Light Bulb Suggestion for Hens

[John Gusmano]

What kind of bulb do you guys suggest to provide some heat and to get my chickens laying? They are doing extremely well despite these cold temperatures, but I’d like to get them to produce more eggs.

[rendezvous]

I only used a 100w bulb. Had it on a timer to come on a couple of hours before dawn til sun up. My coop is small and well insulated, but always left the pop door open and a vent opened. I had a heated waterer in there also. The bulb was more to extend daylight hours than heat. I believe if you have some ventilation, but no drafts chickens fair well in cold temps.

[histopicker]

Rondy is on the mark here. I ran a 100 watt bulb for light and a red heat lamp for heat when I had chickens. I only provided heat when it was really cold.

[John Gusmano]

Thanks fellas!

[Deleted]

John, just remember, no matter what you provide for light and heat during the winter, they will slow down on production. At least that's been my observation.

[farmertrappe]

It's not as chilly on my birds as you guys. I keep the drafts down, give them plenty of feed and I put all my birds together in one pen for the winter. They don't use the perches this time of the year, just pile up at night to sleep. I also put down a nice thick bed of wood chips to insulate the ground. I usually bring on some young birds in the spring and they lay straight thru the winter fine, older one do so down some.

[SkFarm25]

Yes they will usually slow down in the winter time anyway, no matter what you do. I have a light and a heat lamp in there since I have fewer chickens this winter. The heat bulb is really just to keep the water thawed out but if they get chilly they can huddle underneath it too. Remember to give them oyster shells as well, especially in the winter. Helps a lot with digestion as well as makes a stronger egg. Not sure how many of you guys use these but my chickens go nuts for them in the winter when they don't have any small rocks to eat to help break down the food. A chicken puts off a lot of body heat so if you have quite a few you should't have to worry about heat too much. I have 1 chickens that didn't make it back into the chicken house before a storm last year where it got down to -50 and she was outside all night. Froze off all her toes, comb and waddle but still laying eggs for me daily. Tough old bird!

[rendezvous]

When I had my birds I did use oyster shells also, mixed it in with their feed. That is a tough old bird! Give her a couple of meal worms for me...