Topic of the Week - Heat Sources: Yes or No?

[Debbie292d]

Heat lamps are for chicks not adults. I’d never use it for adult birds once power goes out then birds die from the cold shock.

Not sure where you live, but maybe your temperature variations are worse than ours, as here they don't die from cold or cold shock.

I recently had 6-week-old silkies outside frolicking around in 20°F, then running into their hutch. In the hutch, there's a cozy coop radiant heater, and with all 17 in there at once, I imagine it's a balmy 50°F. They'd warm up for a few minutes and then out they'd come again. Crazy!

The coops are heated to 40°F. They don't go outside unless it's 20°F or higher. If and when the power goes out, they'll be fine as they've always been for the last decade.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Not sure where you live, but maybe your temperature variations are worse than ours, as here they don't die from cold or cold shock.

I recently had 6-week-old silkies outside frolicking around in 20°F, then running into their hutch. In the hutch, there's a cozy coop radiant heater, and with all 17 in there at once, I imagine it's a balmy 50°F. They'd warm up for a few minutes and then out they'd come again. Crazy!

The coops are heated to 40°F. They don't go outside unless it's 20°F or higher. If and when the power goes out, they'll be fine as they've always been for the last decade.

I live in ny. I dont use any form of heat I even have budgies in aviaries they don’t even have heat and are fine. Birds are to dusty to be risking fires

 

[Knobby]

I don't provide a heat source for my flocks, even when the temps go to minus degrees, and they seem to be doing just fine. The main reason for this is that the nearest electrical outlet in 200 feet from my back patio. I had an estimate done, to run an underground wiring to the area, but at nearly $2k, that quickly faded. I just feed the flocks extra cracked corn prior to lockup to help them generate more heat, which in turn, heats up their coops.

 

[Henrietta122]

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Heated coops can be controversial. This week, let’s discuss whether you use heat sources in winter and why or why not. For example:

• What’s your take on using heat lamps or other heaters in the coop?
• Have you had any safety concerns or incidents related to heat sources?
• What are alternative ways you keep the coop warm without using electrical heat?
• How do you ensure your chickens acclimate properly to the cold?

Anything else you'd like to add.

For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

I have been worried about getting heat in my chicken coop. I have installed a 2'X2' heat panel on the wall with the goal of connecting the 400 Watt panel to a thermostat set at 68° . Is there a difference between breads of chickens who require heat and which breads don't ?

 

[Debbie292d]

I have been worried about getting heat in my chicken coop. I have installed a 2'X2' heat panel on the wall with the goal of connecting the 400 Watt panel to a thermostat set at 68° . Is there a difference between breads of chickens who require heat and which breads don't ?

Oh goodness, 68F is unnecessary. We're in Wisconsin, where it's 20F right now, but we typically have weeks of below-zero temps, and with Silkies, only keep the coops to around 40F.

Yes, some chickens are more tolerant of the cold and some less; our silkies would be on the less-tolerant side, but still, I'd never heat our coops to 68.

One reason is that we let them outside if it's 20°F or above, so the variance is only 20 degrees. Another is, they may not need it, but at 40F, I need it. I don't want to have to haul water out there daily, nor deal with frozen eggs.

It would also save you a lot of electricity if you could knock that temp down about 30 degrees.