Free heat in the winter months

[cromschickens]

I have seen plans for a solar heater that can be made for a little of nothing. I first saw this heater attached to a garage. The design is simple take a 4X8 sheet of plywood and paint it flat black. Frame the edges of it with 2X6's again painting them flat black. Inside this frame install additional 2X6's ( you guessed it flat black) on edge and offset from eachother much like lines of a maze. Install glass over the top, plexiglass won't work, and drill a hole near the top and the bottom of the heater. Then drill a hole near the top and bottom of the coop and attach insulated duct work with a flapper installed in each. The design I saw was nothing more then a plastic trash bag piece. Hot air will naturally rise and travel out the top of the heater and into the coop, likewise cold air will be pushed out the bottom of the coop to the heater, no fan needed. There may be some need to fine tune your heater but I think it will work well. I plan on building one and will post pics of it, and this winter we will see how it works. I was just wondering if anyone had tried this. Thanks for reading

 

[DMRippy]

I saw one of those on CL.... I think it was free. Looked like it would work and they said it did! I thought it might help with a growout pen for young chicks.

Ok it is not FREE LOL http://nashville.craigslist.org/grd/3228402490.html

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

If your coop is properly ventilated , very little of that heat would ever reach a level where the birds were.

I can't see it as being cost effective at all

 

[cromschickens]

I am told that I would be shocked how much air comes out of the plumbing. My first thought was the same as yours. But I look at it this way the only cost I am out is the paint and my time. I am a very good scrounger, infact I built my coop from scraps, only paid for paint and shingles. So I figure why not give it a shot I will let you know