Good Heaters?

[ReseisCL16]

Hey all,
Does anyone know of a good heater that will heat a 150 sq ft chicken coop? I'm building a new one, and need the heater so that frostbite isn't a problem this winter.
Thanks for the help!

 

[ellenscoop]

I would also concentrate on insulating it well. Here is an infographic which shows the various options for heaters - http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/dangers-of-heat-lamps-in-chicken-coops

 

[Northern Flights]

The following is a close replica of the little gem I use, only mine is 600 watts and has been modified a bit. But close enough:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001GDIXVI/?tag=backy-20

I also installed a thermostat that clicks on at -5. My aim is also to keep the temps in the coop above the frostbite threshold and it works great. You can also use a full sized oil filled set on low but I found they use more power in the long run and take up too much space.

Just be sure to put the heater someplace where the hens won't try to perch on it and secure it so it stays upright. I used stainless steel strapping and reflective metallic furnace tape on the wall (not duct tape!)
Overkill really. It's a good idea to have at least a foot of open space above it for good convection. They are rated as safe for contact heaters so you can mount very close to a wall. Again a small gap aids convection. They simply do not get hot enough to cause a fire and use less power than most others. Extremely dust tolerant too, but I keep mine clean(ish) mostly. Again being absurdly fussy has paid off in better sleep.

 

[NNYchick]

A couple things to think about with providing heat. 1) frostbite has a lot to do with poor ventilation rather than temperature, frost bite can occur at 60f in a moist coop that has poor ventilation. 2) Have a plan should you lose power because your birds will not be acclimated and the sudden lost of heat can cause death 3) think about only providing a place for them to take the chill off but not heating the whole coop, like a sweeter heater over the roost, this will at least give them a little acclimation.
I personally don’t heat my coop. When we get down to negative temperatures I watch them to make sure no one is showing signs of stress but have never had any issues with their health even in double digit negative temperatures no frostbite or sick birds.

 

[Northern Flights]

Thank you for that info NNY. It is refreshing to see how much folks around here care about each other, especially these days. I can only speak for myself and will humbly supply some details as clarification if I may. Please excuse the brief hijack...

Typically up here on the frozen wastes of north- central British Columbia, when it gets cold enough for frostbite the humidity is actually quite low. We often have <10% humidity for months and is so cold the very microclimate of vapour near a rather moist animal such as me or my hens etc is enough for frostbite to take hold in seconds. That is why I have ample ventilation up top in the coop and an airtight, insulated environment starting 3 feet above the hens down to the floor. Any respiratory vapour naturally floats up and out and the "warm" area where the hen's are, if you can call -15 to -20 warm, is no more than ~5 to 10% above ambient humidity. Better than ideal imo. It keeps the risk of frostbite near zero.

Our neighbours, who are also newish chicken heads, did not heat last winter and had several hens get frostbite. It was brutal. They had more ventilation than we do. They ended up installing a thing called a reverberay gas fired radiant heater, on the abvice of the commercial egg producer down the road. They heat too and I'm sure they wouldn't if they could get away with it. He says it also increases production, but we are actually trying to give ours a break during winter, but I digress as usual.

As for the heat going off suddenly, or venturing into the cold from the coop and dropping dead as a result, well, I do not heat the place up to 20c. I just keep it from dropping below the frostbite threshold, which varies quite a bit, but typically starts at about -15c. I finesse the heater setting to keep up with the drop in temps so as not to turn things into a sauna. A wireless temperature and humidity sensor is like gold when one cares for chickens so close to the polar ice flows. (Ok I'm lying about that! We get almost 3 days of summer, sometimes)

I also do not force them out during the worst cold of the day. I simply open the pop door at 04:30 and they often poke a beak out and retreat on their own for a bit. They do not appear to have any trouble coming out of the coop, even just a few minutes later, but that I will grant may change as they age... I too am extremely vigilant with my hens, as I am with all the critters in orbit around the two of us. I will keep an eye out for any cold distress, but I'll need the other one for watching the early news at 6 am.

I now have two backup gensets, one that comes on automatically when the power drops out, as it does quite frequently, and another as backup to the backup! My little piranha fish is from Brazil and it is also one of my duties in life to keep her warm and well fed. The chickens are just along for the ride.

I hope that puts a little context to my particular madness. I fully appreciate not all results will be the same. I also grant that what I am doing with my hens may not be entirely needed in the eyes of some, but it makes me feel better knowing they are safe, healthy and happy, which they clearly are, even when it's cold enough to freeze the dangly bits off a jackass. The mule too!

 

[ReseisCL16]

Wow, thank you guys for the great advice! I'm planning on insulating my coop already, as I live in northern Colorado. And although it doesn't get as cold here as in British Columbia, it's still in the negatives at night in the winter. Overkill is all fine by me; like y'all said, pays off in a better night's sleep!

 

[Northern Flights]

I'm glad my input has helped with your plans. I want to emphasize that I did not go against the excellent advice of the wise and dependable denizens of this very fine website lightly.

Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately) I had/have lengthy experience with other animals and extensive understanding of electrical systems and went to extreme lengths to ensure first: a risk for fire as close to zero as is technically possible and, second: to construct a system that does not inadvertently introduce myriad further complications.

It is indeed a bit of a balancing act that requires the two of us to be on our A game from the day the heat goes on, right through to the day when the glaciers begin to recede from the swimming pool/curling sheet out back of the house. As carers of livestock it is our moral duty to do nothing less.

 

[aart]

That is why I have ample ventilation up top in the coop and an airtight, insulated environment starting

Maybe I didn't read carefully enough...
...but I don't think you can have "ample ventilation" and an "airtight environment".

Any idea what your heating system costs to run over the winter?

 

[Alaskan]

Hey all,
Does anyone know of a good heater that will heat a 150 sq ft chicken coop? I'm building a new one, and need the heater so that frostbite isn't a problem this winter.
Thanks for the help!

It depends on what you want to do .. and just how cold you get for how long...

Read my article on cold weather coops... covers bunch of points.

If you still have questions after reading it please ask. I am happy to help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

 

[Northern Flights]

About 20, 30 bucks a month, give or take, including the water heaters and BC Hydro's mood swings. Hard to say for sure without doing the math -- we run many other heaters, lights, driers, displays, carnival floats, airport departure lounges and a discotheque during winter -- but its likely a drop in the bucket. The heater itself has a rudimentary cycle setting (not even close to a thermostat) and, due to the cardboard insulation, at most its set to 50%

I think I mentioned to you last year that I tested air movement inside the coop with a smoke machine, aka my lungs and an electronic cigarette. Didn't really help much I suppose, but I blacked out 3 times from the fumes. It was just like the 1970s all over again.

With just 4 birds and getting cleaned 2x day it seems to work well enough. It's typically 30-50% drier than ambient in there at night when the temps are above zero, ~ the same as outside when freezing. It has never exceeded 45%, even with driving rain and hail for 40 days and 40 nights, as it has most this alleged summer.