small battery powered coop heater?

[pipthepeep]

In light of the fact that, no matter what I do, my lone rooster keeps getting frostbite on the tips of his comb (he has no companions for body heat right now), and winter is only half over (its supposed to get down to 5 degrees this weekend)...I have been searching in vain for a small battery powered heater for my coop (not to use all the time, just to use in EMERGENCIES, like when the temp drops to single digits). My coop is very very small...basically just a box for him to roost in.
I found this website that offers heaters for pets and says they can run off of battery power (ie, car battery type)...but I can't find any reviews. I checked out their return policy, and it sounds fine...but I get really leery of web "stores".....

http://www.heatal.com/

Just an idea I am toying with....any thoughts?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

If your coop is dry and draft free, you really don't need heat.

No battery powered heater will put out enough to make a difference.

Not only will you have to buy the heater, but a deep cycle battery would run around $100, and then you'd need to charge it every day

 

[patandchickens]

If it is running off battery power it is either putting off only a few watts' worth of heat i.e. will not do you one bit of good, or it will only run for a VERY short period of time.

You are basically up against the fact that heat costs a lot of watts. Like, you know how much a 60w lightbulb gives out? Well there ya go. No other electrical appliance is going to have a MUCH better conversion rate, so 60w of anything is pretty much equivalent to 60w of anything else, heat output wise.

Batteries can't provide that many watts for very long if at all.

The website you listed gives NO information WHATSOEVER about wattage, so I expect that if their products are real at all rather than imaginary-but-please-give-us-your-money, they are probably very teeensy tiny things intended basically for critical points of machinery, rather than actually useful for animals (anyhow not animals larger than maybe a small tarantula or something

)

YOU WILL NOT GET A USABLE COOP HEATER RUNNING OFF A BATTERY FOR $30. Three hundred dollars could set you up with something that would be at least marginally useful (at least with like a 40-60w lamp) -- you would need a deep cycle battery, a means of charging it, an inverter, and your actual heating element would be Yer Basic Lightbulb.

(edited to add: as far as a useful solution for your rooster, and if he already has frostbite I can understand your wanting to give him some warmth, I would suggest either running as safe as possible an extension cord out there, or bring him into the garage or somewhere else that does not get as cold. Vaseline can help prevent frostbite but perhaps you've already tried it and in any case once frostbite has occurred I am really not sure whether vaseline would help any to prevent it from getting worse, although I suppose it couldn't hurt as longa s you're gentle)

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Dogfish]

Run a cord, if possible, and use a small ceramic heater for $30.

 

[Cargo]

Pat is correct.
Battery power is just not enough unless you plan to install a bank of batteries.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

The best way to add heat is get more chickens

 

[NYboy]

What about the solar heater under dogs? Not looking to heat coop, but hoping to keep water unfrozen.

 

[pipthepeep]

Yeah thats pretty much what I was figuring....just thought since I have an extra battery and such a tiny coop, it might be useful just to get the temp up on occasion....but doesn't sound like it would even be good for that. So...back to the drawing board! To make matters worse, he is a leghorn...I think if he was a more winter-hardy breed, he would be ok even alone, but unfortunately, he was born a scrawny little bird I have tried getting more chickens (hens to be exact), but they refused to sleep in the roost with him...and when I put them in, he slept outside!! Supposed to be -4 tonight and close to 0 for the next few days....so he is sleeping in a cat carrier in my car, where I can at least monitor the temperature.

 

[dianaross77]

Someone on here had the great idea to use heat rope to heat their coop. Its sold for reptiles. The same place that they got it from also has heat tape. I thought it might be really cool to try to heat a roost for the winter. Do a search for "heat rope" on here.

 

[Black Cochin Bantams]

I have not heated my coop ever. If it is draft free and you feed them well they need no additional heat.