non-electric heat in brooder?

[Hopeful Peacock]

My chicks are coming soon and I am setting up a brooder. (This is my first time!) I live off the electric grid and have solar electricity. Although all our household electric is taken care of, we use flourescent bulbs, etc. An incandescent lamp, left on 24 hours/day, will be a significant drain and I'd prefer to avoid it if at all possible. We have a greenhouse attached to the house and it is often 80-90 degrees in there on sunny days. However, at night and on cloudy or cold days, the chicks will need some extra heat. I am thinking of using hot water bottles in the brooder. Any other ideas?

Has anyone actually done this successfully?

Thank so much!
Cara

 

[chickpeaz]

I have no input but I'm really interested in the replies...

I hope someone can help you out! And nice job on being off-grid -- that's an impressive accomplishment.

 

[Volvo Farmer]

We are also off grid and were facing the same problem. I found this interesting web page about kerosene brooders http://www.milesstair.com/Mini_Kerosene_Heaters.html

Then I found about about the Brinsea radiant brooder, Since it only uses 14 watts, I think out solar electric system can absorb the extra load. No way was I going to be able to run a 100-200 watt light bulb 24/7, but the Brinsea was doable. We have yet to use the thing but I have chicks ordered for mid May and are looking forward to it!

Hope that helps some.

 

[tinychicky]

non-electric heat? it's called a broody hen.

just kidding, idk, but i'd like to see other posts, though!

 

[dbcooper02]

Here, check this out from 95 years ago. Scroll down to page 324 and learn about how to set up a brooder using a couple of gallon jugs of hot water per day. Might be just the thing for an off grid setup.
http://www.archive.org/stream/poultrybreedingm00drydrich/poultrybreedingm00drydrich_djvu.txt

 

[Liamm_1]

Cool! I'd love to live off the grid someday. How many Kw are your off grid systems producing? Any pics of your setups? Are you using solar thermal also? How about cooking... propane?

 

[mordarlar]

Quote:
We're working on going off grid ourselves. So far we have a battery bank.

I have no suggestions for nighttime heating other than hot water but i wanted to offer that sand and rocks should offer decent thermal storage if exposed to the greenhouse temps during the day. I also really like it in the brooder so far, easy to clean.

Whatever you decide, best wishes!!

 

[AZBootsie]

Quote:
Wow that is quite an interesting book!! Fastinating to see how poultry was raised almost 100 years ago.

 

[Hopeful Peacock]

Wow! there are some great ideas here - thank you!

I have to go get ready for work, but I will reply more meaningfully later. Thanks again!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I took hot water in milk jugs out to my chickens in my shed coop awhile back since at the time I had a lone silkie who would roost on the floor alone and I was worried about her (also some in a brooder but it was 12 degrees out- a terrible cold snap for our area).

The hot water bottles worked well, but I would say that if I were really relying on them completely (I had electric lights on too) I would have to bring more out in the middle of the night. They were too cooled down by morning to be of use.