Heating my coop

[fowler_chick]

It only took one fire in my coop due to a heat lamp to turn me off of those fire starters!!!! beacuse i leave my coop open 24/7 i do have a heat lamp well away from my coop that the flock can sit under if they feel like it, (well away and with it's guard on it) i do have a 75 watt bult (reg house light) in my coop but chickens can keep thems selfs warm through body heat, we also give a scoop of corn at night feeding for the extrea wormth.

 

[teach1rusl]

Well...I think your set-up is great.

It looks tight and snug! I do agree about the safety guard on the heat lamps, but your lamps look like they are very securely fixed. A back-up safety wire attached to them is always a good idea.
Our coop is insulated (w/R-13), but it wasn't doing what we wanted it to do, so we just added a temporary drop down ceiling w R-19 insulation. Now it's holding a steady temperature just great! Like you, I have two lamps in my coop, but have only had to run one (75W) bulb one night since we added the drop ceiling. My girls seem to appreciate our efforts

, and I'm sure yours do too!

 

[lunaqueen]

This coop heater cost us $15.00 to make. We used a 10 gallon garbage can and drilled holes in the top, sides and bottoms to distribute the heat. We made a hole on the top big enough to thread our light and socket through (we used an outdoor aluminum socket and red heat lamp bulb). It has a chain attached to it and hangs from the ceiling. When the bail of the can is in the up position, it locks the lid in place.


This works good for us in keeping the girls warm as well as keeping it dark at night in the coop (for feather pickers).

 

[teach1rusl]

Wow lunaqueen...THAT is innovative!!

 

[dovecanyon]

Wow! You should patent that! I'm on my way out right now for a metal can...

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Very nice....
I like the idea, and it would help out lots with the featherpluckers!

 

[mdbokc]

Very slick heater...what size lamp did you put inside? I can think of more uses than a chicken coop!!!

 

[lunaqueen]

Thank you all for your kind words. My husband is the one who came up with the idea.

I've used a 250 watt red heat lamp bulb when it was 15 degrees outside and replaced it with a 125 watt white heat lamp bulb when it warmed up.

If you have concerns about the lamp spontaneously exploding and the pieces of glass getting on the litter and burning, you can cut out a circle of copper or steel door screening and put it in the bottom of the can.

We use no fault outlet plugs in the coop.

I hope it works as well for you as it has for us!

 

[twinanchor]

Hey all. Just a note on heating coops. I live in British Columbia Canada.I have 9 Red Stars about 10 months old. The temps here this winter have gone down to -10 F. I heat my "A" frame coop with an oil filled heater. On low setting it keeps the girls happy at 60 Deg. F. The infared scare me a little. Not to mention the cost in Kwh. The oil filled type I find are safer and cheaper to run. Also there are ceramic screw in type heaters online. My coop is insulated all around, floor included. Getting 7 eggs a day on average. javascript:insert_text('

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http://www.nphheaters.com/quote/ceramic_heaters/ceramic

Here is an article about wintering birds.
http://www.longshadowfarms.com/winter.html

 

[70monte]

The coldest it has gotten so far here in MO is about 8* and my chickens were fine. My coop is not insulated and I leave a couple of the windows slightly open for ventilation. I use a plastic heated dog dish for the water so no frozen water. Years ago when I had chickens, we never insulated the coop and our chickens were fine. I do use 2x4's for the roosts so that they can cover their feet at night.

Wayne