red warming light

[patandchickens]

It would make a whole lot more sense to insulate. You pay for that ONCE, as opposed to ongoing electric bills forever and ever from a higher-wattage bulb, plus the risk factor.

"Need" aside, I would not personally put a heat lamp in a 3x3x4 coop, because you will not really be able to have 18" clearance from flammables (walls, shavings) in all directions. And even if the lamp were poised in the exact geometric center of that coop, with as much clearance as possible from flammables (although it will not be quite 18"), it will not be out of the way of chickens' heads, and thus there is a pretty good chance of them bopping their heads into the hot bulb or hot guard surrounding it and getting burned. Plus the cost of electricity and fire risk. Really, if you *have* to heat (and I think the majority of people who heat, don't need to) a lower-wattage bulb and more insulation is a much better way to go IMHO.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[chookchick]

I totally agree with Pat--insulate! Then the heat given off by your hens will keep the coop warmer. Last year when the temps got near 12 degrees F I wrapped my small coop with insulation and then tarped the whole thing, fastened on with bungees (keep ventilation open). Wasn't pretty but got me through a cold spell. Remember--you don't want the coop to get really warm, just around freezing is just fine, and they can handle a LOT colder. If the coop is kept at 45 or warmer, I would be concerned about them losing winter hardiness.

 

[The Chicken People]

Patandchickens I am not insulated with just osb board coop temps are down to single digits should I add heat?

 

[mdbokc]

I was looking at a light chart on the temperature of surfaces so many inches from the light. Each wattage is different but an average of the 75-100w bulbs is that about 18 inches away from the infared heat lamp, surface temperature will be 70-80 degrees F. As mentioned earlier, air is not heated but solid surfaces are. If the feathers are not cold to the touch, I know they are receiving heat no matter what the air temp is.

Tonight will be about 10 degrees F so I'll use the twin 50w bulbs again. I am uninsulated and a large coop. This is a rare cold snap for here.

 

[gjoyner]

but..the thermometer in the coop says 10 degrees..and that is when I check before I go to bed. It could get WAY colder when Im sleeping.
is it still 70 degrees 18 inches away? The coop is small so i cant imagine the thermometer to be more than 18 inches away

 

[mdbokc]

Infared lamps heat solid objects, not air. The air temp will be cold.

My brother up on the Continental Divide west of CO Springs, throws a heating pad on the floor. Works for him.

 

[The Chicken People]

so mdbokc I have a large coop as well and a 40 watt light bulb with the reflector on them 14 hours a day but not at night should i add heat?

 

[GrammieAnn]

Okay, here's another question related to the red heat lamps. I've been using a regular light bulb on a timer to insure 16 hours of light so that chickens continue laying. Will the red lamp do the same thing? Can I replace the regular light bulb with the infra red lamp and still get eggs? Thanks for you help on this.

 

[mdbokc]

We were 60 degrees a couple of days ago. We are going to be 60 degrees in a couple of days. Our temperature swings are great depending on which way the wind is from. My observation is that the birds do not adjust to the deeper cold temperature drops here like they do in Nebraska. So I watch them to see how they are doing. I find they do well to as low as 20 degrees without any problem. Below that, I watch for their reaction to the sudden temperature change. I find that they are relaxed and do better with a little infared heat for the few nights/days a year that they need it. My small RIR was actually shaking/shivering this evening as the wind chills here were -0 and low temps all day. and the idiots wanted out like a regular day.

Each case is different but I don't want it to be like summer for them, just take the extreme cold off for the few days they are exposed. Not all will agree with this but the birds really do well for us with this approach here.

 

[gjoyner]

so..should I use a NON red light to warm the air? Will they be able to sleep?