i finally had to give in and get a heat lamp for the chickens!!!

[teach1rusl]

I do add heat at night when it's down to the mid 20s or below. And last winter I used a heat lamp. But unless you use safety to the nth degree (guard, appropriate housing for the bulb, securely connected (NOT with the clamp) to two diff. points, etc.), you're going to worry about using a heat lamp. I remember doing the same thing last winter, waking up and going to the window just to "check." So you can NOT use it (and they WILL be okay at those temps if it's draft free) or find another temporary heat source that is safer. Have you looked into the cookie tin or clay pot heaters frequently used for waterers?? Even something like that would add a little warmth...

 

[EweSheep]

Right now it is 23 degrees with 10 windchill. The chickens are warm as they can be in their coop.

As for frostbites not much you can do about it except either heatlamps OR vaseline.

Chickens has adapt even colder temps in Montana and Canada and Alaska.

Make sure your heat lamps are secured and AWAY from your chickens. They should not be directly on top of them.

The problem I have, once you adapt them with heat and if the power goes out for days, then your chickens will suffer. They have feathers and down to keep warm.

 

[boykin2010]

i have 3 bars in the coop. it is well secured and no wind can get in except for the " hole" the chickens use to get into when they are in the run and the crack of the door which isnt even big. i am using the clamp and i clamped it onto the roosting bar. The chickens sure do look more comfy with the heat lamp in it. they all seem to use the bars instead of the usual. the usual is that 3 of my chickens will sleep in the nesting box.

 

[chickendude]

Quote:
Make sure you have the lamp located where the chickens can not come into contact with it. They will knock it over and that is what will cause your fire. I mention this because you said you have it on the roost bar.

 

[halo]

You do not need heat lamps. I dont know what wattage bulb you are using, but realize that they draw a lot of current, and will increase your electric bill. As long as chickens can get out of the wind and have cover, they will be just fine.

 

[sourland]

Amen on the risk of fire not being worth it! It's in the 20's tonight and will be in the single digits frequently this winter and no heat will be supplied and nothing will get sick. Low temperatures are not the problem. Drafts, poor ventilation, inadequate feed, not enough fresh water- these are the factors that cause winter losses.

 

[Dunkopf]

Develop a fire evacuation plan and practice it with the chickens.

I don't see how heat lamps could be effective in a ventilated coop. Vents should be near the top and that is where the heat goes. So the only thing getting warmed would be the area under the lamp for a couple feet.

The only chickens we have ever provided heat for was meaties.

 

[hinkjc]

If birds are fully feathered and have acclimated to cold temps (as temps declined), they can adjust their body temperatures just fine without heat by using their feathers for insulation. We do not heat any coops, unless we have baby chicks growing out during winter. If your birds become reliant on heat, and the power suddenly goes out, they will not have the proper time to adjust and acclimate. This can also stress them and could increase their risk to disease. Others mentioned risk of burns and fires.

 

[SallyF]

I can just see chickens lined up neatly evacuating for a fire drill. I hope they do better than the kids in the school where I used to work!

By the way, I'm in middle Tennessee. My chickens are in a 10 foot square chain link dog kennel. It has a tarp across the top and halfway down one side, where the roost is. There are also two plastic dog kennels set on the bars for nest boxes. Several chickens roost on the bars; others cuddle up for the night in the nest boxes, which have pine shavings in them, and some roost on top of the nest boxes. Have never lost a chicken to the cold in four years, and only had one rooster get some frostbite on his comb.

 

[purr]

I think most of the problems from fires are those clamps that are on the the lamp. I use those in the house when I get day olds but I always tie them up with rope.
I don't use any heat in the coop and we get below zero sometimes with the wind chill