When the mercury drops and your chickens start looking at you like you’ve personally caused winter, the temptation to hang a big red heat lamp over the roost grows strong But before you turn your coop into a KFC test kitchen, let’s talk heat safety, feathers, and fire hazards

The Hot Facts

Heat lamps are the old standby for chicken keepers everywhere, and for good reason—they’re cheap, simple, and effective The bad news? They can also be a feathered fireball waiting to happen Most coop fires start because those clamp lamps get jostled or knocked loose by a curious hen, landing