Topic of the Week - Coop Heating and Fire Safety

[Jimmybeam01]

see my previous post, i use snow in the winter time. been doing that my entire life

see above

 

[greggooo]

Ha! They'll get used to it.

Thanks for the advice. Kicked them out of the coop into the run today and shut the pop door. It's sunny and 27. Went back to check on them in the run and they are in a pile taking the biggest dustbath I've ever seen. Was probably the plastic scaring them, but its necessary.

 

[greggooo]

see my previous post, i use snow in the winter time. been doing that my entire life

I have been taking warm water in their old brood waterer a couple times a day, but I tried this the other day. They love it. They really go through it, every time I go out there, it's empty, and it hasn't been above freezing for days, so they are sure using it.

 

[Abriana]

Prima heatlamps have a protective shade that helps keep things away from the bulb, my vet told me about them, I use them and worry a lot less about fires than I would with a different heatlamp. this is my second winter with chickens and prima heatlamps and there has been zero suggestion of a fire. I'm extremely pleased with my heatlamps!

 

[Jimmybeam01]

I have been taking warm water in their old brood waterer a couple times a day, but I tried this the other day. They love it. They really go through it, every time I go out there, it's empty, and it hasn't been above freezing for days, so they are sure using it.

when i can i bring water but like you said when its warm enough for it, it does work great the chickens love having a dish of snow!

 

[greggooo]

when i can i bring water but like you said when its warm enough for it, it does work great the chickens love having a dish of snow!

They're like, "OMG, snowcones!!!"

 

[Jimmybeam01]

Dang right! Chickens can hang for sure!

 

[Frostette]

View attachment 1205993 Another good topic..
This one might cause some Heat...?

I run Heat here although it's not that warm..I use a Heat lamp and not over the Roost..Its double chained and zip tied secure..My Birds have Respritory disease and without a bit of heat they develop symptoms...Lost a Hen during colder rain in September..Heat lamps are dangerous, so is almost anything that takes electricity...I have Heat also for my Call Ducks..That is secure behind a tiny gauged wire Box my Husband built so the Ducks can not get close to the lamp at all...That shed is only used in Cold temps below -15C...
It's a risk for sure.......

 

[Frostette]

I think the lamp within the cage is a great idea! I use a heat lamp this year, hung high up. Years past I used a small electric space heater or one of those oil filled radiator heaters (which I thought would be good since no exposed coils or fan). There is just too much dust in a coop to make either of those a good idea. So I'm back to the basic red heat lamp. My coop is 9x10 with only 8 hens so it's too big for them to heat it up. But the lamp is making a difference. When it gets down to 2-4 degrees, at least it's 20 degrees in the coop. But I'm in Kansas-- so it's usually in the 30's most of the winter.

 

[Southnjchicks]

I have a flat panel heater in the henhouse that comes on at 0, goes off at 10 degrees. It heated the henhouse from -24 last year to approx. 7 f degrees. So it does not heat to 50 degrees, if the electricity goes out, they will be fine, they are acclimated, this just takes the edge off in extremely cold weather.

-In the run, if needed (someone is molting, or below -10 degrees) I'll turn on a heat lamp. I have dirt/sand below it, no shaving.
-It is zip tied to the pen.
-I have a cage made of hardware cloth over it, which I truly believe is needed. It keeps feathers from flying up, hitting the bulb starting on fire and dropping into the bedding. or a wing catching fire and, and...

-Also my last bulb fell out of the metal holder, yes, it can happen. luckily my "cage" caught the bulb thank goodness. photos below.

-View attachment 1206050 View attachment 1206051 View attachment 1206052 View attachment 1206053 If you do heat with a bulb? Do it extremely safely. Check bulb, set up, and connections very carefully before each use.

What type of flat panel heater are you using? Excellent points about safety, thanks for including the pictures of the bulb cage setup.