genetic problem, but rarely is it a temperature problem.