Should I keep the light on?

How did they do overnight? :)

If this arctic blast sticks around all week, you may need to continue with the heat lamp. A few years ago in early February, we had an arctic blast come down and we had minus 30 degrees each night for 3 straight nights. The daytime highs were minus 15 to minus 10. Brutally cold. Boy, did I have the heat lamps running! I also keep quail, which I was worried about being that they are so small. But I kept 2, 250 watt heat lamps on the quail and 2 of the same on the chickens. Non stop for 3 full days. Never turned them off once! Everybody made it thru however. I believe on the 4th day the nights warmed up to around zero and I was able to turn everything off.

So if this cold blast is going to stick around, you might keep the lamp burning. :)
 
I have 2 250 watt heat lamps on 21 hens, if they are cold they get around it if not they have room to stay away from it and do. I don't let the coop temp get over 32 and most times it don't. I use them because I have 3 hens that got frost bite combs. yes I put Vaseline on them on really cold nights ... now... I didn't know anything about it before, I learned that from here. This place is full of info and being a rookie I need it.. I do the heat lamp thing the way my grandmom has always done it and she had eggs all year round, hardly ever had a sick chicken and if she lost a chicken it was due to critters or old age. the woman was a chicken goddess. I have a back up heat source if the power goes out. the birds will have heat when my pipes freeze... lol truly...
I too added tarps to the run to get ready for the low temps (-0 to 9 ) and blowing snow we have already been dealing with. and now tonight, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we are looking at 1 to 1 1/2' of snow. not counting the drifts of course. Our weather man has suggested ( strongly ) that we get food for 4 days... the stores shelves are bear, our rd department THINK they have enough salt and sand and such for this but don't know if they can keep up. OMG I hate cold weather!!! COME ON SPRING!!!! and we aint even 1/2 way through winter yet... oh well I'll be gripping till we are
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Good luck with your girls, I feel your pain.
 

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