Instructions for using infrared lamps to heat a chicken coop

During the cold season, chickens should not be left without adequate heating. In some cases, it is possible to get by with simple insulation of the poultry house, but sometimes heat sources are required. One of them could be an infrared lamp used to heat the chicken coop. It has many advantages compared to other devices. The main thing is to choose the right lamp, taking into account its type, and then follow safety precautions.

Why is it important to keep your coop warm?

Temperature conditions greatly affect the health of chickens and their egg production. Ideally, the temperature should not fall below +5 degrees and rise above +18. To monitor temperature fluctuations, a thermometer is hung in the chicken coop so that the birds cannot reach it.

Careful adherence to temperature standards is necessary for the following reasons:

1. Hypothermia can cause a cold.
2. Immunity deteriorates.
3. Growth slows down.
4. Egg production decreases.
5. Humidity and frost lead to arthritis.
6. Overheating disrupts natural biorhythms and productivity suffers.

Without proper heating in winter, embryos in eggs can also die. Temperature changes also have a negative impact on them. The warmth of the chicken itself, which hatches them, does not play a special role.

Features and fundamental principles of operation of an IR lamp

To use this device correctly and achieve the desired result, you need to know how IR lamps work. They are not much different from ordinary incandescent lamps with tungsten filament.

But there are features that make lamps well suited for heating:

1. The flasks additionally contain a gaseous mixture (for example, nitrogen).
2. The inside surface of the lamps is mirrored and plays the role of a reflector.
3. A special coating allows you to focus heat on the desired area.
4. As a result, energy is saved (up to 45%).

Due to their efficient heating and economy, infrared lamps are useful in large and private households. In contrast, red lamps are used primarily for lighting, and ultraviolet lamps are used for disinfection. These two types of lamps are not suitable for heating.

For heating

Infrared lamps do not heat the air itself, but directly the objects they are directed at.Therefore, they warm up better, which is especially important in winter. This feature also allows you to place heaters directly under the ceiling.

When heating with other devices, the air is affected, which then rises, and to maintain the temperature, the equipment must be placed as low as possible. But this is difficult to do in chicken coops, and the birds may be harmed if they reach hot elements.

For lighting

Infrared lamps are not suitable for lighting, since their radiation is quite weak and decreases even more when the device is placed under the ceiling. Chickens are diurnal birds. With a lack of light, they reduce activity, eat little, and their growth rate decreases. Accordingly, egg production also suffers.

Types of infrared lamps

There are several varieties of this equipment. They are chosen depending on the size of the chicken coop and what kind of birds will be kept there.

Permanently installed

Stationary heaters are installed for a long period of time. Before this, you need to choose a permanent place for them. Most often this is the ceiling, since this placement allows you to heat a large area equally. Such lamps are suitable for rooms where chickens of the same age are kept.

You can select equipment that will provide intensity adjustment and will automatically maintain different thermal conditions. Some of the best options are ceramic appliances. Their material accumulates heat and radiates it long after it is turned off. This saves energy, and even if there is a power outage, the birds will not freeze.

Mobile

Such heating systems can be placed anywhere and moved from place to place if the need arises.They are usually used in small farms, when chickens and adult birds are kept alternately in the same room.

Mobile heaters have a number of advantages and disadvantages:

1. Autonomous, the design has all the necessary elements.
2. No installation required, easy to transport from place to place.
3. High cost of the device.
4. Cannot be fixed to the ceiling.

Film

These heaters, as the name suggests, look like film. Sold in rolls; if necessary, you can cut pieces to the desired size. It consists of two layers of foil, which are covered with a film on the outside, and heating elements between them. The set usually comes with a thermostat so you can select the desired temperature setting. As a result, the device turns itself on and off when it gets too cold or hot.

Typically, film heaters are installed on the floor or ceiling. The first option is suitable for residential premises, as heated floors create a feeling of comfort. But birds often damage the structure, so in the chicken coop it is installed on the ceiling.

Panel

Typically appear as flat rectangular panels with heat reflective material on the back. The front wall is a heat conductor. Inside there are various heating elements.

Such heating structures come in different types - ceramic, metal, glass. The latter are the most economical, but at the same time expensive. Ceramic ones are best suited for chicken coops. Like other heaters, they are primarily mounted on the ceiling.

Advantages and disadvantages

Infrared lamps have many advantages, thanks to which they are used in both large and small farms:

• easy to install in the right place;
• easy to use;
• effective in heating, since the heat is directed to a specific object;
• have a positive effect on animal health;
• can be used even in rooms with high humidity;
• environmental friendliness - do not burn air, do not form harmful fumes.

Among the disadvantages of the equipment, the following should be highlighted:

• quickly fail;
• high price;
• The work surface gets very hot, a thermostat is required.

Profitability

Infrared lamps are quite cost-effective and can be used to heat a chicken coop even in winter. In this case, the heat is transferred directly to the chickens themselves, it does not dissipate in the air. The health of birds, even young ones, improves, and egg production increases. If necessary, the lamps can be placed so that they heat a specific area (for example, a pen with chickens), or the entire room. Electricity is also saved.

How to choose the right infrared bulb

When choosing heating devices, the following factors are taken into account:

• room area (for 12 square meters you need a device with a power of 250 watts);
• ceiling height (the higher, the more power required);
• shape (for spot lighting, a classic lamp is enough; for a large room, panel or film lamps are better);
• presence of a thermostat;
• The duration of work must be at least 4 thousand hours.

Therefore, when purchasing, carefully study the instructions. Adequate ventilation is also required so that the room does not become stuffy. For example, they install a fan and make holes in the roof.

Security measures

In addition to checking the device itself, it is important to ensure that the wiring can withstand the load. Otherwise there is a risk of short circuit. The lamps themselves are covered with a wire mesh. Otherwise, birds may be injured or damage equipment.

To avoid overheating, install all appliances one meter away from objects in the coop (including perches).

In general, IR lamps are an effective means of heating. Compared to other devices, they allow heat to be transferred to those objects that need it. Due to this, energy is saved.