Hi Everyone, We are fairly new to raising chickens. We currently have 5 and are having a blast with them. The one question that I have is how cold is too cold for them? At what temp should I turn on the heat lamp? Thanks!!
In most cases, chickens do not need supplemental heat in winter, even in cold Wisconsin weather. As long as they are kept out of drafts and dry, chickens do great in the cold. The only reasons that you would want to use a heat lamp would be if you have birds with large single combs (which are susceptible to frostbite), have hens brooding chicks or young birds. What breeds do you have? Birds with rose combs and pea combs, like Wyandottes, Easter Eggers, Chanteclers, Buckeyes, etc will not usually get frostbite, even in cold weather. If you have large combed birds (especially the roosters, which don't usually sleep with their heads beneath their wings), and want to prevent frostbite, turn the heat lamp on at about 28 degrees F.
Welcome to BYC Glad you joined us! Have a look here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/97134/how-cold-is-too-cold-for-a-chicken
If it's adult chickens, I would say when it gets below freezing you may want to put a 40 watt bulb, but in most cases they're good. The main thing is keeping the wind chill off them. Most big chickens can withstand 20 degrees as long as they have a good roost out the wind, rain, ext. A nice bed of hay is always nice on cold nights for breeds that don't always roost, like some of the English Orpingtons, ext.... Now as for 6 weeks to 3 month old. I would put a 40 watt bulb in their coop when it gets in mid 40's or colder. If I see them bunching up, I apply a heat source, as in 40-60 watt. and my 250 watt brooder bulb stays on my small chicks until they're 4 to 6 weeks, depending on size and weather. In day temps above 75 degrees, I turn it off on chicks over 7 days old The main thing is to watch chicks and young birds that are bunching up. When they bunch up and stack on top of each other the one's on bottom don't make it. As for roosting birds, your larger breeds can take the cold better than smaller breeds. The bigger the bird, and the more feathers, the more cold the can withstand.
Thank you for all of the replies...I will monitor their behavior and add heat when I see them bunching up. For those who asked I have 3 Brown Pullets, 1 New Hampshire Red and 1 Maran.
