when do i turn off the heat lamp at night?

[mychickenbella]

I usually have the heat lamp going for them during the winter

They are all getting big, but i still haven't let the younger ones in totally with the older ones. They are only 2 weeks apart, but the difference in size is amazing. I let them all out in the fenced yard, but the older ones still pick on the little ones. Waiting for the smallest one to get a little bigger, shes a Partridge, and so they like to really pick on her.

 

[Den in Penn]

They can take much colder than 32*. They have down coats on all the time. There are chickens in very cold climates that survive very well with out heat added. A ventilated coop that keeps them dry and out of the wind is all they need. There are some issues like frozen water and frost bitten combs to worry about.

 

[ellandeeranch]

I thought most of them were fine a good deal lower than the 32 degree point, as long as they don't have drafty conditions. I dunno, though, since I'm in my 3rd week of chicken ownership! This place is just fantastic for information.

Now, during the winter, what to do about the heat lamp. I have heard that they should be fine down to about 32* but after that you may want to het the coop with a little heat lamp.

 

[mychickenbella]

Even with the heat lamp my rooster got a little black on his comb. Ive heard you can put some vaseline on the comb to protect it. I usually didn't let them out until it warmed up a bit. This year im getting a heated water container for them, that way i don't have to worry about the water freezing up. Some people i know don't use heat lamps, so i think its just a personal preference. Or unless it gets really cold at your location, then it might be wise to use some kind of heat.

 

[karlamaria]

When my coop was made it was made very well. Super insulated for the cold we get her ( -40 )
My chickens have never had a heat lamp in the coop, nor have they ever had frozen combs. Of course I keep my coop dry and change out the litter every week or two. This year we added onto the coop and added electricity . This way we added an electric door, and lights if need be.

 

[mychickenbella]

Brrrr -40 is really cold

. We don't get that cold here. We haven't insulated our coop yet, but we are going to build a new one. The old coop is 7 years old. But it is still in really good shape. We just put a new roof on it and are replacing the out door run roof with new clear roofing. We don't have any drafts or holes in our coop and we also clean ours out 1-2 times a week, especially now since the chickens are still young. But for some reason our rooster still got some black on his comb a few winters ago. Maybe because his comb was really big? What kind of chickens do you have?

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Welcome from a fellow Washingtonian! Do you live on the East or West side of the State? If West, you do not, do not need heat for coop in Winter. I lived in Seattle area for years with chickens, never used heat. One year ago, moved to Eastern Washington and did use heat lamps from time to time.

 

[mychickenbella]

We in Snoqualmie, in the Cascade Foothills. It does get cold here cause we are at a higher elevation, but i usually don't turn the heat on until we get into the 20's...