If you are the owner of a subsidiary farm, then in the winter time you have probably at least once encountered a problem that is expressed in the fact that the chickens have ceased to rush. This indicates that the bird is uncomfortable due to the cold.
Solution
It is possible to improve the conditions of keeping chickens by deciding on how to heat the chicken coop in winter. This can be done by maintaining a certain air temperature. However, it is important to carry out thermal insulation work, for this, the litter is laid on the floor, the ceiling and walls are insulated, and artificial heating is also installed.
As litter materials, you can use:
- sawdust;
- peat;
- chopped straw;
- corn stems.
Slaked lime is poured onto a dry and cleaned base, which will require 1 kg per square meter. After laying the litter material, the layer of which can vary from 5 to 10 cm. As soon as you notice that the topping is compacted, you need to add fresh material. This natural heating is effective, but requires regular cultivation.
A complex approach
In order for the heat not to leak, it is necessary to warm the ceiling and walls. Mineral wool and roofing material, which are laid on the ceiling, are used as thermal insulation materials. Polyfoam and mineral wool can be used for walls, but for window and doorways suitable plastic film, fabric materials and even a blanket. The device of the chicken coop inside necessarily involves heating in the winter, only in this case we can be sure that the bird will be carried all year round. To do this, you can use diesel stoves, heating radiators, stove stoves, infrared lamps and brick structures.
Many owners of chicken coops are wondering if there is a need to insulate the ceiling and walls when there is a heating system. Specialists answer unequivocally: “Yes!” Natural insulation can solve two important problems, which are the prevention of drafts and the creation of barriers to precipitation.
Using infrared lamps
When the insulation of the chicken coop has been completed, you can take care of the availability of additional equipment. As it can be infrared lamps. They are a simplified heating option. This method is very common today compared to other electric heaters. This is due to the fact that the lamp for heating the chicken coop is characterized by a high efficiency and profitability. The pluses include:
- uniform distribution of thermal energy in the room;
- long operational period;
- the ability to create optimal humidity;
- lack of disease in poultry.
Installing such devices is very easy, as well as replacing them, if necessary. The lamp for heating the chicken house consumes a minimum amount of oxygen, and also reduces the cost of buying feed, because the cultivation of broiler chickens is accelerated. If you decide to choose such an infrared device, then it is best to pay attention to the manufacturer Philips and Osram. The last of these manufacturers is located in Germany and manufactures infrared lamps that have transparent capsule flasks with mirror elements. Such devices can be installed by removing 1 m or less from the consumer. This will completely eliminate overheating.
Company selection
If you are thinking about how best to heat the chicken coop in winter, then you may prefer Philips incandescent lamps, which can be red or transparent. The former are the most popular; they have a capsule shape and are made of tempered glass. In infrared lamps of this type, the brightness of the light flux can be adjusted. On the market you can find products of infrared heaters of Russian specialists, among them infrared mirror lamps, which have a transparent or red bulb. The main advantage of such devices is their long service life, which reaches 5000 hours.
Why you should prefer infrared heaters
The device of the chicken coop inside certainly involves the installation of heating devices. As them infrared can act. They are very convenient during operation and do not heat the air, but the surrounding objects. This ensures that heat is stored indoors. According to the laws of physics, warm air rises. Even if each gap is well clogged, warm air will find a loophole and seep out. Among other things, ventilation holes are usually made in the ceiling, where air will go. Whereas the surrounding objects to which the heater will give heat will not go anywhere. After they begin to give heat to the space.
Infrared heaters are also convenient because they can be fixed on the ceiling, where birds can’t get and get burned. In order for the temperature in the chicken coop to be maintained at a certain level in winter, you should purchase a heater whose power does not exceed 500 watts. This is true for small rooms. You can also purchase a temperature regulator, with the help of which the optimal temperature is set, it varies within +12 ° . As soon as the air cools down, the heater will turn on automatically. In addition to the above brands, the BiLux devices have proven themselves well.
Additional features of infrared lamps
The aforementioned temperature in the chicken coop in winter can be maintained with the help of infrared lamps, which are quite popular today, for which there are certain reasons. They do not burn air and are able to maintain dryness and humidity. Lamps can be used not only for heating, but also for lighting. According to farmers, such devices have a high efficiency and compact size. With their help, you can get a soft red color, which acts on the bird soothingly and promotes productivity, as well as better growth.
From a wide range of products presented in stores, we can distinguish lamps that are distinguished by their durability, reliability and affordable cost. One such lamp, whose power is 250 watts, will heat and illuminate a room of 12 m 2 .
Philips BR125 IR infrared lamp specifications
Infrared lamps for a chicken coop are best suited if it is necessary to heat a room for this purpose. The model mentioned in the subtitle will cost the consumer 429 rubles. It is a heating element that can work in difficult conditions like farms where birds and animals are kept. The design is reinforced by the use of tempered glass. The dimensions are compact, the base is universal and allows you to use the lamp with any suitable equipment. Such a device provides an influx of heat that does not cause skin damage, heats animals and people, and even food. These benefits appeal to farmers, builders and chefs. If you also thought about how to heat the chicken coop in winter, then, of course, it is best to choose infrared heating, which does not adversely affect human and animal health. Among other things, it helps to improve the appetite of the bird and their rapid growth, increases the body's resistance to infections.
Calculation of the power of heating equipment for the chicken coop
The chicken coop for 20 winter chickens should have dimensions of 4x4 m, while the enclosure for walking will be limited to the following dimensions: 2x4 m. Thus, the heated area will be 16 m 2 . As mentioned above, 250 watts is needed for 12 m 2 , but 330 watts is enough for 16.
Heating without electricity
Quite often, modern poultry houses are wondering how to heat a chicken coop in winter. If electricity is not connected to the country house, then alternative methods, for example, solid fuel stoves that are heated by firewood, can be preferred. Such devices heat up quite quickly and are able to retain heat for a long time. Heating of this type will cost less than gas equipment, the latter of which is relevant only when the farm has grown to the size of a poultry farm.
If you want to use firewood for heating, then you should think about fire safety. All parts of the potbelly stove, which are very hot, must be isolated to prevent burns in the bird. Among other things, the room must be equipped with a good ventilation system and a separate chimney. Before the onset of cold weather should stock up on coal and firewood. In the process of melting the furnace, as well as when burning fuel, the structure must be monitored, otherwise you may encounter a fire. This threat becomes real when the room is made of wood and the floor is covered with straw. In such rooms, a potbelly stove can be removed to a special place where a concrete base is equipped, and the stove is remote from the walls. If you are faced with the task of how to heat a chicken coop in winter, then you can choose a potbelly stove that will not only provide a normal temperature, but also save resources.
Water heating
When infrared lamps for a chicken coop are not suitable for the reason that electricity is not connected to it, water heating can be preferred. Actually, if in a residential building, heating is carried out using a water boiler. At the same time, when building a chicken coop, it is best to join it to a residential building. In the house, it is necessary to install pipes on which to isolate the circuit from the heating of the house. The presence of skills and certain experience will help to establish such a heating. As practice shows, this method is the cheapest and most practical.
Conclusion
Now you know how to heat the chicken coop in winter without electricity. However, if this option is unacceptable for you, it is better to prefer infrared devices that will not heat the air, but objects, the latter of which will begin to give off heat after heating.