Ceramic Infrared Heat Emitters

[bigmommy]

The ceramic heat emiter I am speaking of is a light bulb that plugs into a ceramic socket just like a heat lamp but without any light. I know chickens are hardy, but I only have 8 so the amount of heat they generate will not be as great as a full flock. Also, I have a thermometer in there, and the temp in their house is already going down to 40 at night. Even miss prissy said [Only in the bitterest extremes might they need external heat sources. ] So... I am not looking to keep my babies at a balmy 75 all winter, but the temps aren't below freezing yet, and it's cold in there! I have insulated the roof, and everything else, they have a 2"x4" turned sideways to roost on, but on the days it drops below freezing what are my options for small coop heating?

 

[bigmommy]

Also, I have 5 roosters! Should I start building a coop addition to keep some of them in?

 

[jubylives]

40 degrees is not too cold. We get sub zero temps here frequently. I've always strived to keep my coop at 32 degrees in winter. Mainly to keep the water from freezing as well as myself when I'm out there tending the herd. Here's something that may helpful:

http://www.google.com/search?source...=1T4GWYE_enUS261US261&q=thermoCube+Thermostat

Get the emitter. Put it in there and secure it well and buy one of the aboves plug the lamp into it and be happy. I stressed my first winter with chickens too and found it was not needed. They'll be fine with or without heat in winter. Do what is best for you.


Jeremy

I should get money from those Thermocube peeps for how much I promote their products.

 

[bigmommy]

Thanks Jeremy! I'll be sending you a rooster in gratitude! I know 40 isn't cold, but that's the current night time temp in the house and outdoors. I just went out and closed off 2 of their vernts, hopefully that will help also. I'm concerned with maintaining a temp of 40 in their house when we have days of below 0 temps. I just ordered the thermocube, a heated waterer, and a heat emitter bulb. The next step will be to buy everyone chicken diapers and move them into the house with me!!!

 

[claud]

I've found my birds mind the heat way more than the cold. I think us unfeathered humans have a hard time understanding that(I'm always freezing when it's 40 or below).
I never heated my coop in the 9 years I've had chickens and there were times I only had a few. I do think they acclimate nicely. 40 degrees is probably quite comfortable for them.
If you're going to heat your coop(and I see you're not going to get any sleep unless you do) I'd keep the temp low - like if it's 0 degrees outside heat it up to 25 or something. I'd just be really concerned about keeping the heat too high as to affect their acclimation - they will probably be going outside, right? I think birds that will not go out of the coop for fresh air would be far less healthy than an acclimated bird that gets out every day.
And definitely invest in a heated waterer for your own convenience - breaking ice out of the waterer several times a day gets old fast.

 

[highcountrychickens]

My Jersey Giant, Marla Hooch slept outside regularly when it was -20... (long story why she wasn't closed in) I'm noodling the idea of installing one of the far infared panels in the henhouse now only because I only have two tiny bantams who don't have a lot of body mass to generate a lot of heat, and it's cold cold here (-20 is normal) and I want to make food and water available to them in the coop as well as outside. Generally I would agree with you Mis Prissy, but I'm still just in the research phase

 

[Dianegf]

A ceramic heat lamp (no light, just heat) mounted from the ceiling and not able to touch anything has so far been safe for my feathered friends. When it's going to be freezing temps I do make use of the lamps. Like people, I suspect chickens have a range of tolerances - my elder roo does not look at all happy when the temps dip. I don't have - but really need! - some kind of thermostatically controlled thing so I can set on and off temps. The last few nights as it's dipped below freezing I went out every 2 hours to turn the lamp switch on and then off alternately so it wouldn't be too hot or too cold. That is going to get trying really soon!
JJ

We are practically doing this right now …quite tiring .