The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[delisha]

Quote: And such wonderful people to do that with!

 

[delisha]

I'm back to the issue of brooder heat for the henhouse. As some of you know, I've been looking for heat sources that don't emit light - or emit very little light. The point being that I don't want artificial light in the hen house at night - even for heating chicks if I can figure out a good way. I've checked out several ideas but I have a question for y'all.

Was conversing with Fred (Fred's Hens) and he said he uses a red heat lamp and that works for not being too much night light.

-Anyone else use the red heat lamps?
-Opinions, experiences with them... do you think they work to keep night time dark enough to keep everyone in natural light sync?

I have red too for outside. It is still a lot of light, but not as much as the white ones. Have you considered using electric heat tape?

 

[aoxa]

I have red too for outside. It is still a lot of light, but not as much as the white ones. Have you considered using electric heat tape?

BDM has a picture of a ceramic heat lamb that emits no light at all on the website. Worth a try. I haven't tried it, so can't say if it is good or not.

I'd really like to use one of the brinsea heat emitters. The ones that are like a broody hen and they go under it as such.

 

[Leahs Mom]

have red too for outside. It is still a lot of light, but not as much as the white ones. Have you considered using electric heat tape?

For brooding? How would you use it for brooding?

(This is not for heating water.)

 

[delisha]

Not electric tape for pipes, radiant electric floor heating tape.

 

[delisha]

You would have to build a brooder and place the mats on the bottom and probably one side. No light.

 

[Leahs Mom]

BDM has a picture of a ceramic heat lamb that emits no light at all on the website. Worth a try. I haven't tried it, so can't say if it is good or not.

I'd really like to use one of the brinsea heat emitters. The ones that are like a broody hen and they go under it as such.

I have purchased one of the ceramic heat emitters...one of my great ideas. However, I found that I couldn't get it to concentrate heat under it. I had to have it so close to the floor - and that was inside a warm house - that it was dangerous. I may experiment more with that...mine is a 250 w. They get extremely hot so you wouldn't want them that close to the babies and others as you'd have to have it. At least w/the bulbs they are high enough not to be a danger to the kiddos.

As for Brinsea, I had some communication w/them as well. They very clearly stated that they won't work to bring the temp warm enough unless the room temperature is at least 55 degrees.

I'm talking about an unheated hen house that may fluctuate from the 40s to the 20s or teens so that takes out the Brinsea.

So...now I"m down to the red heat lamp and thinking it may be the best alternative.

 

[Leahs Mom]

Not electric tape for pipes, radiant electric floor heating tape.

Could you send me a link with this product that I can look at? (That way I'm sure I'm getting the right thing.)

 

[delisha]

It is usually installed between floor joists. or DH said he is going to build me one for net year, but I need to get a job before he will do it. Or I need to have a huge hatch out early spring and cover the excessive expenses I made this year. I spent $300.00 over my yearly budget for the chickens when we put up the fence. I did not sell my birds at the fair at the last hatch out, I sold them as chicks because it was too cold and I was loosing them too fast.

 

[delisha]

http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/radiant-heating