Safe to use oil filled radiator? Also ?'s on dehumidifier

[Danny188]

Wow, it must get really cold if the eggs might freeze before you can gather them every day! Brrr!
As for keeping the water from freezing, do you have electricity out there? We got a heated bucket that works real slick. Got it from the local feed store.

Yea I live in iowa we do have electricity jn the barn what is the heated bucket? Im not going to use the oil filled radiator because of the size and it being unsafe for the chickens.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

You will havr yo google, I am on the road. Heated water bucket for livestock.

 

[Danny188]

You will havr yo google, I am on the road. Heated water bucket for livestock.

Oh so that just heats the water. I saw a small space heater at the hardware store I think I might use that with one of those thermo cubes, thanks for the suggestion tho.

 

[NickJarvis]

I've used an oil-filled radiator in my chicken coop during winter, and it worked great for keeping the chill off without the risks of a heat lamp.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Oh so that just heats the water. I saw a small space heater at the hardware store I think I might use that with one of those thermo cubes, thanks for the suggestion tho.

Yes it just keeps the water from freezing, actually. It's all we use. No heater. We 've never had frost-bitten combs or wattles or any kind of injury due to cold. The birds don't seem to mind the cold as they are wearing their big fluffy down jackets all the time anyway...

 

[wyoDreamer]

x2
If you are heating the coop and the birds are used to warm temps all winter - they will really suffer when the April snowstorm comes through and knocks out power for a couple of days. Let the birds acclimate to the cold winter temps and work to keep the water from freezing. Cold temps won't kill them if they are used to it.

 

[drmolarmagic]

x2
If you are heating the coop and the birds are used to warm temps all winter - they will really suffer when the April snowstorm comes through and knocks out power for a couple of days. Let the birds acclimate to the cold winter temps and work to keep the water from freezing. Cold temps won't kill them if they are used to it.

agreed, the heaters don't keep it that hot, just keeps temps in the 50's (unless I am hanging in there with them for a while then I turn it up a bit) They handle 50's just fine and yes will be fine in 40's ( love those poikilotherms)but that's as cold as I'd like them to be. (same goes for the Parakeets and Silkie chickens)

 

[wyoDreamer]

@drmolarmagic I can see where an aviary with mixed birds like you have would be needing heat. Especially with parakeets. How many do you have?

Regular chickens do not need heat, all they really need for cold temps is a draft free coop for shelter. My chickens were fine in my concrete coop at -30 last year. The walls were well frosted, a couple of icycles hanging by the window and the eggs in the nest box froze before I could collect them after work, so it was pretty cold in there. I had to close the pop door to stop the wind from howling into the coop, but with a little scratch and veggie scraps on the floor, they were happy and content to stay inside. The waterer froze - even though I have it on a heater pan - but other than taking water out 2 times a day, they were just fine.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I have dealt with this for the past 2 winters, the metal water pail with the heater is great, I have the sealed oil filled radiator and made a cage for it from chicken wire that keeps all creatures about 8 inches from it and the whole aviary is on a thermostat switch. In fact I just built a second room onto aviary and added second heater unit for my new Silkies.
Parakeets' cage has an electric perch that keeps warm and all nesting boxes have the electric mats under them. The whole kit and caboodle runs off one power strip from extension cord to my garage about 10 feet away, no open wires or plugs can be accessed by birds.
Last thing I added was a comfortable chair so I can hide in there with my birds and read during those cold winter mornings.....(need to teach birds to make coffee)

Sounds awesome!

 

[aart]

I have the sealed oil filled radiator and made a cage for it from chicken wire that keeps all creatures about 8 inches from it

Got a pic, please @drmolarmagic ?