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My thoughts on heaters for chooks...

Discussion in 'Managing Your Flock' started by LittleChickenRacingTeam, Dec 4, 2007.

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  1. Dec 4, 2007 #1
    LittleChickenRacingTeam

    LittleChickenRacingTeam On vacation

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    Although my birds live in my front hallway, I have always used a small heater to keep the temp around 55 F.

    The problem is that conventional fan/element heaters always seem to clog up with the fine dust the chickens create from scratching around in the pine shavings. I even bought heaters with filters, but these would need cleaning every few days.

    I have been wanting to move my chooks into a back porch area of the house that is unheated & faces the prevailing northerly winds. It was a couple degrees above freezing this morning, & I knew it would need to be heated for the girls.

    I purchased an oil filled 1500 watt radiant type heater. No fan to clog up, & no exposed wire element that could pose a fire hazard. It heated this 63 sq ft room to chicken comfy in less than an hr. It was less than $70 & has a timer which can be set in 15 min increments & is adjustable with 600/900/1500 watt settings. I think my girls are going to be very cozy in their new home this cold Canadian winter.
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2007
  3. Dec 4, 2007 #2
    SpottedCrow

    SpottedCrow Flock Goddess

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    Neat. I have an electric baseboard heater that came with the house when it gets ridiculously cold, I use it to warm them up...
     
  5. Dec 4, 2007 #3
    PurpleChicken

    PurpleChicken Tolerated.....Mostly

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    I like the oil filled space heaters. I use one in my kitchen, which has
    a tile floor on slab. I keep it around 70 in there for my conure. The rest of
    the house stays around 67 off our central air handler. Those heaters are
    silent and have no problems with dust.

    Keep in mind those little heaters use a lot of electricity, which is the most
    expensive way to heat. Since mine is set higher than my main thermostat
    it runs at least 15 hours a day to maintain my kitchen. At $.22 per kilowatt
    hour(Connecticut robbery rates) that heater costs $.33 per hour to run,
    $5 per day, $150 per month for the 3 coldest months.

    The uninsulated barn runs off propane and is set to 50 degrees.
     
  7. Dec 4, 2007 #4
    adoptedbyachicken

    adoptedbyachicken Crowing Premium Member

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    OK I guess I'm in the dog house on this, my chickens are in the unheated barn here in the Canadian winter.

    Really, they have feathers.....

    OK, it is breed dependant, but that is why I stick with the breeds known to do the cold well. And they have straw about 8 inches deep and straw bales instead of perches for those that like them so no cold toes.
     
  9. Dec 4, 2007 #5
    carugoman

    carugoman Songster

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    I turned off the central air conditioning tonight and now have two sheets on the bed,since I sleep in the buff.[​IMG]
     
  11. Dec 4, 2007 #6
    FutureChickenMan

    FutureChickenMan Songster

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    Quote:Yeah, I'm with ya on that one. I don't plan on heating the coop at all. I've got a few different breeds on order but the only ones I have any concern about are the white leghorns.
     
  13. Dec 4, 2007 #7
    PurpleChicken

    PurpleChicken Tolerated.....Mostly

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    Quote:The heat in our barn is for us. This way we can go hang with the chickens
    almost any time we want. We got a couch and all.
    OK, I admit it, I wanted to keep our babies warm too. [​IMG]
     
  15. Dec 4, 2007 #8
    silkiechicken

    silkiechicken Staff PhD Premium Member

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    Man, your chickens have it good. Mine don't get heat and our central heating is set to 65 deg F.. which means the floor I am on is about 62, and the uppermost floor is 68...
     
  17. Dec 4, 2007 #9
    FutureChickenMan

    FutureChickenMan Songster

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    yeah we got the thermo turned down too. Had the propane tank filled.. was almost $500. Ouch! Time to cut back. So we turned the thermo down and pulled some blankies out of the closet.
     
  19. Dec 4, 2007 #10
    Chickee's Mom

    Chickee's Mom Songster

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    Hey little chicken do you mind telling us where you bought your heater, I have been hearing about these and am very interested. It has been -20 here for about two weeks and I have two heat lamps in the barn and the water is still freezing. Sure could use one of those heaters......
     
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