Stupid Heat lamp question

TennesseeMama23 · #1 02/05/07, 09:53 AM

I put a heat lamp in the stall for my 3 does, just to be nice. I know it isn't really necessary, but I figured "why not?". Any way one of the does is terrified of it and won't come in there at all. The other two bundle up directly under it and reap all the benefits. Dh says just leave it and she will eventually get over her stupidity (it hasn't rained since I put it in there, so the real test hasn't come). It has been there about 3 days.

It has been in the teens here lately. It's not really been windy, so it isn't colder outside than inside the shed.

Should I get rid of the heat lamp? The 2 does LOVE it. Or should I go with dh and leave it? I hate the thought of my favorite doe laying right outside the door to the shed all night, but I know if she came in and sunned she would really like it.

**mygoat** · #2 02/05/07, 10:11 AM

heat lamps are really not good for them. They acclimate temperatures and do quite well, even in sub-zero weather with no additional help. If you're worried about the temperature, feed them more hay, and thier rumens will work, keeping them warm. I'll personally never run a heat lamp in my barn unless it's life and death for them. Haven't yet, and don't think I'll ever need to. I'm to worried that our barn will catch fire and it will burn down. Also, goats will chew cords, or knock down the lamp.

ozark_jewels · #3 02/05/07, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TennesseeMama23

I put a heat lamp in the stall for my 3 does, just to be nice. I know it isn't really necessary, but I figured "why not?". .

Actually...there are at least two good reasons "why not".

Number one: FIRE. Heat lamps are a fire risk and a bad one. Especially with adult does who can so easily knock one down or shatter the bulb.
Number two: If they are adult does(or even 2006 kids), they do not need it. They will acclimate to the weather and as long as they have plenty of hay and a dry place to sleep, they will be healthier with just themselves for heat.

I never use a heat lamp, even for kids. If its *that* cold out, I'd rather bring them inside than take a fire risk with a heat lamp. I've talked to too many people who have lost goats in barn fires started by heat lamps. Heat lamps are wonderful where needed. But *needed* is the word here. If it was me and my goats, I'd take that heat lamp away now and put out more hay.

We've been having -0* temps here and all the goats have been fine. Just a dry place to sleep out of the wind, and plenty of hay is what is needed.

TennesseeMama23 · #4 02/05/07, 11:07 AM

Thanks for the advice

.

I just ran out and unplugged it. What about newborn kids at night? I plan on separating them from their mamas at night. I live in tn so anything under 45 seems frigid to me

What is a good rule to go by with the kids, under like 35 degrees and they need a heat source? I have a kid stall about 4 by 8 feet with about 3.5 foot solid walls. I used a heat lamp last year for my kids if it was under about 40. What do you think about that?

DocM · #5 02/05/07, 11:12 AM

I've used heat lamps forever. I use brooder heads with cages and attach them so they don't move. I'm not dumb enough to place them where the goats can chew the cord, knock them down, or where the actual bulb will touch anything flamable (hence the cage cover). I don't use them until it's well into the winter (or spring) by then, the does have long acclimated to the colder temps and appreciate the warmth. I've used them over my kid pens for my bottle babies ever since I raised goats and haven't had any problems with them yet. I wean them off the warm lamps within a week or two of their birth; by that time their little bodies are better at regulating their own temperature. More hay won't help when it's -20. One thing I've never had is chilled kids, or kids who died from the cold because I slept through their birth (it happens, nobody can stay up 24/7 through kidding season).

diane · #6 02/05/07, 11:37 AM

South central Michigan here. I raised goats for many, many years and never used a heat lamp, even for kids. What I did do for the kids was use a big barrel with a small hole in the top (open part of barrel down) big enough to get a cord through. I would put a heat lamp fixture at the top of the barrel and put a 100 watt light bulb in it. The kids would pile into the barrels and stay toasty warm, even with temperature in the -15 area.

ozark_jewels · #7 02/05/07, 12:03 PM

Everyone does things differently, that doesn't make it wrong. I personally will not use heat lamps in the barn unless it was a life or death situation. It never has been and I never have.

We do not get -20 temps here and I *very* much doubt they do in TN either. Its rare that we get -0* temps at all. Some winters it never dips below 0*. This winter it has, several times been well below 0*. My Boer kids were a week old and they were absolutely fine, no lamps. I don't think I've ever seen it lower than -10*.
TennesseeMama, I'm glad to hear the heat lamps are off, I think its a good idea and sets my mind at ease.

As for newborn kids being separated from mama during the nights? I personally wouldn't separate the kids at night till they were 2 weeks old. Then they are hefty enough to have plenty of body heat as long as they have buddies to snuggle with in plenty of bedding. My two week old kids do not have a heat lamp and they stay outside in the kid stalls when its down to 10* as long as they have fluffy bedding and buddies to snuggle with. And full tummies! Really, its up to you, I just hate to use a heat lamp if its not needed.

There is less liklihood of little kids knocking the lamp down than there is with grown does. Just be sure its hung properly and attached firmly with no chance of them getting to the cord.
Really, I hate the thought of having a heat lamp in any area where the goat cannot escape the barn in case there *is* a fire.

TennesseeMama23 · #8 02/05/07, 12:37 PM

I don't separate them until they are 2 weeks old, I was planning on putting the lamp in the kidding stall with mama and baby.

It is good to know they won't freeze to death in 10 degree weather.

Thanks for all the replies.

Melanie

marvella · #9 02/05/07, 12:47 PM

i'm in tn too and have never needed to use heat lamps, even for newborns. i alawys leave my babies with the moms, but by two weeks they should have a good enough start that if you have several together they can bunch up for additional heat. plenty of hay helps, also piled on the floor and they will lay on it to keep warm.

about fire risk... i burned down my pig shed last year because they pushed a little hay up too close to it and it caught fire. learned my lesson about heat lamps...

pigs and i escaped with only a few burns (their backs, my hands- from melting tarps) but it was scary!!

rivesjct3768 · #10 02/05/07, 12:54 PM

Our eight doelings born this year are outside with their mommas. We kept does and kids in until kids were two weeks old and then everyone was stir crazy and went outside. The kids are fine and love the room to romp. They sleep in dogloos or a truck camper shell we have outside for shelter with no additional heat source but their own little bodies. And BTW it has been -5 at night and around +5 during the day. Ozark Jewels is right, as long as they are protected from wind and moisture, they will be fine. Our older goats seldom get inside the shelters, but sleep on the hay they have scattered around their feeder.

Sweet Goats · #11 02/05/07, 01:21 PM

I agree with Doc. I use a heatlamp but I am smarted then that, not to put it where it will catch fire of cause problems. The only time I use on is when the babies are no more then three days old and ONLY if it is freezing. If you use it all the time they will never get use to the cold and they will get sick easy that way. I do understand what you mean about wanting to be nice, I mean it has been -25 around here and I feel SO bad for them, but they are outside animals and they are use to it.

ozark_jewels · #12 02/05/07, 01:33 PM

Everybody also please remember the difference in temps from state to state. There is no way we here in the mid-west get the same temps you get in the frigid north or winters like you get further west. It all makes a difference.
I know a lady here that burnt her barn down with six kids in it. She thought since it dipped below freezing that they *had* to have a heat lamp. At the same time I was having kids born left and right who were staying outside with their mothers and were just fine. Its not a risk I am willing to take unless its *truly* needed, and in our temps, its not needed. I'm not talking about you who live with constant -0*. Whole nother story.

AllWolf · #13 02/05/07, 01:40 PM

I have never used a heat lamp here yet but do have a regular 100watt light bulb in barn using it as heat. It is protected also. Can you all tell me how much electricty does a heat lamp run because later may need to get one. Right now so far knock on wood my 100watt light bulb in a protected cage is enough for now but was wondering how much a heat lamp does run..

Thanks for the help.

DocM · #14 02/05/07, 01:51 PM

Fires happen for a any number of reasons - the most common being spontaneous combustion of deep bedding which has begun to compost. Are you all going to quit deep bedding your pens? Probably not. I still employ heatlamps when I think they're needed. For all the "there are a number of different ways to do things" talk, there sure seems to be a lot of "don't use heatlamp" rhetoric. To say "never" isn't necessary. Using a heatlamp won't hurt your goats and they do like the heat. It takes more than a heatlamp to interupt the natural cycle of acclimation in a mammal. Hang it straight down from the ceiling and it won't come in contact with bedding or wooden structures. Your goats will love it. Sure, lots of kids don't freeze without an additional heat source, but they don't freeze WITH one for sure.

ozark_jewels · #15 02/05/07, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DocM

Sure, lots of kids don't freeze without an additional heat source, but they don't freeze WITH one for sure.

DocM, you seem to read in a post what you want to read in it. Sorry about that, but theres nothing I can do about it.
I've never had a kid freeze and I kid out a lot of does. You just go on doing what works for you and so will I.

AllWolf · #16 02/05/07, 02:19 PM

Does anyone know how much electircy a heat lamp uses?

I was trying to find out because I may have to switch to that soon if keeps staying down in the single digits now and may soon hit -3 here.

ozark_jewels · #17 02/05/07, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllWolf

Does anyone know how much electircy a heat lamp uses?

I'm not sure, Allwolf. Dad said its a significant difference but I'm not sure what "significant" means in this place.

DocM · #18 02/05/07, 02:21 PM

And I've never had a kid freeze either. Your posts imply that NOBODY ever has to use a heatlamp, regardless of temperatures. That's your opinion, and I don't share it. I'm just saying if a person chooses to, it isn't going to hurt the goats. You seem to be the one who wants to right about this - and again, sure, a lot of people don't lose kids to cold weather, but if you use an additional source of heat, you're not going to either, are you? I don't care if you never use a heatlamp. I'm not saying you have to. I'm also not saying that it's NEVER necessary to do so. Seems that my answer is more tolerant of different opinions.

DocM · #19 02/05/07, 02:24 PM

My heat lamps are only 150 watt. They'd use the same amount of electricity that (2) 75 watt lightbulbs use. In other words, not much (for a little peace of mind).

AllWolf · #20 02/05/07, 02:27 PM

ozark_jewels I wonder how I could find out how much they use?

Here the weather has been getting colder and before long will have a doe to kid and want to have all my ors in the row before it happens. She still has a month to go but that want be long until she kids so I want to be all the way prepared..

This will be very first kid born on my land.