The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[speckledhen]

You might also be interested in a ceramic heat emitter - they don't give off any light at all.

Like this one.

Just make sure whatever heat lamp you use has a ceramic base and not a plastic one because they can melt the plastic ones.

If too many of these bulbs go bad this winter, we are going to try those. Tom suggested them, then I found this great deal on the black heat bulbs. The local pet store sells those same ones for $10 each, yikes! I hunt for online deals, they just do not last long enough to spend $10 per bulb.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I actually own one of the ceramic heat emitters but have never used it. It is 250 watts which is overkill so I'd definitely use the lamp dimmer with it.

There were a couple of reasons I never used it:
-You can't see when they are on or not. Nothing to indicate if it burns out.
-I was concerned that, since there is no light emitted, the chickens may touch it by mistake and get burned. [This is not an issue currently as this lamp is outside the kennel pen pointed toward the water jug that's inside the pen.]

Maybe, since it won't be in the pen, I should consider using it.

 

[Leahs Mom]

This is how it's set on the other side of the kennel pen.

I was normally using the small waterer (several if I had more birds or had them in more than one pen) with a 1/2 gallon jar (5 lb honey jar) so that they have a restricted opening for the water. That way wattles don't drag in the water and get frostbite (which is why i use the restricted opening.) It's very easy to switch in a clean waterer and take the other one in for cleaning.

You can see it's set on top of a heated dog bowl. It's filled with grit then water to conduct the heat to the waterer above. I only had to turn on the light if it was in the single digits or below.

This year I think I'm not going to use the dog bowl and just use the bulb. But the dog bowl/grit water works well most of the winter. Not altogether sure...just scheming right now. The dog bowl is very low watt.

 

[speckledhen]

I have a hardware cloth guard over all the lamp fixtures so if a bulb breaks, it will fall on the guard and chickens cannot touch it when it's on. I did wonder how you know if they burn out or not, though, with no light to see.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I have one I use for a light fixture in a back area where it's dark that sets on top of a hardware cloth pen. I put a piece of window screen on top of the hardware cloth, then the lamp sets flat on that in case of breakage so the screen will catch it.

I'm probably going to get some window screen for this one too. I used it so seldom last year that I hadn't gotten screen on it. On this one I'd just clip it to the kennel pen.

I've always been concerned if (bulbs) were near food or water that it might shatter and get glass in the feed and water or on a place they walk and cut their feet.

 

[Leahs Mom]

AS far as not knowing if the ceramic heat emitter burns out - I was mostly concerned about that if I was using it for heating chicks. I guess if it goes out for the waterer, I just get a frozen waterer for part of the day.

 

[getaclue]

It says it's going down to 59 tonight. Usually, it doesn't get quite as cold as they forecast. I had quite a few errands to run, and simply didn't feel like buying tarps. I will tomorrow. My coop is totally open. I'm not concerned about it getting too cold, but normally when the temperature drops, it's raining, or very windy. Tonight, it's not raining, or windy, so I'm not concerned. Like I said, tomorrow I will get the tarps, because it's suppose to get down colder, and be more windy.

 

[speckledhen]

We're going down to about 35* they say. My 7 week old Brahma chicks have no heat at all. I never even consider anything for them and probably never will, not unless they live to be old and arthritic like some of my current ones. One reason is the chicks are going to a new home and I don't know if she has any heat in the coop they'll be in, but they are Brahmas, very well-suited for the cold. And all six will be huddling together anyway.

Cheryl, 59* was our high today.

 

[Leahs Mom]

35ish for us tonight too.

@speckledhen
Do you provide some level of heat during the winter for the old ladies? If so, how.

 

[speckledhen]

The very old group has one 250w red heat lamp because of the ones who are so crippled that they cannot walk and must lay on the cold floor, with a hardware cloth guard over it and secured well. There are six hens in there. One of them, Panda, can walk, but limps badly-she is almost 10.

The 2nd old hens' group has a fixture with a reptile bulb for one smaller heat spot that two or three can huddle under if they feel they need it. Some have arthritis in that group, especially Neela, but can still get around, albeit with a limp.