Too cold for the little ones!

[starforever61]

My little ones are 7 months old, and they live happily with my two year olds. No eggs yet and they're still realllllllly small! A couple have already died because they're just SO small and it got far below freezing.

What kind of heat lamp should I use? Should I also get a light in there for egg laying purposes? Thanks!

 

[CMV]

You are not saying what breed they are or what temps you are dealing with. My experience has been that birds rarely die from the cold. In fact, I have heard of more birds dying from excessive heat than excessive cold. At 7 months old your birds should be fully fledged, so they are well equipped to deal with harsh weather.

Supplemental lighting in a coop is all a matter of personal choice, but a heat lamp in a coop is just asking for trouble. (You don't really say what your set-up is, so I am assuming that your birds are in a coop.) Heat lamps carry a not insignificant fire risk with their use. You need to be very aware of that before you put lights of any sort in the coop.

Good luck.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
X2

 

[Fred's Hens]

Agree. I live in northern Michigan and we had 19F night before last. No heat lamp needed whatsoever. I have pullets much younger than 7 months.
Are they a bantam type?
If birds are dying, there is something wrong, but cold isn't sure isn't one of the reasons.

 

[wyododge]

Need to be more specific on the temp. Far below freezing to me is -20.

I suppose it is possible that the cold may have been the straw that broke it's back. But unless it was really cold (which it not yet even in alaska) there is most likely another issue lurking.

Why are they SOOO small??? Unless they are quail, who survive -40 just fine, or a strange Amazonian Jungle chicken with no feathers, then maybe. Dunno without more info.

FWIW there is no place in the US too cold to raise chickens, even if your coop only consists of a tree, a food bucket and a water pail.

 

[Pharm Girl]

Have they been checked for worms??

 

[they'reHISchickens]

Mamahen has her 3 week old FBCM chicks out of the coop and under our camper during this snowstorm. ( Southeast PA 34 degrees) They aren't complaining too much! We are starting to wonder how they will make it through the snow back to the coop tonight. There is some grass underneath to nibble on. I felt sorry for them and tossed some bread and chick feed under for them. All the flock just love going under the 25 ft camper that's parked outside their run. It's protection from sun, rain, snow and hawks.
I figured if it is too bad outside, they all know where the coop/food is> 15 feet away!
Wet Snow is laying down easily an inch an hour here.