Heat lamp outside in covered chicken run.

[sbutler12025]

So I don't plan to heat my chicken coop at all this winter. It is draft free and dry. But I was curious. Would it be harmful to possibly place a heat lamp, well secured and cord out of reach, outdoors in the huge all metal chicken run above their water and their sand box? My thought was that it might help to keep the water thawed and may keep their sand slightly warmer for dust baths or just to warm up a little.
The run is dry, no rain or water would be able to reach the lamp. It would be aprx. 5-6ft high and none of my giant breeds are able to jump that high (at least I haven't seen them accomplish that height though they try occasionally ) it wouldn't be close enough to make anything hot and it wouldn't be near anything flammable and will be heavily secured either way. The run is also well ventilated, no room for condensation to build up or surrounding temperatures to rise and would be around fifteen feet away from their coop

Just a thought, nothing has been put in place and haven't even purchased a heat lamp.

 

[Tonyroo]

Using a heating lamp to thaw water in open air won't work well.

Using a heating element in the water is more efficient and safer way.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

So I don't plan to heat my chicken coop at all this winter. It is draft free and dry. But I was curious. Would it be harmful to possibly place a heat lamp, well secured and cord out of reach, outdoors in the huge all metal chicken run above their water and their sand box? My thought was that it might help to keep the water thawed and may keep their sand slightly warmer for dust baths or just to warm up a little.
The run is dry, no rain or water would be able to reach the lamp. It would be aprx. 5-6ft high and none of my giant breeds are able to jump that high (at least I haven't seen them accomplish that height though they try occasionally ) it wouldn't be close enough to make anything hot and it wouldn't be near anything flammable and will be heavily secured either way. The run is also well ventilated, no room for condensation to build up or surrounding temperatures to rise and would be around fifteen feet away from their coop

Just a thought, nothing has been put in place and haven't even purchased a heat lamp.

Commercial heat lamps (the red or white ones) that they sell for livestock get upwards of 500 degrees. They also explode on contact with any moisture due to how hot they run.

You'd run the risk of either catching something on fire or having glass explode all over your run. They're okay indoors but very unpredictable outside.

As @Tonyroo stated, a submerged heating element would work better to keep the water thawed out.

 

[3KillerBs]

It won't keep the water thawed and is unnecessary for the chickens.

We don't have to keep chickens warm. We keep them dry and out of the wind and they'll keep themselves warm with their built-in down parkas.

I don't have a problem with water freezing in my climate, but many people here either use a heated waterer base, a heated dog bowl, or some variant of a stock-tank-deicer to keep the waterer thawed.

 

[K0k0shka]

Danger aside, that would be a highly inefficient way to warm anything up. You'd lose a lot of energy to dissipation into the environment. Chickens aren't lizards and they don't need a heat lamp to bask under. If you want to keep the water thawed, then get something specifically for the water, and leave the rest. As long as the dustbath is dry, they don't need anything else to use it. Really, they'll be fine.

 

[Alaskan]

They also explode on contact with any moisture due to how hot they run

Yep.... that....

One single snow flake swirled in and landing on the bulb.

 

[Sono]

Using a heating lamp to thaw water in open air won't work well.

Using a heating element in the water is more efficient and safer way.

works fine for me.

 

[Sono]

So I don't plan to heat my chicken coop at all this winter. It is draft free and dry. But I was curious. Would it be harmful to possibly place a heat lamp, well secured and cord out of reach, outdoors in the huge all metal chicken run above their water and their sand box? My thought was that it might help to keep the water thawed and may keep their sand slightly warmer for dust baths or just to warm up a little.
The run is dry, no rain or water would be able to reach the lamp. It would be aprx. 5-6ft high and none of my giant breeds are able to jump that high (at least I haven't seen them accomplish that height though they try occasionally ) it wouldn't be close enough to make anything hot and it wouldn't be near anything flammable and will be heavily secured either way. The run is also well ventilated, no room for condensation to build up or surrounding temperatures to rise and would be around fifteen feet away from their coop

Just a thought, nothing has been put in place and haven't even purchased a heat lamp.

Use Q hooks so there is no possible way for it to get knocked loose. Mine works perfectly fine with all vents closed but the door

 

[Rustytherooster1]

So I don't plan to heat my chicken coop at all this winter. It is draft free and dry. But I was curious. Would it be harmful to possibly place a heat lamp, well secured and cord out of reach, outdoors in the huge all metal chicken run above their water and their sand box? My thought was that it might help to keep the water thawed and may keep their sand slightly warmer for dust baths or just to warm up a little.
The run is dry, no rain or water would be able to reach the lamp. It would be aprx. 5-6ft high and none of my giant breeds are able to jump that high (at least I haven't seen them accomplish that height though they try occasionally ) it wouldn't be close enough to make anything hot and it wouldn't be near anything flammable and will be heavily secured either way. The run is also well ventilated, no room for condensation to build up or surrounding temperatures to rise and would be around fifteen feet away from their coop

Just a thought, nothing has been put in place and haven't even purchased a heat lamp.

My coop is fully insulated ( R-5 and Reflectix) with no drafts and appropriate vents. Still, gets down to 30 F. I finally found safe solution with a 700 watt oil filled heater and a 12 gauge 50 ft exterior extension cord. Keep temp at 62 during the night. Cord runs through PVC pipe. Added PVC to small section from heater to exterior not seen in photos. The heater box is mounted to the post above the wood shavings.

Majority of folks say they are not uncomfortable. However, my bantam roosters seem cold to me. It makes me feel better. It has been as cold as 1 degree F outside and my boys are so happy to be in their digs.
Coop is ugly but no leaks and predator proof.

 

[Sono]

Using a heating lamp to thaw water in open air won't work well.

Using a heating element in the water is more efficient and safer way.

if the coop is well insulated and draft free it will. My coop isnt insulated and never had water freeze yet using just a heat lamp.