I thought the heat lamp wasn't supposed to keep them awake?

[potocki99]

So we installed a heat lamp the other day to offset the chilly weather, but my chickens are up all the time. As soon as I walked out to close the door up, they came running out. I went in to the coop to check on them and they were all up and about. I thought the red lamp wasn't supposed to affect them? Oh, and two were still out in the run which is completely weird. THoughts?

 

[sourland]

Well, chicks will continue to feed and run around when raised under a red heat lamp, so I can't see why adult birds would be any different, but then again I've never used heat on adult birds.

 

[azygous]

That's precisely why I've decided to forego the heat lamp this winter. For the past several years, I've used the red 250 watt lamp on a timer, not only to warm the coop during the coldest hours of the night, but to add artificial light so they'll lay through the winter. The biggest problem I've encountered has been that the hens all decide to get down and party when the lamp comes on. By morning, the coop is a horrible, disastrous mess. It worked great, though, for stimulating them to lay through winter.

This year, I'm using an oil-filled electric heater to take the coop above freezing. It's working far better than the light. Sure, none of the girls are laying, but I figure they'll appreciate the rest. And the coop doesn't suffer from their nightly partying.

 

[bobbi-j]

I don't use heat of any kind in my coops. I want my chickens acclimated to the cold weather. What happens if your electricity goes out on a very cold day? You'll have a bunch of chickens not used to the cold, having to suddenly deal with it.