Using an oil heater in coop?

[Saqqara]

Hi all. This will be our first winter with chickens. I have been reading the how to heat my coop threads and saw a suggestion of using an enclosed (porcelain?) oil heater. The kind that looks like an accordion. I just happen to have a couple of those but was wondering if it can be used safely on the floor with hay? Or should I build a platform for it? Is it a fire hazard? I want to be safe, and to be honest I don't really know what I'm doing......lol

 

[DobieLover]

Where are you located in the world? That will dictate whether you should even heat your coop.
Chickens are very tolerant of the cold. Keep the coop DRY, WELL VENTILATED and the birds DRAFT FREE when they are roosting and they will be just fine.
Just as an example of how hardy chickens can be... my flock is just 6 months old. It rained all day yesterday, the temp was 34 - 43 F for the day with a mild wind. Everyone was soaked but just kept on leaving the sheltered coop/run and didn't seem to mind it one bit.
Don't use your comfort level in the cold to gauge your chickens comfort level. They come equipped with down jackets. You don't.
If you start heating your coop and something happens where you suddenly can't, the drastic temperature change can then kill your unadapted chickens. Make sure you really need to add heat to your coop.

 

[kwhites634]

Hi all. This will be our first winter with chickens. I have been reading the how to heat my coop threads and saw a suggestion of using an enclosed (porcelain?) oil heater. The kind that looks like an accordion. I just happen to have a couple of those but was wondering if it can be used safely on the floor with hay? Or should I build a platform for it? Is it a fire hazard? I want to be safe, and to be honest I don't really know what I'm doing......lol

You don't need a platform for it in the middle of your living room floor, which is where it needs to be. Your chickens don't need artificial heat. As long as they're dry, out of drafts, and have wide perches so their feet aren't exposed to bitter cold, they'll be just fine.

 

[flyin-lowe]

Your more likely to kill your chickens with fire/heat related injuries then you are to harm them from the cold temps...

 

[JDGreene]

I would say that is a fire hazard around chickens that will be jumping on it, laying on it, pecking on it, and pooping on it, with no one around to keep an eye on it.

 

[Sd_c]

You know, I don’t think anyone actually answered the original question. Everyone gay advice on NOT to do it but never followed up with an answer should they decide to move forward Most know not to use heat whenever possible so the disclaimers are fine BUT the decision is theirs and if anyone has advice on placing a heater., I’d love to hear it. I already know the pros and cons. TIA

 

[Penpal]

The chickens will get overheated. As JDGreen pointed out, the chickens will want to roost on it, so having it on a platform isn't going to solve any problems. Also, on a platform the chickens could knock it over when landing on it or taking off from it.

To use the heater, it would have to be behind fencing so the chickens can't get to it, and to keep litter away from it.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Agree with everyone else: don't do it. My coop is dry and draft free. Our winter lows average in the teens to single digits. I had no intention of heating, but if I were to, I'd use the often recommend Sweeter Heater. It's not meant to raise the temp in any meaningful way, but can prevent frostbite and take the edge off.

 

[Stravager]

Speaking from personal experience I had an accordion fold oil heater crack and explode with a literal geyser of burning hot oil mere feet away from me and my cat. I would never ever put one in a chicken coop - if it ever broke in an enclosed space with the hens the results would be horrific and much harder to treat than a fire-based burn. If you are concerned about heat in your chicken coop getting a flat panel plastic or ceramic heat plate would be much safer. But whether or not you need to heat the coop depends on the breed of chicken, how well your coop is insulated/ventilated, and where you live. Anytime you put electricity in a coop you do risk fire, and any electrical work should be done by a qualified electrician.
In the event that you do use an oil heater, I would recommend placing it somewhere where the chickens could not jump on it or touch it, such as behind a metal grate, and I would keep the area clear of straw. A corner would be the best location, furthest away from their roosts so that the chickens would have somewhere to escape the heat if it got too much. Most oil heaters I know of did not have settings to lock the temperature at, they just cycled on and off and got pretty hot.

 

[Momma-Hen-Misti]

Unless it gets -10°F for several days, you shouldn't put any type of heat in your coop. I've seen too many coop fires online to risk it.