Red heat lamp irritating chickens?

[jemimarose]

Last winter we had some extremely cold weather, like several days of -20F or lower. I opened the coop door to let my chickens out one morning and one of my hens was frozen solid on the floor. It had been about -20 Fahrenheit the night before.
So now I want to use a heat lamp on the coldest nights because I don't want that to happen again. I got a red heat lamp and put it on for a few nights when the weather was well below freezing and left it on during the day because the hens were going in there now and then to escape the cold for a while.
But then they started acting weird. My rooster was extremely irritable and pecking the hens for no reason, and the hens were fighting with each other like roosters! They also quit laying. I wondered if it was getting too hot in there at night but it was pretty cold because most of the poop was frozen. I turned the light off and everything went back to normal and they started laying again.

My question is, was it the light/heat that was discombobulating them or was it a coincidence?

I live in Upstate NY. I have 10 hens and a rooster, mixed varieties (buff orp, araucana, rhodie reds, a couple UFO's (unidentified flapping objects). The hen house is 16 square feet and 4 feet tall. I know it's a little small for 11 chickens but my in-laws pressured us to take their 4 because foxes were picking them off one by one. They all seem to be ok in there (except when the heat lamp is on, apparently) and have plenty of room during the day.

The hen house is insulated except for the floor (ran out of insulation) and there's a vent at the bottom of the door and some gaps for fresh air. The pics shown are before insulating.

 

[boskelli1571]

I have never heard of the red light causing problems, but there's always a first time.
What type of insulation do you have in the coop?
Personally, I would add a lot of straw to the ground. About 6 inches of bedding should do, it does help to keep it warmer.
I would also close the vent at floor level when it gets really cold - the draft from that could possibly have frozen your hen...
Keep the vents up high so there are no drafts on or near your birds.
I also would be using a small heater for the space not a red lamp if it gets really cold in there. Invest in a coop thermometer and see how cold it gets after you add the straw.

 

[aart]

My question is, was it the light/heat that was discombobulating them or was it a coincidence?

Hard to say if it was just the light or something else, glad you started a new thread.

The hen house is 16 square feet and 4 feet tall. I know it's a little small for 11 chickens

Way too small.
That could definitely be part of the problem.

but my in-laws pressured us to take their 4

Did this problem start when you added these 4 'new' birds?

I see a few things that concern me.
I see what looks like a vent up high in that angle of roof outside,
but inside ceiling looks sealed up?
But the open chicken wire wall next to the door might be too much ventilation,
not to mention it's vulnerable to predators. They may have had a visitor and that's what spooked them into being aggressive?

The roosts are rather small in diameter and am also wondering if they are attached firmly?

The waterer is odd, looks like they maybe can't reach the water level as it shows here,
and how do you keep it thawed?

Just some thoughts.

 

[FortCluck]

I think that the coup being a bit small might be part of the problem. Before you put the light in they weren't really having an issue with space because they were just going to bed since there was no light disturbing them. When you put a light in your coop it disturbed their sleeping pattern.

My chickens don't sleep on roosts I made them a very nice roosting area, but they choose the floor every time. I would secure the roosts that you have a big better. I'm afraid too much weight on those, they'll fall out or move way too much disturbing everyone on the roost.

Just my experience from the red lights and chicks. When I use the red light for heat for chicks, they party all night because of the light. If I shut the light off at night, they get quiet and go to sleep.

 

[Matilda Belle]

Like others have said, your coop is way to small for that many birds. You need a minimum of 4 square feet for each bird inside the coop and 10 square feet per bird in the run. More square feet is better especially in cold climates since most of their time is spent inside the coop.

 

[chickens really]

I'm thinking it's over crowding and not from the heat lamp. They all piled in because of the cold and get irritated by over crowding.

 

[21hens-incharge]

A red lamps keeps chicks awake. No reason it wouldn't keep adults awake.
I have run a red lamp in my coop when I had chicks in a brooder in there.
My adults were very agitated. As soon as that light was blocked from their area they settled down.

I think your coop is way to crowded AND the light is also an issue.

aart asked some good questions and pointed a few things out that can also be issues.

 

[FortCluck]

A red lamps keeps chicks awake. No reason it wouldn't keep adults awake.
I have run a red lamp in my coop when I had chicks in a brooder in there.
My adults were very agitated. As soon as that light was blocked from their area they settled down.

I think your coop is way to crowded AND the light is also an issue.

aart asked some good questions and pointed a few things out that can also be issues.

I have the same experience with a red light. My chicks stay up throughout the night because of it. Glad they only need heat for so long!

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have the same experience with a red light. My chicks stay up throughout the night because of it. Glad they only need heat for so long!

I have been lucky the last couple years and had a broody to raise the kids.

My neighbor thinks their 4 adult birds are to cold so have been running a lamp in there. I can see the glow around the door. Their birds are complaining loudly every night.....all night. They also have not been letting them into the run at all for 2 months now.

 

[FortCluck]

I have been lucky the last couple years and had a broody to raise the kids.

My neighbor thinks their 4 adult birds are to cold so have been running a lamp in there. I can see the glow around the door. Their birds are complaining loudly every night.....all night. They also have not been letting them into the run at all for 2 months now.

My chickens haven't had any problems with staying warm in the winter. I never supplement heat in the winter. I also let mine out every day to the free range fenced in area, they have zero issues with the cold.

I think we as humans feel cold so we feel like the chickens are cold. Animals are well-equipped to handle colder weather than we are.