I'm just wondering if I need to worry about my chickens staying warm enough with these cold temps. I'm in NW Phoenix and the girls are now 3.5 months old. Do you think they need a lamp? I'd love any input. Thanks much!
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If fully feathered out and have some sort of shelter from the wind and rain, then no.
Around Christmas, when it got so darn cold at night, I put a heat lamp out for my meaties. They were fully feathered, but are housed in a mobile pen that doesn't offer any wind protection. My layers were comfy cozy in their coop.
I'm using deep litter. ... before I moved the 3 youngsters outside, I divided the pen in half, so the layers and youngsters are in separate areas. and I cleaned all the litter/chicken manure from the layers out of the youngsters part of the pen. My plan is to move them in together when the youngsters start to lay. that way i don't need to worry about different feed in the same pen. I planned to clean out the layers cage, to bare ground, before moving them in together, so they can all use both pens (separated only by a removeable door). After reading Plamondon, I wonder if cleaning out the litter is necessary. What do you think?
Hello,
for the best answer to this question check out Robert Plamodoms web site. He offers so much info on raising chickens. I live North of PHX temps here are 28-30 or lower. I shut my chickens in till I read some of the articles on Roberts page. I had noticed a big drop in egg production, and since I have started leaving the doors open egg production is back up, and they seem happy. Go to www.plamodom.com happy reading.
Michele > LPA Farms (Tony)January 3, 2010 at 3:17pm
is this website still working? I wasn't able to access it.
I agree with Chris. My brother lives in northern Utah and has a heat lamp to keep the coop above 22 degrees. Mine are not even huddling together when it frosts the top of the coop. I've heard people say the hens will live longer if they don't get too cold, but I think in this climate it is if they don't get too hot.
If you decide to get a heat lamp (Any IFA/Cal Ranch/Tractor supply-type store will have heat lamps) you can get 125 and 250 Watt heat bulbs in red or white lamps. Get red as white will mess up the hormone system that handles calcium regulation.
Thanks, Chris! This helps ease my mind and confirms what my instincts were telling me, but still needed to hear since I'm still new to this! Happy New Year!
Replies
Around Christmas, when it got so darn cold at night, I put a heat lamp out for my meaties. They were fully feathered, but are housed in a mobile pen that doesn't offer any wind protection. My layers were comfy cozy in their coop.
Indeed, they are tougher than we are! :)
I'm using deep litter. ... before I moved the 3 youngsters outside, I divided the pen in half, so the layers and youngsters are in separate areas. and I cleaned all the litter/chicken manure from the layers out of the youngsters part of the pen. My plan is to move them in together when the youngsters start to lay. that way i don't need to worry about different feed in the same pen. I planned to clean out the layers cage, to bare ground, before moving them in together, so they can all use both pens (separated only by a removeable door). After reading Plamondon, I wonder if cleaning out the litter is necessary. What do you think?
for the best answer to this question check out Robert Plamodoms web site. He offers so much info on raising chickens. I live North of PHX temps here are 28-30 or lower. I shut my chickens in till I read some of the articles on Roberts page. I had noticed a big drop in egg production, and since I have started leaving the doors open egg production is back up, and they seem happy. Go to www.plamodom.com happy reading.
If you decide to get a heat lamp (Any IFA/Cal Ranch/Tractor supply-type store will have heat lamps) you can get 125 and 250 Watt heat bulbs in red or white lamps. Get red as white will mess up the hormone system that handles calcium regulation.
Enjoy your hens!