Heating Lamp or No Heating Lamp?

[MillieYevick]

Do pullets need a heat lamp?
Do my pullets and Roos need a heating lamp in the coop overnight. I’m in Georgia and the low tonight is going to be 57. I have a sick hen and was also wondering if I needed to put a heating lamp in her Henspital since she will be separated from the flock. My husband said they need a heating lamp every night in cold weather, but I feel like the will be overheated with it being 57.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Sally PB]

No. Heating lamps are a main cause of coop fires.

Chickens are wearing down parkas. 57 is not cold to them.

 

[MillieYevick]

No. Heating lamps are a main cause of coop fires.

Chickens are wearing down parkas. 57 is not cold to them.

Thank you so much for clarifying! I thought the same thing, but my husband said they have to have a heat lamp every night and to me that seemed off.

 

[HorseGirlAbby]

How old are the pullets? If they’re fully feathered they have no need for extra heat. Our high today was around 57, and the hens enjoyed the warmth Ours have survived single digits with no supplemental heat, so yours should be just fine.

 

[MillieYevick]

How old are the pullets? If they’re fully feathered they have no need for extra heat. Our high today was around 57, and the hens enjoyed the warmth Ours have survived single digits with no supplemental heat, so yours should be just fine.

They are fully feathered! I’m glad I’m getting all this info, cause my husband didn’t believe me when I told him they didn’t need a heating lamp, lol! Thank you!

 

[Mrs. K]

Brand new chicks, do well with a heat lamp - but I have mine weaned off of it in less than three weeks. They are not fully feathered, and they do just fine. Chickens make a lot of body heat, if they can get out of the wind, they will keep themselves warm.

57 degrees - feathered birds - you are much more likely to have heat problems.

Mrs K

 

[rosemarythyme]

57 degrees, I would easily have 4 week olds off heat in that sort of temperature without issue. Chickens suffer from heat far more than cold, and that's not even cold (that's shorts weather!)

 

[rosemarythyme]

I've always wondered what "heating lamp" means around here. The big red ones labeled as heating lamps like you'd use in a bathroom vary from 100 to 250 watts and get hot enough to make something combust. The surface temperature of the bulb increases as the wattage increases. A regular incandescent bulb in the same fixture will be 100 watts or less. I do not believe a 40 to 60 watt incandescent bulb can get hot enough to make something combust. But, a 40 to 60 watt clear bulb can get hot enough to keep chicks warm.

Generally the red ones are "heat lamps" and yes the surface temperature on those can get pretty crazy.

Fully feathered, properly acclimated healthy birds do not need any heat at all at 57F.

To further clarify for OP,

My husband said they need a heating lamp every night in cold weather

How cold is cold? Healthy adolescent and adult chickens can handle cold down to about -10F real without need for heat.

 

[kbroom]

Thanks so much for this. I was wondering the same thing. Mine are now over 1 month old, and I've been leaving the heat lamp on, though further away from them at night. I've been taking them out in the day time in their temporary coop on the balcony. Here in south Texas, it's been between 75-80 degrees in the daytime. I've been putting them back in their large container at night in the house. It may be time to allow them to stay outside at night, but it got down to 40 and damp here a day or two ago. I'm just "winging" it a little, but I really can use ANY advice that a season old bird keeper can give me. Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks so much for this. I was wondering the same thing. Mine are now over 1 month old, and I've been leaving the heat lamp on, though further away from them at night. I've been taking them out in the day time in their temporary coop on the balcony. Here in south Texas, it's been between 75-80 degrees in the daytime. I've been putting them back in their large container at night in the house. It may be time to allow them to stay outside at night, but it got down to 40 and damp here a day or two ago. I'm just "winging" it a little, but I really can use ANY advice that a season old bird keeper can give me. Thanks!

They really don't need the heat at all at that age, though you should fully wean them off heat before taking it away completely (either by moving it further away, dimming it, switching to a lower watt bulb). Shouldn't take more than a few days at over 4 weeks old, with such moderate/warm temps.