Question about Heat Lamps for Young Buffs?

[sunshinegirl12]

Hello: My girls are at the age of three months (5) and two months (3). I live in Southern NJ and the night temps are starting to drop below 50 degrees outside. We're still using the heat lamp in the coop at night by hanging it from the ceiling (actually have two but only use one for right now). The coop has actually been insulated and interior walls put over that. The temps inside the coop has averaged about 50 degrees the past two nights.

I know the B.O.'s are winter hardy and can withstand colder temps but at what age????

My other question: Should we continue to use the heat lamps because they are still quite young and is there an age we should stop using the lamps. Keeping in mind our winter nights can gat below 30 degrees.

Any suggestions or thoughts would be a help, since we are new comers.....

p.s. we did notice if it gets too warm in there they pant a lot.

Thanks..

 

[jbirds2012]

when i lived in Kansas i had leghorns and in the winter i would put a light ( not heat lamp ) close to the water so it wouldn't freeze and kept their feeder full and never had any problems. but I'd hate to steer ya wrong.

 

[mychickenbrood]

Not sure, but one thing for sure, they need a place to get away from the heat lamp, so their pen has to be big enough. If they are cold they will huddle under it and if not, they will move as close or as far as they need to.

If it were mine, I would raise the heat lamp considerably higher than when they were tiny. This should give them enough heat, without overheating them. You want them to adapt, of course, to the weather, so that is what I would do.

What I have read is that drafts are the thing you really need to protect them from. Good luck and I want to add that I am pretty new to this, so no expert by far. Maybe others will have different comments.

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

I don't think your chickens need the extra heat any more. They are fully feathered at that age and the feathers keep them warm. As long as your coop is well insulated and draft free they'll be fine.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

x2 sumi!


Hi, welcome to BYC from Kentucky.

 

[redsoxs]

Greetings from Kansas, sunshinegirl12, and

! Happy you joined our flock. Sounds like others have given you some pretty good advice. Good luck to you!

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

I agree with Sumi

 

[weimarmama]

& from Alabama. Glad you joined us.