Mini Crock Pot in Coop

[jessylee]

Quote:
Can you click it and enlarge it?

 

[swimmer]

Mine are about five months. Your right, probably safer than a bulb. I'd worry with a bulb. I've heard of people using those small crock pots to heat their water.

 

[KungPaoRooster]

I live in New Hampshire and temps can go down to 30 Below zero

. I have never heated my coops and still dont see the need to. The chickens body temp is much higher than ours. A couple of my roosters have gotten a touch of frost bite on the tips of their combs in the past but that was it and it was very minimal. They also were not cold friendly birds. For my coop, I use only a small lightbulb 40 watts with a chicken wire screen over it to prevent breakage. I dont use the light for heat, I use it on a time to keep egg production up. I would suggest a metal water heater. The kind you sit the water can on top of. That may provide the same amount of heat as your crock pot and probably safer.

Just my 2 cents

 

[patandchickens]

I cant think of a reason this would be a fire hazard, Can you?

Oh yes I most certainly can.

Lightbulbs are really pretty darn safe if they are normal low wattage and rigged correctly (in particular, if the wiring is safe and there is a guard to prevent chickens from touching or breaking the bulb). I am not talking about heat lamps, I am talking regular 60w or 100w lightbulbs.

And they are DESIGNED for constantly-on service.

A leetle dip- or fondue-type crockpot like that is TOTALLY not designed to be left constantly on (especially not empty!) and is frankly not designed for very much use PERIOD.

It is not a matter of the crock just cracking -- it is a matter of stuff overheating and starting a fire.

If you are concerned that the chickens have something warm to snuggle up against to make you feel better on their first cold night, put a big sealed bucket of hot water out there in the cup (like one of those square, lidded kitty litter buckets). If you GENUINELY think they will get frostbite (although that seems totally unlikely to me, here), at least set up something SAFER, like a safely rigged 60w or 100w light they can get underneath if they need to. Frankly though 30 F is not cold to yer basic normal chicken. CERTAINLY not to muscovies

Please, please, folks, DON'T be doing weird things with electrical heating appliances like this. Too many coop fires already, why add to the toll.

What was that show back in the 80s, Hill Street Blues I think? -- "Be careful out there".

Pat​

 

[jessylee]

Quote:
Oh yes I most certainly can.

Lightbulbs are really pretty darn safe if they are normal low wattage and rigged correctly (in particular, if the wiring is safe and there is a guard to prevent chickens from touching or breaking the bulb). I am not talking about heat lamps, I am talking regular 60w or 100w lightbulbs.

And they are DESIGNED for constantly-on service.

A leetle dip- or fondue-type crockpot like that is TOTALLY not designed to be left constantly on (especially not empty!) and is frankly not designed for very much use PERIOD.

It is not a matter of the crock just cracking -- it is a matter of stuff overheating and starting a fire.

If you are concerned that the chickens have something warm to snuggle up against to make you feel better on their first cold night, put a big sealed bucket of hot water out there in the cup (like one of those square, lidded kitty litter buckets). If you GENUINELY think they will get frostbite (although that seems totally unlikely to me, here), at least set up something SAFER, like a safely rigged 60w or 100w light they can get underneath if they need to. Frankly though 30 F is not cold to yer basic normal chicken. CERTAINLY not to muscovies

Please, please, folks, DON'T be doing weird things with electrical heating appliances like this. Too many coop fires already, why add to the toll.

What was that show back in the 80s, Hill Street Blues I think? -- "Be careful out there".

Pat

Thats okay if you think my idea is "weird" I am open to suggestion thats why I am on here! But I thought a crock pot was a slow cooker meant to cook all day long. Do you think there is a chance of fire if it is warm enough to touch? Don't things have to get a certain temp before they can combust? Regular light bulbs get over 100 degrees in under a minute, That sounds dangerous. Plus the risk of shattered glass, that was my thinking any ways. Guess I could put it on a timer or thermometer. Not really enough space for the type of bucket your talkin about but maybe smaller plastic liter bottles would work. It was 10 degrees last night, and the crock pot kept the inside temp at about 30. Like I said before not really a long term idea I was just wondering if any one has ever done this successfully, Or if any one with electrical knowledge would chime in.

 

[annie3001]

imo, i dont think its a great idea.

 

[jessylee]

Quote:
I was not expecting everyone to think this was a good idea. I welcome all opinions but opinions with advise telling you why at the end are always more help full than opinions alone.

 

[Gold Griffin Chicken Mom]

I wonder if filling the crock with sand would give it "mass" to heat and feel the reflected heat and cycle off like it should?

Or try the timer thing. I would not want it on steady all night.

 

[Wifezilla]

Interesting idea. I have one but that little sucker gets too hot. I wouldn't trust it. I wouldn't run one empty.

I am going to hang a bulb tonight over their water bottle. It is supposed to be 1º tonight!!!. I have quail and ducks, not chickens. The ducks will be fine. The quail are so small, I worry about them.

 

[BlackBart]

I wouldn't worry about heating your chicken coop. The temps here are -12 at night and my birds are just fine. They do have a draft free coop and lots of sisters to keep them warm.
I read that each chicken puts off the equivalent of 3 watts in body heat. So 20 chickens is like a 60 watt light bulb.
Another thing to consider beside a possible fire hazard is if the chickens are too warm in their coop it is harder on them when they go outside.
Sort of like you going from a warm house to the outside without a coat.

If hummingbirds can survive these cold temps then I am pretty sure a well fed chicken can.