Heat Lamp: Am I Doing This Right?

[Lacy Duckwing]

This weekend we're supposed to be getting record breaking cold. On my weather site, I'm seeing -22°F on one night and a -30°F wind chill warning. I've been hearing from other sources that the wind chill is going to be -60°F.

Typically, I advise against heat lamps during the winter and refuse to use them. Due to this cold, a few birds that isn't handling the cold well, and no basement to put the flock in, I'm going with one. I've set it all up, and before I use it, I want to know if I'm doing it right. I don't want it to heat up my birds, I only want it to keep them from freezing.

This is the bulb I'm using:

I'm going with a clear, not a red, because it doesn't get as warm. I might change it to a red if I have to, but I'd rather not.

This is my setup:

I have a thermometer by the floor to hopefully get an accurate temperature of the coop.

I have the heat lamp hung up high with a chain in a way that it should stay in place. It is hooked by a clip to the thing it's supposed to be hanged from to the chain. I have a second clip to hold the cord off of the heat lamp should a bird knock it down.

This is the coop:

The flock is in the left side room which is an 8x8ft. room. The doors will be closed. This coop is not insulated and has grain bags to block any drafts. They do have the deep litter method going on inside, but I don't think it's enough. They also have a heated waterer base, though it won't be able to run when the heat lamp is on unless I have something to split things off with.

Any advice would be very much appreciated! Again, I don’t want the coop to heat up, I only want it to be warm enough that my birds don't freeze to death. Thanks in advance!

 

[casportpony]

I see you have it suspended by the clamp. I would not use the clamp.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I see you have it suspended by the clamp. I would not use the clamp.

Ok. What else can I use? It doesn't look like it has anything else to clip it to. (I'll go look around to see if I can find something else.)

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I ran out real quick and found a hook on another one of my heat lamps. I took it off and put it on the one in the coop. How does this look:

(The chain is wrapped around the clamp, so it has some extra support. )

 

[TooCheep]

Normally, I would recommend against a heat lamp in winter as you want your birds adapted to the cold, but it isn't a problem for short term use during very cold weather if you take the proper precautions. I would recommend red lamps as it is less likely to be a problem for them at night.

I wouldn't worry about the clamp. It will hold the lamp firmly. It looks like you have two chains on the lamp which is important. If one fails for any reason (slips off, etc), it will keep the lamp from dropping into the bedding and possibly starting a fire.

Looks like it is fairly well setup. I would get a simple 3-way electrical splitter if you can at a local department/hardware store. That will allow you to run both your water heater and lamp.
Example: https://www.amazon.com/3-Outlet-Grounding-Kasonic-Extender-Heavy-Duty/dp/B075PJYVMG/

Your birds will get as close/far away from the lamp as they are comfortable with.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Normally, I would recommend against a heat lamp in winter as you want your birds adapted to the cold, but it isn't a problem for short term use during very cold weather if you take the proper precautions. I would recommend red lamps as it is less likely to be a problem for them at night.

I wouldn't worry about the clamp. It will hold the lamp firmly. It looks like you have two chains on the lamp which is important. If one fails for any reason (slips off, etc), it will keep the lamp from dropping into the bedding and possibly starting a fire.

Looks like it is fairly well setup. I would get a simple 3-way electrical splitter if you can at a local department/hardware store. That will allow you to run both your water heater and lamp.
Example: https://www.amazon.com/3-Outlet-Grounding-Kasonic-Extender-Heavy-Duty/dp/B075PJYVMG/

Your birds will get as close/far away from the lamp as they are comfortable with.

Thank you for your response. I'm the same way. Currently, the heat lamp isn't on, but it will be when the temperatures start getting too cold. (Do you have a suggested temperature that I should turn it on at?)

It is one chain, but hooked on two separate hooks.

Thank you!

 

[TooCheep]

There is no specific temperature, but chickens can handle it surprisingly cold. Personally, I'd turn it on when it gets below 0 degrees and the birds will stay as near/far away from the lamp as they are comfortable

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

There is no specific temperature, but chickens can handle it surprisingly cold. Personally, I'd turn it on when it gets below 0 degrees and the birds will stay as near/far away from the lamp as they are comfortable

Ok, thank you so much!

 

[FunClucks]

I wouldn't rely on the clamp to hold your lamp, but you've now got it as a secondary holding mechanism, which should be ok. All my heat lamps have that metal hanging loop across the top that you've secured your purple carribeener to, and that's how I hang mine, from the metal loop that's an integral part of the lamp. Securing things so if they fall there's a failsafe and they can't hit the ground is the way to go. Also recommend a red bulb to help save their eyes at night - I don't think the color changes the heat put out, that's a function of the wattage. It just changes the wavelength to something we can see and chickens can't as well. Just make sure your red bulb is marketed for poultry and not for food service - the food service ones can emit fumes that are deadly to birds from their (Teflon?) coating. Like heating up a teflon coating - it outgasses something bad for them.

When I brood under a heat lamp, I use a dial gage meat thermometer to measure temperature. If it measures low enough for you, you might try that. Those are about $7 USD, so pretty cheap, and stainless steel is durable and easy to clean. By putting it directly under the light, I would measure the hottest part of the floor, and that would make me feel better about the fire risk of leaving it on.

Securing the cord is also a good idea, glad you did that.

You could use a heavy gage extension cord connector that has space for three plugs on one end, and one male plug on the other, just read the labels and make sure they're rated for the combined load you plan to use.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think you will need the heat lamp much closer to where your birds are going to be. Otherwise I don't see a heat lamp heating that much space to anything beyond a negligible amount.

We have cattle and will sometimes use a heat lamp on a cold calf, but it needs to be relatively close to the calf, or as more common here - to the chicks. They are made to heat up a small area quite a bit.

But unless you are standing near it, the air away from the lamp is still cold, And not very far away from the lamp either. Heat rises, it will be rising far away from the floor. As positioned now, it will not warm the roosts. If you close the ventilation to trap the heat - then you get moisture.

Dry - deep bedding, wind protection, and good ventilation will get birds through dang cold temperatures. I have taken chickens through -35 actual degrees cold more than once, with no problems. You know your own birds best, but I don't think your arrangement is going to do much.

Mrs K