Oil radiator heater

[Backyard Bruce]

my wife dug up our old radiator heater from the basement and said she wants me to put this in the coop on nights it’s single digits and below.

I’ve been in talks with this women for months of the dangers of heating the coops with the bulbs and such but I can not come up with a legitimate reason why not to besides the fact I just isn’t necessary, she doesn’t care what I think in that regard.

Can any of you give me cause for concern with this type heater.

The picture is off the net, mine is probably 25 years older but in good functioning order.

Btw my coop is a 5X10 walk in

 

[DobieLover]

Fire hazard.
Reduces the chickens ability to properly acclimate to their environment.
Warming the coop will increase the moisture content in the air and increase the chance of frostbite.
If the chickens become dependant on the heater and you suddenly lose power on a frigid night, the shock of a drastic drop in temperature could kill them.
They don't need it!! They come equipped with their own down coats.
Do the teeny tiny chickadees and juncos you see flying around have oil registers in their little tree roosts? Nope. Don't need it.

ETA: I'm in NY too. My flock is fine.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Yeah I get it, they don’t need it. Problem is she couldn’t care any less if they don’t NEED it.

As far as losing power, I’m an electrician, I have back up power covered very well.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

Oh and if she sounds like an unreasonable person, well it’s because she is but I will do as she request within reason.

 

[staceyj]

Do a search on this site using the key words
Coop fire
Uncheck the option that limit your hits to just one forum.

Read through some of those very sad stories.
Share them with her.

If she has loving, caring feelings for your chickens it may help change her mind.

 

[Backyard Bruce]

I have and have shown her the results most if not all I’ve read are started from the heat lamps, actually the improper installation of such.

I have not seen any mention of the dangers of this specific type heater.
Again I know, and she knows for that matter it’s not necessary BUT it’s what she would like to do

 

[Backyard Bruce]

To be honest I thought we got past all this after the last cold snap when they proved to be fine but now the next cold snap is upon us and here we go again.

I can see me going through this all winter.

 

[centrarchid]

I would use a heat lamp with bulb enclosed in a sturdy cage or have beyond where chickens can contact it. With some really young birds a few years back, I shined a heat lamp on a pile of hay in a box through walls of pen. This small area was just a few degrees warmer than areas outside the box but gave them a refuge to retreat to when it got really cold. They had to move away from the warm area for food. It does not take much of a heat increase to have obvious benefits although it may not be cost effective.

 

[janjan1]

We here in NW Ga are experiencing a earlier than normal cold snap. My coop & run is enclosed and wrapped in heavy plastic sheeting so no rain or wind can enter, except for one small 4x4 section in rafters to allow moisture to escape. The run, It is about 25 X 30 ft in diameter with 6 X 6 coop on one side. in the past I have hung heat lamps from rafters to increase heat, but DH had been online and discovered Cozy Coop radiaent heaters....he bought two and I installed them flat against one wall near where they roost. They are plugged into a temp sensitive plug that will not come on unless below 45 degrees. Fairly easy to install, and no fire risk. They can snuggle their backsides towards the heaters to keep warmer.

 

[GC-Raptor]

My molting 32 month old hen survived last night by snuggling between two hens. She was fine this morning. I also have 16 week old Pullets in their own coop, they were fine also. I don't heat the coops, I use LED lights. . It was 10 F this morning. . GC