Simple COLD Question

[9ByDesign]

First of all, I live in Florida where heat is obviously more of a problem than cold. BUT:

1) Do I need to put a heat lamp in the coop for chickens over 4 months old if it drops below freezing? (We rarely get colder than in the low 30s.) So, at what temp do I need to have a heat lamp available?


TIA

 

[Judy]

You don't. People that live a lot farther north than we do generally don't heat their coops, and yours should be fully feathered.

If you have an enclosed coop, just be sure there is no draft directly on the chickens, and there is plenty of ventilation at the top for warm humid air to exit.

I keep a heat lamp in the coop -- for very cold nights, on the metal waterer, not the chickens. (Lazy.)

Here's some good reading on the subject: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION

There are also some very good threads on here about hot weather coops.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

no, your birds will be fine. Last winter had 2 heatlamps in the coop for the birds, and it gets down to -35 degrees C often here.