Red heat lamp?

[duckman14]

It gets cold here in the winter and I'm wondering, does it bother the chickens at all to leave the red heat lamp on all night long?

 

[Rocky Rhodes]

I use a 250 watt infrared heat lamp in my coops in the winter, and I think the chickens would be more bothered by the cold. I haven't noticed any difference in their behavior, except they fight over the best spots (closest to the heat light) on the perch.

 

[duckman14]

Thank you

 

[Den in Penn]

What will bother them is when the red heat lamp goes out and they are not adjusted to the cold. Chickens can take low temperatures better then most would give them credit for. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421122/think-its-too-cold-for-your-chickens-think-again This thread is long, but it is still good.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

What will bother them is when the red heat lamp goes out and they are not adjusted to the cold. Chickens can take low temperatures better then most would give them credit for. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421122/think-its-too-cold-for-your-chickens-think-again This thread is long, but it is still good.

x2. You aren't helping your chickens by heating the coop. Think of what it's like when you come into the house after being out in the cold in your winter coat--you're way too hot. Your birds can't take their winter coats off. Allow them to acclimate naturally to the weather and they'll be fine well below zero.

 

[bobbi-j]

I live in MN, also and I can assure you that your chickens will be just fine - far better off, actually - without the heatlamp, for the reasons Den and WOS listed. Plenty of ventilation, out of the elements, and they'll be fine. I left my pop door open last winter on all but the coldest (-30's) of days and nights. They were fine. Please do your chickens a favor and not heat the coop. Think about the wild birds. They don't have heated places to go, yet they survive the winters.

 

[Mattemma]

I just put in a 25 watt flur. light since the windows I cut let in very little light. I add some straw. Also give warm water 2 times a day. Coop is a metal shed.

 

[duckman14]

Thanks to all of you. But to clear things up.. I'm not to worried about keeping the chickens warm. I have a rather larg non- insulated coop and I realy don't think the one heat lamp does a lot of anything to keep the coop warm. But do to the lack of sunlight hours I needed to add light anyway so I put the heat lamp above my waterer in an attempt to ( excuse the expression) kill two birds with one stone.

 

[Den in Penn]

Sorry I miss read you original question, If your coop is uninsulated I doubt the heat lamp above the waterer would keep it unfrozen where you live when winter really sets in. The best light for egg production is a full spectrum light bright enough to read by. The red light can effect them enough for them to be more active at night but not enough for egg production.

 

[duckman14]

Ok thanks