What is the best way to heat a chicken coop? Heating a chicken coop in winter using infrared lamps

In addition, experienced farmers offer:

• Use double glazing in ventilation windows;
• Insulate ventilation pipes with cotton wool;
• Use a vestibule door.

If the ventilation window in the chicken coop has one glass, then a significant part of the heat will escape through such a window already at -15 degrees. To avoid this, you need to use double glass and high-quality rubber seals, and if the window is made of plywood or boards, you need to make sure that there are no cracks in it and that it fits tightly when closing.

Often in well-insulated chicken coops there are drafts or the temperature drops below normal due to the fact that the ventilation system has not been insulated. A significant portion of the heat is lost through improperly installed ventilation pipes. To prevent this from happening, the poultry farmer should:

• Carefully coat the cracks between the ceiling and the installed vertical pipes with a sealing mixture, and if necessary, fill large cracks with pieces of mineral wool;
• A damper must be installed on the pipes to regulate the air flow.

Many poultry farmers have noticed that rubber seals for plastic windows are also well suited for doors and windows made of other materials - wood or metal. Before the start of winter, you need to check all the seals in the chicken coop and, if necessary, replace them. This seal is sold on construction markets and is installed with regular superglue.

• Artificial heating

Heating a chicken coop in winter can be done in different ways. This could be an electric heater or an infrared lamp. Options to provide laying hens comfortable conditions contents in winter period there is a mass. In this article we will tell you how best to organize heating of a chicken coop during the cold season. In addition, we will consider what types of heaters there are.

There are two ways to ensure your poultry have a comfortable temperature in the winter:

1. Natural.
2. Artificial.

The first option is less expensive, but also the least recommended for winter keeping of domestic chickens. Meanwhile, many poultry farmers use the natural method of maintaining heat in the chicken coop. Therefore, we will begin our story with this option.

Natural heating of the chicken coop

The essence of this method is to maintain a positive temperature inside the poultry house without using heating devices. To do this, you need to carefully caulk all the cracks in the chicken coop, leaving only the ventilation hole.

The walls are made double, laying a layer of insulation between them. This is usually polystyrene foam or glass wool. The floor is also made double, pouring 10–15 centimeters of litter on top. Peat, straw or sawdust are used as bedding.

This method of heating rooms is relevant only for regions with moderate climatic conditions. If in the places where you live, winters are accompanied by severe frosts, then you will still have to purchase a heater for the chicken coop. Otherwise, it is unlikely that it will be possible to provide adequate heating in the poultry house.

Artificial heating

Heating a chicken barn artificially consists of several options. We will tell you about all the ways that you can choose for yourself. best option.

Electric heater

Probably the most expensive way to keep laying hens warm during the winter. This option includes air heaters, oil radiators, thermal convectors and fans. In other words, all heating devices powered by electricity.

The advantages of this heating method include practicality and ease of installation. It is enough to buy one electric heater or several (depending on the area of ​​the room), and install them in the chicken coop as far as possible from the birds.

On the temperature controller you set the data you need and the room is heated. As soon as the heater cools down, the automation will again heat it up to the set temperature. Among the disadvantages, it is worth noting the impressive electricity bills.

Gas heating of the chicken coop

This is a more practical way to keep your chickens warm. But to heat a small poultry house containing a dozen laying hens, purchasing an expensive gas boiler is unprofitable. Therefore, gas heating of chicken coops is mainly used only in large farms.

It is worth noting that a gas boiler needs constant supervision; it is very dangerous equipment. Therefore, additional costs for maintenance personnel will be required.

Stove heating

An ordinary potbelly stove is quite capable of replacing any heater. This is a more cost-effective way to keep your chickens warm than using an electric heater or gas boiler.

In addition, the use of stove heating for chicken coops is widely used in private households. But when using the stove, be prepared to comply with the following requirements:

• presence of coal or firewood on the farm;
• compliance with fire safety rules;
• equipping a chicken coop with a chimney;
• Constant monitoring of the combustion process and addition of fuel.

An option for this method of heating a chicken coop can be a diesel stove. It has more power and is safe to use.

It makes sense to consider the Bulerian air-convection oven. The advantage of using such a stove to heat a chicken coop is obvious. It can operate on almost any type of fuel, is economical and has great power.

But according to reviews from experienced farmers, the most convenient way to heat a chicken coop is to use infrared heaters. They have already proven themselves well in households.

Infrared heaters

These are very convenient devices to use. Infrared heaters do not heat the air in the room, but the objects around them. This serves as a guarantee of heat retention inside the house.

The fact is that according to the laws of physics, warm air rises. And even if you carefully seal every crack in the roof, warm air will still find a loophole to leak out. In addition, a ventilation hole is usually made in the ceiling of the chicken coop, through which air will flow freely.

The surrounding objects to which infrared heaters give off heat will not go away. Moreover, they will gradually release the accumulated heat to the surrounding space.

Infrared heaters are convenient because they have a ceiling mount. Accordingly, birds will not be able to reach them and get burned.

When purchasing such equipment, make sure to purchase a thermostat. By setting the thermostat to the optimal temperature for keeping chickens in winter at +12 degrees, you don’t have to worry about anything anymore. As soon as the air in the room cools down, the infrared heater will turn on automatically.

Infrared lamps

These are the most popular heaters for chicken coops. And there are reasons for this. IR lamps do not burn the air in the room, but maintain the necessary humidity and dryness. Infrared lamps can be used not only for heating, but also for lighting the chicken coop.

According to farmers, despite their small size, these devices have a high efficiency. The soft, red color has a calming effect on birds and promotes better growth and productivity.

Of quite wide range, presented on the market, we can distinguish infrared lamps from the following manufacturers:

1. Phillips. Despite the high cost, the lamps are reliable and durable in use.
2. Osram. Similar in characteristics to the previous manufacturer.
3. IKZ. They are in no way inferior to their Western counterparts, but are more affordable in terms of price.

Important! Just one such lamp with a power of 250 W is capable of heating and lighting approximately 12 square meters.

Water heating

Another way to ensure heating of the chicken coop in winter. This is relevant if your home is heated using a water heating boiler, and the chicken coop is adjacent to a residential building.

Pipes are installed in the poultry house, to which the heating circuit of the residential building is allocated. If you have certain experience and skills, it will not be a problem to set up heating for the poultry house using a residential building. In our opinion, this is the most practical and cheapest way to heat a chicken coop in winter.

As you can see, heaters for chicken coops come in a wide variety. We hope you found this article informative and will help you choose the best heating solution for your backyard chickens.

fermerznaet.com

Keeping pets and poultry in the winter: organizing the heating of the chicken coop

Many owners of individual housing often conduct subsidiary farming: growing vegetables and herbs, breeding and maintaining cattle, rabbits and birds, etc. Therefore, one of the problems that they have to solve is ensuring the protection of plants and animals from the effects of low temperatures in winter and in the off-season. Today, there are quite a lot of options for how to organize heating of a chicken coop, greenhouse, barn, the choice of which will depend on the region of residence and the financial capabilities of the owners.

Keeping chickens, ducks, and geese is the most common type of farming, allowing you to constantly receive fresh eggs and meat. And, as you know, with the onset of cold weather, poultry productivity decreases significantly. In addition, the likelihood of her becoming ill increases. Therefore, in winter it is necessary to create conditions for normal life, which are quite simple and consist of:

• sufficient lighting;
• proper and nutritious nutrition;
• insulation and protection from drafts of the chicken coop.

It is advisable to dwell on the last condition in more detail.

Common methods of insulating and heating premises for animals and poultry

All existing methods Preparation of utility rooms for the winter period can be divided into:

• natural insulation;
• artificial heating.

Natural insulation of the chicken coop

Before choosing an option for heating a chicken coop, you should take care of insulating its enclosing structures, because cold and drafty walls and roof make it impractical to use any even the most effective devices.

The existing variety of heat-insulating materials makes it easy to insulate structures with your own hands. At the same time, the technology for performing work using a specific type of product does not differ from the process of covering the walls and ceilings of a residential building. A practical advice and installation features can be seen in videos constantly posted by users on the Internet.

Do not neglect the insulation of existing windows and doors, because... A significant portion of the heat is lost through the existing openings.

One of the mandatory processes when preparing premises for keeping animals and poultry in winter is the creation of deep bedding. To do this, apply a layer of slaked lime (1 kg per 1 m2) to the floor, and then about 10 cm of straw, sawdust, shavings or other natural heat-insulating material (for example, foliage, moss peat, a mixture of straw and manure). Natural composting will generate heat.

As the litter becomes compacted and moistened, it is recommended to loosen it and add new portions of material.

Figure 1 – Bedding for a chicken coop made of wood chips and sawdust

For regions with mild climates, these measures are sufficient to ensure optimal indoor temperature, so additional heating devices are usually not required.

It should be remembered that part of the heat for heating the premises will be released by the birds and animals themselves. And for their normal functioning it is enough to maintain the temperature at 10 0C.

Artificial heating of premises for poultry and animals

In areas where severe frosts in winter are not uncommon, and the implementation of the above measures does not allow maintaining the recommended temperature regime, it is necessary to choose an option that is effective in terms of both availability and cost-effectiveness of heating the chicken coop.

This can be done in different ways:

• electric heater (convector, oil radiator, fan heater, etc.);
• gas-powered device (burners, heat guns);
• infrared lamp;
• stove equipment (“stove stoves”, “Buleryan”, specially laid brick stove);
• water heating system.

When choosing the best option, the following conditions must be met:

• safety, incl. and fire department;
• possibility of long-term operation;
• ensuring that the recommended indoor temperature is maintained;
• efficiency.

Heating a chicken coop with various types of heaters

For heating premises for keeping poultry and animals, various models of heaters can be used:

• electrical;
• gas;
• infrared.

The main advantages of this heating method are:

• ease of operation of the devices;
• possibility of use in emergency cases (in case of sudden frosts, failure of other heating systems);
• compactness of heaters;
• sufficient efficiency.

An important requirement when using this option is to limit the possibility of contact of birds with wires, hoses (when using gas models) and heating elements of devices. In the best way For this we can call the installation of fences made of mesh or lattice, which are easy to make and install with your own hands.

It should be noted that heating with electric heaters is a fairly expensive option, so it is advisable in emergency situations or when other methods are unavailable.

Using gas appliances is more economical, but also more dangerous. This option, as a rule, is applicable for insulating large chicken coops and requires good ventilation, as well as constant monitoring of the operation of the devices.

Infrared heaters have proven their effectiveness for heating premises for various purposes: country houses and country houses, greenhouses, barns, chicken coops, etc. There are several types of such equipment:

• mobile models, usually used on a temporary basis;
• stationary types (film, panel IR heaters), usually used for constant heating and installed in most cases on the ceiling. Installation of such devices usually does not cause difficulties, because The instructions for the devices describe the sequence of actions for installing them yourself. To obtain visual information, you can watch videos provided by specialists or ordinary people who have skills in similar work.

Figure 2 – Infrared heater for heating a chicken coop

For optimization temperature regime and the operation of devices in general, the use of automatic regulators is recommended.

Stove heating of utility rooms for animals and poultry

If solid fuel (coal, firewood) is available, various stoves are often used in winter. But their operation requires compliance with a number of conditions:

• chimney device;
• ensuring fire safety;
• insulation of heating surfaces to protect birds and animals from burns;
• the need to regularly add fuel;
• constant control of temperature and combustion process.

It should be borne in mind that such equipment is quite large, so its use is not always advisable for small rooms.

Water heating of the chicken coop

In the case where the poultry keeping room is adjacent to the house, in winter it can be heated with a water circuit from an existing boiler.

If the chicken coop is small, it will be sufficient to lay one or two pipes (preferably metal) around its perimeter. In large rooms it is possible to install radiators with polypropylene piping.

If you have the knowledge, experience and skills of creating a heating circuit, implementing one of these options yourself will not be difficult. Otherwise, it is recommended to contact specialists.

Heating using an infrared lamp

Infrared lamps for heating animals and birds are one of the most common and simple ways. They are characterized by a lot of advantages:

• simultaneous provision of heat and light;
• high productivity and efficiency with compact dimensions;

For example, one IKZK lamp with a power of 250 Watts can heat about 10-12 m2 of room.

• directional heating - as you know, infrared devices and lamps heat specific surfaces rather than air, so their correct placement will provide heat only to the required places;
• drying the bedding and air;
• do not burn oxygen;
• ease of installation, operation and replacement.

Figure 3 – IR lamp for providing the chicken coop with heat and light

Today, the most widely used infrared lamps are from the following manufacturers:

• Philips – their line includes products with red and transparent bulbs; The lamps are distinguished by sufficient strength (they do not break if accidentally dropped and do not burst when splashed), the ability to regulate the light intensity, and sufficient durability. But the price of these products is quite high;
• Osram - as a rule, they produce lamps with transparent capsule bulbs and mirror elements, having different wattages depending on the intended application;
• IKZ, IKZK - are produced in transparent and red, unlike the above-mentioned models, they have an affordable price.

Red IR lamps are especially popular among poultry farmers, because... Their dim, warm light is believed to have a calming effect on chickens.

The video below shows short review similar products used in poultry and livestock farming.

To organize heating using an infrared lamp, you need to lay the wiring and install the platform with the cartridge in the required location. One of the conditions for this is the installation of a protective fence, which you can do yourself. Its presence will not only ensure the safety of the birds and the lamp itself, but can also prevent the possibility of fire if the device falls out of the socket or its bulb cracks and breaks.

Figure 4 – Protection of the infrared lamp with a mesh casing

otopleniex.ru

DIY chicken coop heating system.

Owners subsidiary farms Often they are faced with the fact that on frosty winter days chickens stop laying eggs. This indicates that they are experiencing discomfort and the reason for this is the cold. You can improve the keeping of chickens by maintaining optimal indoor air temperature.

Basic thermal insulation work

There are several options for insulating a chicken coop. Conventionally, they can be divided into 3 types:

• laying bedding on the floor;
• insulation of ceilings and walls;
• artificial heating of the chicken coop.

The first two types relate to natural heating. The following can be used as bedding material:

• chopped straw;
• sawdust;
• corn cobs;
• moss peat.

Slaked lime (1 kg / 1 m²) is poured onto the cleaned and dry base. Then the bedding material is laid in a layer of 5-10 cm. When the bedding becomes wet, fresh material should be added. This procedure is carried out until the litter layer is within 25-30 cm. This type of natural heating becomes more effective when the litter is regularly loosened using a fork.

To prevent the loss of large amounts of heat, the walls and ceiling of the chicken coop must be insulated. As thermal insulation materials are used:

• for the ceiling - roofing felt or mineral wool;
• for walls - mineral wool or polystyrene foam;
• for windows and doors - plastic film, blankets or other fabric materials.

Exists absolute confidence that the chickens will lay eggs all year round when the chicken coop will be heated in winter using heating devices. Suitable for the premises:

• diesel stoves;
• potbelly stoves or brick structures;
• heating radiators;
• infrared lamps.

Many people who breed laying hens wonder: is it necessary to insulate the walls and ceiling when there is a heating system? Definitely necessary. Natural insulation of the chicken coop solves two main problems:

• prevents drafts;
• is a barrier to precipitation.

Stove and radiator heating

There are several options for creating heating in a chicken coop. Stove heating of a room involves the use of a conventional brick stove or “potbelly stove”. To prevent chickens from getting accidentally burned, the heating elements of ovens must be covered with a protective material.

Among the disadvantages of heating using these stoves, mention should be made of:

• the need to constantly maintain optimal temperature conditions;
• the occurrence of rust in the potbelly stove.

Installing a diesel furnace is quite interesting option. This equipment is different:

• efficiency;
• fire safety;
• no smoke.

When purchasing a diesel stove, you should know the area of ​​the chicken coop. The power of the heating device will depend on this indicator.

Buleryan stoves are a very popular product. The main advantages of using them are:

• operation on any type of fuel;
• uniform heat distribution;
• efficiency.

You can consider the option of installing an electric heater or radiator. Such heating will provide the chicken coop with a constant temperature. The main requirement when installing electrical equipment is to prevent birds from touching heating elements and wires. The disadvantage of this type of heating is the high power of the devices, which often causes maximum costs for paying electricity bills.

You can reduce energy consumption by installing an infrared heater. It is equipped with a regulator with which you can change the heating intensity of the chicken coop at any time. Automatic regulators are also available that turn off the heater when a certain temperature is reached.

If one of the walls is adjacent to the house, it is possible to create heating for the chicken coop with your own hands by connecting to a common heating system. This is perhaps the most rational decision when heating an outbuilding.

Infrared lamps

A simplified option is to heat the chicken coop with an infrared lamp. This method of heating a utility room is very popular. Compared to other electric heating devices, the use of infrared lamps is characterized by maximum efficiency and high efficiency (up to 98%).

Also, the “advantages” of this type of heating include:

• uniform distribution of thermal energy throughout the chicken coop;
• ease of installation and replacement (if necessary);
• long operational period;
• minimal oxygen consumption;
• creating optimal humidity;
• reduction in the cost of purchasing feed (with the rapid cultivation of broiler chickens);
• absence of diseases in birds.

To one of the best manufacturers lamps for heating a chicken coop include:

Specialists German company Osram produces infrared lamps that have transparent SICCATHERM capsule bulbs with mirror elements. Such lamps are installed at a distance of 0.5-1 m from the consumer. This completely eliminates overheating.

Philips incandescent lamps are available in both clear and red. The latter use in great demand. The red lamps are capsule-shaped and made of tempered glass. Philips infrared lamps can be dimmed luminous flux.

Russian specialists are also engaged in the production of infrared reflector lamps (IRLs), which have a red or transparent bulb. The main advantage of IKZ is its long service life, reaching 5 thousand hours.

Video on installing a chicken coop heating system:

gid-str.ru

How to heat a chicken coop in winter

Raising chickens requires year-round care. If you do not give the bird proper attention, it will not gain weight or stop laying eggs. In winter, eggs are expensive, therefore, it is beneficial to take into account any little details in keeping chickens.

Very often the following questions began to arrive at our email address:

• How to heat a chicken coop in winter;
• How to heat a chicken coop in winter without electricity;
• What is the best way to heat a chicken coop?
• How to heat a chicken coop with an infrared lamp

And many others…

And we decided to devote an entire article to this issue. In this article we will look at ways to heat a chicken coop in winter, both with and without electrical appliances. And so we went:

Ways to heat a chicken coop in winter

Chickens of any breed do not tolerate cold and do not tolerate it well. Do you want to periodically receive natural products in the form of domestic eggs in winter? It's time to think about how to heat the chicken coop in winter, starting in the fall. When cold weather sets in, it is already too late to carry out insulation work or select fuel options.

The temperature in the room where you keep chickens should be at least 7-10 degrees Celsius. If it drops lower, the bird may catch a cold, stop laying eggs and stop growing. Sometimes chickens' feet freeze in extreme cold, this is due to the fact that there is no feathering on the limbs.

It is no longer possible to save a chicken whose legs are frozen, so you should make sure that the room is warm. You can make a heating system for the chicken coop on your own, or you can buy heating devices.

If you live in the northern regions of the country, where winters are harsh, then you should insulate the chicken coop from the outside and inside, and then select heating devices. In the southern and western regions of the country, it will be enough to repair the chicken coop so that there are no drafts and gaps.

A thick layer of bedding is placed on the floor of the room, which serves as natural heating. Experienced poultry keepers say that the temperature in the chicken coop determines how many eggs the chicken will produce, and whether it will lay eggs at all. Plus, it was noticed that chickens who live in a cold room eat much more than those who live in a warm room.

At the same time, the bird gains weight, becomes lethargic, and the percentage ratio between fat and meat goes off scale.

Moreover, if you raise chicks in winter, then there simply must be an optimal temperature in the room. The hen will not be able to provide warmth to all her chickens; it may not even be enough to hatch the eggs.

In any case, you will need to think about how to heat the chicken coop in winter. There are several ways to heat a room; when choosing a technology, take into account the specifics of your region.

How to heat a chicken coop in winter without electricity

The technology assumes that heating devices and electricity will not be used to heat the room in winter. In the fall, you need to conduct a thorough inspection of the room where the chickens live. Seal all holes, cracks, and chips in the walls; it is advisable to caulk them for the winter.

If the bird is provided with complete and sufficient nutrition, it will be able to heat itself. Additionally, the inside walls of the chicken coop are lined with insulating material. The simplest insulation option is polystyrene foam or mineral wool.

Take a thick layer of material and sheathe it so that there are no gaps between the sheets of insulation. The ceiling in the chicken coop is also lined with insulating material, and the doors and windows are decorated with rags.

This way, you will be able to get rid of the draft and maintain the desired temperature in the room. The floor of the chicken coop is covered with a thick layer of bedding, which helps retain heat from below. Bedding must be poured at least 10 centimeters thick.

Hay, peat, straw or sawdust are used as bedding material. The litter is also convenient because in the spring it can be used as fertilizer for the garden. In winter, the litter acts as a natural heater.

The bottom line is that during the life of the chickens, the litter is mixed with excrement and the composting process begins. During this process, heat is released, it is retained in the room and can provide an air temperature of up to 12 degrees Celsius.

Periodically, the litter needs to be turned up and a layer of fresh material added. Until spring, up to 25 centimeters of compost can accumulate in the chicken coop. Before preparing the bedding for the chicken coop, the floor in the room is treated with slaked lime.

The proportion of the material is 1 kilogram of lime per 1 square meter. Lime helps the composting process and disinfects the room. When exposed to heat, it kills bacteria. For a normal microclimate in the chicken coop, ventilation needs to be adjusted.

If it works poorly, or does not work at all, then a persistent smell of ammonia will appear in the air. It is harmful not only to birds, but also to humans. The ventilation hatch is opened several times a day for ventilation, and then closed.

Heat also escapes through ventilation, and if you do not use heating devices, you need to regulate the supply of fresh air.

This insulation method may be suitable for regions with warm winters. In the northern regions of the country, drastic measures will be needed to heat the premises.

Heating a chicken coop with electricity

Electrical appliances can be used to heat the chicken coop in winter. This is not to say that this is a cheap heating method, but it is practical and will not take much time to maintain.

The choice of equipment type depends on the size of the chicken coop and the number of birds. Buying an electric heating device does not cancel the work of insulating the room and creating an optimal natural microclimate in it.

If your coop is not properly winterized, you will be wasting resources. Heat from the device will constantly escape into cracks or through the floor. As a result, the bill for public utilities a big one will arrive, but the room will not become warmer.

To heat the chicken coop in winter, you can buy a heater, oil radiator, convector or fan heater. The choice of equipment often depends on its price and efficiency. It is advisable to choose a device with automatic adjustment.

When the room is at the optimal temperature, the device turns itself off and turns on when the room cools down. Electrical devices for heating the chicken coop should be placed away from the litter, perch and nests. It is advisable to hang them on the walls or ceiling.

Heating the chicken coop with a gas boiler

It is worth considering a gas type of heating for a chicken coop when your farm has grown to the size of a poultry farm. A gas boiler requires maintenance and attention, and is also quite expensive to buy for a chicken coop of 50 birds.

Heating a chicken coop with a potbelly stove

Heating a chicken coop is beneficial using firewood. A potbelly stove can provide warmth in a room throughout the winter. It heats up quickly and retains heat for a long time. Heating using this method will cost you less than using gas.

If you want to use this method of heating a chicken coop, then you should think about safety precautions and follow some rules. Parts of the stove that become very hot must be insulated. This is necessary so that the bird does not accidentally burn its feet.

The chicken coop room must have good ventilation system and a separate chimney. You need to stock up on firewood or coal before the onset of cold weather. When you light a stove, you need to monitor the combustion process. If this is not done, a fire may occur.

This threat can also become a reality when the room is made of wood and there is straw on the floor. In such chicken coops, the potbelly stove is removed in special place, where the base will be concrete and the stove will stand away from the walls.

In general, heating a chicken coop with a potbelly stove allows you to provide normal temperature in the chicken coop and save resources.

Heating a chicken coop with infrared lamps

To heat the chicken coop, you can use infrared lamps and heaters. This equipment is easily suspended from the ceiling and provides the room with the necessary heat. The peculiarity of infrared heat sources is that they do not heat the air at all.

Instead, the equipment heats objects to the desired temperature. When you use, for example, a fan heater, the heated air will rise up and evaporate through the ventilation and cracks. If the chicken coop is not prepared for winter, then evaporation will occur even faster. Infrared equipment heats objects, and they give off their heat for a long time, perfectly maintaining the desired microclimate in the chicken coop.

For a small chicken coop, buy equipment with a power of up to 500W, this will be enough to make the room warm. The devices are suspended from the ceiling, thus covering the entire area of ​​the chicken coop with their heat.

Choose equipment with a temperature controller and immediately set it to 12 degrees. When the room heats up to this point, the heating device will turn off. The heater turns on when the chicken coop begins to cool down.

By using an infrared heater with a regulator, you save your resources and maintain the optimal temperature in the chicken coop. The equipment goes on sale in the form of lamps and solves two problems simultaneously: maintaining optimal temperature in the room and lighting.

Some types of equipment have a special rotating mechanism, which allows you to heat the entire chicken coop. The device constantly rotates, illuminates the chicken coop and warms it. Infrared lamps are hung at a height of 1 meter.

In their operation, infrared devices do not dry out the air, like electric heaters. In addition, they disinfect the air, killing pathogenic bacteria. When an infrared lamp operates, 90% of resources are spent on heating the room and only 10% for lighting.

For a chicken coop with an area of ​​12 square meters, one IR lamp with a power of about 250W will be enough. During the winter period, when daylighting not enough, the lamp in the chicken coop can not be turned off.

It will provide warmth in the chicken coop, and at the same time extend the daylight hours for the bird. Poultry farmers have proven that artificial light in a chicken coop affects the egg production of chickens. With regular, adequate feeding and sufficient light, hens lay eggs well even in winter.

When the chicken coop is adjacent to a residential building, it can be heated with water. This is a time-consuming process, so decide: do you want the chicken coop to be here permanently? If yes, then you can get to work.

You won’t need to fuss with either coal or the stove, and the chicken coop will be constantly warm. The only inconvenience of this method is the cost of the work and the need to make additional documents, certify diagrams and call gas workers for inspection.

Overall, this method of heating a chicken coop can save you from having to think about it for at least 10 years.

Other ways to heat a chicken coop

There are other ways to heat a chicken coop in winter. Someone buys the “Bulerian” system; under this name an air-convection stove is hidden. Its advantage is that the device can operate on any fuel. You can heat the chicken coop evenly and save resources. A diesel stove may be a suitable option for heating a chicken coop in winter. The equipment does not emit smoke, has good efficiency and compact dimensions.

There are dozens of ways to heat a chicken coop in winter. The difference between them lies in the price of the equipment, the time that needs to be spent on installing and maintaining the devices, and the heating area.

Resource consumption is also important. You should not buy equipment for your chicken coop that consumes a lot of electricity or gas. Utility bills will increase the cost of chicken or eggs.

When there is no optimization of the work process, and resources are spent inefficiently, it is easier to buy products on the market than to spend time raising chickens. What is the best way to heat a chicken coop so that it is profitable?

When choosing a heating technology, consider the size of your chicken coop and the purpose of raising chickens. If you are planning to create a poultry farm and the room is large, then it makes sense to install a boiler or install water heating.

For a small chicken coop, IR lamps, electric heaters, and natural heating are suitable. Calculate profitable options heating and chickens will lay eggs all year round.

The desire of poultry farmers to get as many eggs as possible from laying hens is natural and understandable. However, this issue is especially relevant for those who want to increase the profitability of their farm and build a real (albeit small) business. For this reason, you should definitely know how to keep laying hens in winter, since it is during this period that the efficiency of egg laying decreases.

In addition, proper care of laying hens is important because nature has not provided for the reproductive instinct for the winter, which means egg laying can be minimal or even zero if you do nothing.

On a note! Winter is a very treacherous time of year, and therefore the walking area should be properly equipped. Draft and wind should not harm the birds.

First of all, you should remove all snow from the walking area. But the main thing is that walking chickens is prohibited at temperatures below -10°C. Although even if the temperature is higher, walking should last a maximum of 15 minutes. If the street temperature drops below -15°C, then ventilation should be postponed altogether.

Features of keeping chickens in winter and heating the chicken coop

Winter maintenance of laying hens pays for itself, but only on condition that all rules are followed. And it’s not surprising, because in winter the average cost of eggs increases several times due to the shortage. So, if you keep laying hens in a chicken coop at a temperature of at least +15°C, then you will receive at least 30 eggs per month from each bird. Maintaining a similar temperature - the best way cost-effective keeping of livestock and getting the maximum return from chickens.

It's still winter best time for the construction of new nests, which can be located both in the depths of the chicken coop and separately from it. Chickens - like all birds - love secluded corners, and if there are any, they begin to lay eggs intensively. Thanks to new nests equipped in this way, laying hens will be more comfortable in winter, and overall egg production will noticeably increase.

On a note! Another room for keeping chickens in the winter must be spacious. To calculate the required area, you only need to know the number of livestock (1 m² for 2-3 chickens).

If ignored at this moment You can prepare for a decrease in egg production, since keeping birds in close quarters reduces their vital signs. Also note that the rule that winter is the cleanest time of year does not apply to the chicken coop. During this period, laying hens should always be clean, which means cleaning should be done more often than in the summer. The litter should always be dry (if it is wet, it will lead to the development of respiratory diseases in birds, and chickens are known to be especially prone to this).

Video - Preparing chickens for winter

What should the lighting be like?

At first, eggs were laid by chickens solely for the purpose of procreation, and therefore it is obvious that in winter birds do not have this instinct. But you can “deceive” them and make spring right in, and a lot will depend on the lighting. In winter, daylight hours are significantly reduced, but you need to compensate for this deficit with artificial lighting. It is advisable to turn on the lamps from 6 to 9 o'clock (in the morning) and from 18 to 21 (in the evening). However, the duration of daylight hours should be no more than 14 hours, otherwise the birds will not have time to rest, which will negatively affect egg production.

Egg production - a few important points

To increase egg production you should:

• maintain optimal temperature in the chicken coop;
• take care of proper lighting;
• provide a balanced diet (more on this later);
• If possible, isolate nests as much as possible;
• ensure optimal stocking density (2-3 birds per 1 m² of area).

If you adhere to all these requirements, then the laying hens will feel comfortable in winter and make you happy big amount eggs

As for heating the chicken coop, this can be done in two ways:

• natural heating(we are talking about insulating the chicken coop, flooring);
• artificial heating(stove heating, use of IR heaters, heat guns, air heaters, diesel stoves, etc.).

A few words about natural heating

As a rule, the purpose of insulating a chicken coop is to increase egg production (this indicator is approximately 40% dependent on heat) or to gain muscle mass (the “slaughter” age of birds comes earlier, which means that feed is saved). And if, thanks to natural heating, the temperature is at least +7-10°C (or better yet +13-15°C), then there is definitely nothing to worry about.

Let's consider the main components of natural heating of a poultry house.

Litter

Cover the floor of the room with slaked lime (consumption should be 1 kg/1 m²), lay straw, sawdust or any other insulating material on top with a layer of maximum 10 cm. Subsequently, when the litter is moistened and trampled, add fresh material, also do not forget to regularly loosening with a pitchfork. Heat will be released from this layer, which is caused by natural composting processes, and in the spring you will have effective composting.

Thermal insulation

Insulate windows, doors (with woven material - for example, an old blanket), walls (with mineral wool or polystyrene foam) and floors (with roofing felt or the same mineral wool). All these measures will protect the laying hens from drafts, and the poultry house itself from precipitation. In addition, chickens keep themselves warm - it is only necessary that they eat well.

Video - Heating a chicken coop without fuel

Artificial heating

The most common option today is IR lamps. One IR lamp or, alternatively, an IR mirror flask can heat up to 10-12 m². The advantage of such lighting is that it is not the air that warms up, but the objects and surfaces where the rays hit. Besides, infrared illumination dries the litter and allows you to maintain the required level of humidity. You don’t have to turn off the lamp itself at all – its pleasant light has a calming effect on the hens. Finally, oxygen in the poultry house is not burned, the IR lamp is easy to install and change, and its light helps digest food and strengthens the chickens’ immunity.

Note! The efficiency of the infrared lamp is quite high - up to 98%. It not only shines, but also warms - about 90% of all energy is spent on heat.

But IR lamps also have disadvantages - these are, first of all, high electricity consumption, short service life, and frequent cracking in case of moisture. Although this is more a question of proper operation and quality of the lighting devices themselves.

Important! When installing such lamps in the chicken coop, remember: they must be located at least 50-100 cm from heated objects! Chickens also love to jump on everything, including lamps, so it’s worth taking care of ceramic sockets and protective fittings in advance.

If the chicken coop is small, then a 500 W infrared heater will be sufficient.

What about stove heating?

A chicken coop can also be heated using a stove, but this method can hardly be considered ideal. If you install a “potbelly stove” (or a brick stove), you will inevitably encounter a number of mandatory measures.

These include:

• insulation of heating elements of the heating unit (laying hens can get burned);
• constant temperature control in the poultry house;
• fire safety (especially if the bedding is made of straw and the room itself is wooden).

You should also pay attention to less popular heating methods, which are still often used. All of them are given below.

Table. Little popular methods of heating a chicken coop.

As you can see, there are many methods for heating a chicken coop, and therefore there really is plenty to choose from.

Winter feeding of laying hens

IN autumn period The egg production of laying hens is high, and therefore the nutrition must be appropriate (many vitamins and elements important for the bird’s body). In summer there are no particular difficulties with feeding at all. But in winter everything is more serious, because birds practically do not walk in the fresh air, and therefore do not have access to food, which they could get on their own.

On a note! Feed laying hens three times a day in winter (more is possible), without removing various types of mash and mixed feed from the diet. The grains you use can be ground to make them easier to digest and beneficial for your chickens.

Table. Daily ration for laying hens depending on the time of year.

In some cases, the grain is given whole - this is how the body releases additional heat during digestion. If the winter is cold, this will help the hens stay warm. We also note that it is better to take care of feeding in advance - prepare everything necessary products for summer and autumn.

Note! Do not skimp on chalk, pebbles and gravel - the hens should eat plenty. There is no green grass in winter, and therefore you must take care of an equivalent replacement for greenery.

What can replace it? First of all, pumpkins and zucchini. They contain enough calcium, as well as vitamins. Carrots contain a lot of carotene, which will help increase egg production and strengthen the immune system. Also, all root crops that were grown in the beds are suitable for this.

In summer you can dry herbs (nettle, for example, or clover), and hang them in the chicken coop in winter. Pamper your laying hens with fish oil, meat scraps and bone meal. Give your birds plenty of warm water.

Video - How to feed laying hens in winter

Master Class. Drinker for chickens in which the water does not freeze

The idea is to heat water using a regular incandescent lamp. It will look something like this.

To get started, prepare everything you need:

• cuttings of galvanized sheets;
• 40 W incandescent lamp;
• cord with a base (can be found in any old chandelier);
• pieces of profile for drywall;
• manual riveter (as an option, you can use bolts).

How to make a box for heating a drinking bowl

Step one. Cut the galvanized sheets to size and bend the edges with a mallet or hammer.

Step two. Cut small rectangles from the profile, make 2 holes in each.

Step three. Bend these rectangles into the corners to secure the sides of the box.

Step four. Connect the 3 walls together using a riveter. You can use, as previously noted, ordinary bolts. But rivets will definitely be cheaper.

How to properly attach the cartridge

How to secure the fourth wall with a lamp

It is advisable to use such a device in chicken coops without heating and turn it on when the temperature drops to 0°C. If the frost is really severe, you can use a more powerful light bulb.

As you can see, there is a small lid on top of the drinker at an angle of 45° - it is necessary to prevent birds from flying onto the device. And, accordingly, they did not shit in the water they drink.

Winter drinking bowl for chickens

Now you know everything about keeping laying hens in winter. There really is nothing complicated here, but everything needs to be taken care of in advance.

The onset of cold weather becomes a problem for the farmer. After all, not all living creatures are able to withstand frost normally. So, chickens are heat-loving creatures. If you do not provide them with decent conditions in cold weather, egg production and the general condition of the birds will significantly deteriorate. Therefore, heating the chicken coop in winter is a must.

Domestic chickens and roosters are considered heat-loving birds. Therefore, a draft or
walking through snowdrifts can lead to serious colds. And sudden changes in air temperature are dangerous due to severe stress and a drop in egg production.

A comfortable temperature for keeping laying hens is +15 degrees. It should not fall below +10 degrees. So, at +5…+7 egg production indicators are already beginning to deteriorate.

To avoid disastrous consequences, the chicken coop needs to be prepared for wintering, especially if chickens are raised in the northern region. But you shouldn’t overdo it with the temperature: if in winter it is above +18 degrees, the natural biorhythms in the birds’ bodies will be disrupted. This will not increase egg production, it will harm the birds, and the energy consumption will be quite noticeable.

Important! It is advisable to install a thermometer in the chicken coop to monitor the temperature and adjust it in a timely manner. To install the thermometer, you need to choose a secluded place so that chickens do not find and break it.

Is it possible to do without heating?

Basically, heating is the only method to create comfortable living conditions for chickens. This is especially true in northern frosty regions. Without auxiliary heating in the chicken coop, the birds here can get very cold or even die.

In those areas where the climate remains temperate, you can get by with inexpensive ways to preserve heat. Birds can warm themselves, you just need to provide them with high-calorie food. Chickens will produce a lot of heat, which will remain indoors and keep them warm. But even when choosing this method, preliminary preparation is required - you need to insulate the chicken coop so as not to lose heat.

Preparing the chicken coop for insulation

But before you equip the chicken coop with heating, it needs to be prepared. Before the onset of winter cold, the room needs to be disinfected. For this purpose, various drugs are used, which may have different prices, but the same functions.

Farmers suggest using one of the following drugs:

Important! If formalin is still chosen for processing, you should move the chickens away from the chicken coop for several days and ventilate it. The optimal period is a week. During this time, the pungent smell will have time to dissipate.

Methods for insulating a chicken coop

Farming is constantly evolving, and new ways to retain heat are emerging. There are both excessively expensive ones (electric heating) and budget ones (insulation of walls with available materials). You can create comfortable conditions for birds to live in one of two options:

1. Natural. This method is advisable to use only in areas with a pleasant climate. As a rule, the farmer already at the stage of constructing the chicken coop provides for the function of natural heating and insulates the walls. But this method can also be used in a completed room, if the previously created insulation turned out to be defective.
2. Artificial. It is used in cold climatic conditions, in which conventional insulation does not give any result. The easiest way is to equip the poultry house with electric heating devices. It is also the most expensive.

Important! Even at the stage of building a chicken coop, you should pay attention to the sizing of the walls, ceiling, and floor. The latter is usually a concrete covering, which freezes strongly in winter and poses a danger.

Natural insulation

If the chicken coop is just being built, high-quality insulation of all surfaces should be provided:

• the walls and ceiling are made with double walls, insulation is placed between the skins;
• floor: a layer of expanded clay 10-15 cm high is laid under the concrete screed.

If you have an attic, insulating the roof from the inside would be a suitable option. But first you need to make sure that it is completely sealed. To do this, the roof is covered with sheets of roofing material, which will protect from snow and rain. The joints of the sheets are coated with construction resin or other fixing compound. All cracks from the inside also need to be sealed.

Ventilation in the chicken coop - required condition for comfortable living of chickens

There are several ways to naturally insulate a chicken coop if the room is already ready. It is best to use them together to provide the birds with maximum comfort.

Artificial insulation

If chickens are raised in frosty regions, natural insulation may not be sufficient. Therefore, artificial methods have to be used. Modern market offers a lot of devices for artificial insulation of chicken coops. The most popular methods are presented in the table below.

Way	Description	Installation principles
IR lamps	The device looks like a standard incandescent lamp. However, inside the light bulb there is a gas - argon or nitrogen, which helps heat the room. The method has a lot of advantages: ease of use (the lamps are screwed into a regular socket instead of light bulbs); radiation has a positive effect on birds; high efficiency; can function in damp areas; meet environmental requirements. But there are also disadvantages: the lamps are expensive, get very hot and do not last long.	There is a wide range of IR bulbs on the market, so you can choose a device of the required power. The device is selected at the rate of 100 watts per 5 square meters. m. poultry house. So, for a room of 25 square meters. m. one lamp of 0.5 kilowatt is enough. It is recommended to equip the light bulbs with an automatic thermostat. The device will maintain the temperature at the same level and turn off the lamps when necessary.
IR heaters	An infrared heater has a unique operating principle: it heats the surrounding objects rather than the air. As they warm up, they release heat into the air, and it spreads evenly throughout the chicken coop. IR heaters are either stationary or portable.	A stationary device is ideal for a poultry house. It consists of a heating plate or coil, which is hidden under a quartz glass tube. The device is installed where birds cannot reach it - high under the ceiling.
Electric heating	Instead of IR heaters, other devices that operate on electricity can be installed. For example: 1. Heater. A device that consists of a hot coil and a fan. The latter disperses streams of warm air throughout the room. 2. Convector. A device with a thermoelement inside. Warm air escapes from openings in the housing. One variation is an oil cooler. Powerful heaters are used in industrial farms.	Such equipment consumes a large amount of electricity and requires constant monitoring. And it is advisable and profitable to install compact portable devices or oil radiators in small chicken coops. This heating method is not recommended for use in areas where power outages are common. Due to an unexpected shutdown of equipment in winter, the entire population of birds may die. Therefore, most farmers prefer to use alternative methods.
Gas heating	It consists of a volumetric gas boiler and pipes that are installed around the entire perimeter of the chicken coop. The water in the boiler is heated and circulated through the pipes, causing the room temperature to rise.	The equipment is very expensive and requires complex installation, so it is advisable to use it only on industrial farms. Heating small chicken coops in this way is very unprofitable.
Stove heating	Some farmers choose stove heating for chicken coops. These are very economical stoves that can be heated with anything.	The most fire hazardous method. Stoves require constant monitoring, since the slightest ember can cause a large fire. It will be safer to install a convection oven in the chicken coop.
Water heating	The heating system is a water boiler in the house, the pipes from which pass through all rooms. It is advisable to insert pipes and connect the chicken coop to common system heating	Water heating is the best option for a chicken coop that is adjacent to a private house. A separate heating circuit is created, which is distributed along the entire perimeter of the chicken coop. It is enough to equip a small poultry house along the contour with two metal pipes.

The choice of a suitable heating option depends on the individual needs of the farmer and the characteristics of the farm. As a rule, the most popular methods are IR heaters or potbelly stoves.

Important! If an electrical device has been selected as the heating system, it is advisable to provide for automatic shutdown of the device in the event of a fire. In addition, it is important to follow all safety regulations when installing the system.

Combination of natural and artificial systems

It is not only possible, but also necessary to combine natural and artificial methods of insulation in a poultry house. Because even the highest quality insulation of surfaces will not be able to give full results and protect chickens from frost.

When creating combined insulation, you first need to pay attention to proper insulation of the chicken coop inside and out, and only then think about the method of artificial heating.

Wall treatment

Several materials can be used to insulate walls:

1. Expanded polystyrene. Its structure is weightless slabs of foamed plastic. They retain heat well in the room, but at the same time they easily ignite and produce toxic substances during combustion. Some experts are sure that rodents can live in polystyrene foam boards.
2. Extruded polystyrene. Plates made of this material are less prone to fire, and rodents do not breed in them. However, polystyrene does not allow steam to pass through easily, which increases the humidity in the chicken coop. This has an adverse effect on chickens.
3. Glass wool and mineral wool. The most successful option for natural insulation. Materials are sold in the form of slabs or rolls. They are very economical, lightweight and non-flammable, and also provide good thermal insulation.

If the coop is under construction, it may be advisable to place sheets of glass wool inside the wall. An already finished room can be insulated from the outside. Sheets of mineral wool or polystyrene are glued to the wall with special glue.

Important! Some farmers prefer to cover the walls of the chicken coop with film to retain heat. This method cannot be used. The material will retain condensation on surfaces, which will subsequently cause the spread of mold.

Deep litter: step-by-step manufacturing instructions

A particularly popular option for natural insulation. The layer of bedding is very dense, so the birds’ paws do not freeze. After some time, the litter will begin to give off heat due to bird feces. If you approach the organization of such bedding correctly, you can keep the room warm and clean.

Stages	Description
Step 1	The floors are covered with slaked lime. For 1 sq. m. of surface, 1 kg of mixture is enough.
Step 2	The lime is covered with bedding material. Hay, peat, straw, coarse sawdust or something similar will do. If straw is used for bedding, it must first be chopped.
Step 3	The litter will begin to sag over time. To restore it, the layers need to be loosened periodically and fresh material added.
Step 4	When the top layer becomes significantly dirty, it should be completely replaced with a fresh one. The remains can be left until spring and used as fertilizer.

The ideal material for bedding is peat moss. It perfectly absorbs unnecessary aromas, and after use it can serve as a fertilizer.

Initially, the litter layer should reach a minimum of 20 cm. Over time, fresh material is added on top in a layer of 5-10 cm.

Important! Bird waste products accumulate in the deep litter over time. They emit ammonia gas, which negatively affects the health of chickens. In order not to poison the entire livestock, uninterrupted ventilation should be organized.

Eliminating drafts

There should be no drafts in the chicken coop, as chickens are very susceptible to them. Due to such violations, the entire livestock may catch a cold and die. In most cases, drafts occur due to improper construction of the room. In addition, wind can blow in from cracks, doors and windows.

It is quite easy to check the presence of a draft. You need to light a candle in the room and watch where it goes. Holes in jambs or walls are sealed polyurethane foam. If the gaps are very large, they are filled with any insulation and sealed.

Important! A large number of heat may escape from the coop due to improperly secured doors. The door must be tightly closed; large cracks in the jambs are unacceptable. Insulation is carried out both from the inside and from the outside.

Video - Heating a chicken coop with an infrared heater

Experienced farmers offer beginners some tips regarding heating chicken coops. For example:

1. The fallen snow can be thrown onto the walls and roof of the chicken coop from the outside. It will help to better retain heat inside. However, with the arrival of spring, you need to fold it back to avoid flooding of the house.
2. Ventilation windows are best made with double glass. A significant portion of the heat will escape through a single-pane window.
3. It is advisable to insulate the ventilation pipe with cotton wool. Cold air will enter through an uninsulated or improperly installed pipe and warm air will escape. To avoid this, the cracks where the pipe enters the ceiling and floor must be coated with a sealing compound. If the cracks are too large, they are filled with mineral wool cubes.
4. The ventilation pipe is equipped with a damper that will regulate the flow of incoming air.
5. Windows must be sealed using rubber gaskets. Otherwise, heat will begin to leave the room at a temperature of -15 degrees. Thus, rubber seals for plastic windows are also applicable for insulating wooden and glass windows in a chicken coop. Rubber bands are bought at a regular hardware store and glued with superglue.
6. Constantly moving in and out of a heated coop can cool it down significantly. Installing a vestibule door can correct this situation. It is enough to equip a heat-saving vestibule with an area of ​​0.5 square meters. m.

Video - Heating a chicken coop in winter