With all due respect, will you take a third coop fire in as many weeks being reported here on BYC? As much as I'd hate to lose one single chicken to cold, I'd far rather lose just one than to lose my coop and let my entire flock perish in the agony of a fire - or be as badly injured as the chickens in the latest new coop fire thread are - and in the latest one the coop had to pulled away from house as it burned.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...fire-chicken-care-advice-needed#post_17927765
@KatieG509 has clearly noticed a difference in the behavior of her chickens with and without a heat lamp, safety issues aside. Now, that could mean her coop is too small to even require one and it's getting entirely too warm in there for them to roost comfortably, or it could mean they are active 24/7 and not dealing well with the sleep deprivation. Without more information on her setup it's hard to say. But I'm a firm believer in every animal getting a resting period, and obviously she's done what she thinks is right for her situation and her flock by removing what she sees as the only variable.
I do agree with you that her post is based on what she has observed herself and hasn't been reported by enough other owners to make going without a heat lamp the absolute answer to behavior issues. But I think we have to respect her experience as strongly as we respect the experience of people who have doing this a lot longer and add it to our possibilities bank. I think, frankly, that it would make a fascinating study if that hasn't been done in the past. Sorry, not volunteering for that one myself though....
@KatieG509 We appreciate you sharing this because it might help make a difference for someone else who is experiencing unusual flock behavior and looking to pinpoint a possible cause. Welcome to BYC....glad to have you!
Make that at least 4 coop fires...just ran across another that happened on Christmas Eve. I hate these things...once again chickens were lost and some injured.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1146263/coop-fire-help-please
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...fire-chicken-care-advice-needed#post_17927765
@KatieG509 has clearly noticed a difference in the behavior of her chickens with and without a heat lamp, safety issues aside. Now, that could mean her coop is too small to even require one and it's getting entirely too warm in there for them to roost comfortably, or it could mean they are active 24/7 and not dealing well with the sleep deprivation. Without more information on her setup it's hard to say. But I'm a firm believer in every animal getting a resting period, and obviously she's done what she thinks is right for her situation and her flock by removing what she sees as the only variable.
I do agree with you that her post is based on what she has observed herself and hasn't been reported by enough other owners to make going without a heat lamp the absolute answer to behavior issues. But I think we have to respect her experience as strongly as we respect the experience of people who have doing this a lot longer and add it to our possibilities bank. I think, frankly, that it would make a fascinating study if that hasn't been done in the past. Sorry, not volunteering for that one myself though....

@KatieG509 We appreciate you sharing this because it might help make a difference for someone else who is experiencing unusual flock behavior and looking to pinpoint a possible cause. Welcome to BYC....glad to have you!
Make that at least 4 coop fires...just ran across another that happened on Christmas Eve. I hate these things...once again chickens were lost and some injured.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1146263/coop-fire-help-please
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