In this article, we will take a closer look at using electrical heating inside your chicken house. If you are among the people who despite their desperate tries, can’t manage to heat up their chicken coop using passive methods, it might be a good idea to install some kind of electric heating device. But you have to be certain that you need it, any kind of artificial source of heat can be dangerous in an environment like your chicken coop.
What device should you use?
If you will look around, you will find many devices that are designed to heat up your chicken coop. However, we will take a look at the most popular ones like heat lamps, ceramic heat emitters and oil-filled electric radiators. These are the three devices you should be considering while trying to increase the temperature inside your chicken house.
Heat lamps
Heat lamps are by far the most popular way to make your chicken house plan warmer. However, they are also the most dangerous solution from the three I’ve mentioned above. The immense heat they produce will warm your chicken house fast but, in case of a failure or if the lamp falls down onto the coops’ bedding, it will most likely cause a fire. Considering the small size of most chicken houses, your flock has no chances of survival in such a case…
It is important to take every precaution you can. Keep the heat lamp at least 18″ from any combustible materials. You should also screw the lamp in two points(like ceiling and a nearby wall). This will insure it remains in safe distance from the bedding, even if one screw fails.
Ceramic heat emitters
This kind of heating devices have a very similar shape to light bulbs, but they do not emit any kind of light. They get very hot so it is important to separate them from your chickens. They also have a flow, because the heat they produce fails to radiate on greater lengths. This means they give heat but only at short distances, so if you have bigger coop it might not be a good idea to invest in them.
Oil-filled electric radiators
This is the last method of heating the chicken house plan, and it is by far the safest one. The biggest advantage of electric radiators is the fact, they don’t emit very high temperatures so the risk of your chickens getting burned is minimal. However, they cost much more than the other two solutions so if you are on a budget this may not be for you.
What to avoid
The biggest no-no are all kinds of air blowing heating machines. You have to remember that there is a lot of dust inside your chicken house so you face the risk of the heating device getting clogged up. This, on the other hand creates a risk of fire.
Some safety tips
The most important safety measure is protecting your chickens from intensive heat these devices produce. Another thing you should remember is hiding all the wires from your chickens. Chickens are very curious animals, and they like to peck on things. Therefore, if they choose to “try-out” a wire, they will most likely get electrocuted and die. Furthermore, avoid using extension cords inside your chicken house, they often get overheated and may be a fire threat.
I do believe it is all you need to know about installing heating inside the chicken house. If for some reason, you still have some questions about this topic, feel free to post a comment. I will try to answer it to the best of my abilities.
