Heating the chicken coop in winter: the better to heat and the choice of devices

Prosperous wintering is the key to he alth and stable egg production of poultry. To prepare the bird's dwelling for the cold period, by organizing the heating of the chicken coop correctly in winter and late autumn, this will be an important step in caring for chickens. What set of measures should be taken for the natural warming of the room, and in which case an additional heating device will be required.

Can I do without additional heating?

Sudden temperature fluctuations, unpredictable weather events and a long cold period adversely affect the biorhythms and activity of poultry. In the northern regions with a harsh climate and frosty winters, additional space heating is indispensable. Heater and wall insulation needed.

In the southern regions and regions with a temperate climate, it is enough to think over the wall insulation system with high quality and provide the bird with high-calorie vitamin nutrition. Heating the chicken coop should be carried out according to the principle of a thermos. The floor, walls and ceiling are laid with insulation, it is necessary to caulk all the gaps, joints and cracks, leaving a small hole for ventilation. With such a device, chickens are able to withstand winter with an outside temperature of -12 ^C.

Desired temperature

The optimum temperature inside the chicken coop during the winter is +12… +15 С. Birds in such a temperature regime feel comfortable, stably rush. It is allowed to decrease temperature indicators to +8 С.

Note! Install a thermometer inside the chicken coop to constantly monitor the indoor temperature.

There is no need to achieve temperatures above +15 in winter ^{С, this will lead to an increase in energy costs, and it will not benefit the chickens either. An increase in the temperature in the chicken coop in winter disrupts the life biorhythms of the bird.}

Ways to insulate a chicken coop

There are two ways to create the optimal temperature inside the chicken coop in winter:

install heater;
insulate the walls, floor and ceiling in the room.

In regions with a harsh climate, you will need to apply both methods at the same time. The insulation system is best thought out and made at the stage of building a chicken coop.

Natural insulation

Under natural insulation understand the multi-layered nature of all surfaces in the chicken coop. The floor is made double or laid with insulation, an additional layer of expanded clay is often laid under concrete.

The walls and ceiling are also laid with insulation, caulking all the cracks. The roof of the chicken coop must be airtight, the presence of drafts inside the room is unacceptable. At the same time, a prerequisite for normal air circulation in the chicken coop is the presence of ventilation, which also needs to be insulated.

Artificial insulation

Under artificial insulation understand the use of various types of heaters and electrical devices. These include:

IR lamps;
IR heaters;
electric heaters;
gas heaters;
ovens;
water heating.

When using each type of heater, it is necessary to consider a fire safety system and automatic shutdown of devices in case of force majeure.The choice of heating medium depends on the technical capabilities of the premises and the goals of the farmer. Electric heaters and potbelly stoves gained the greatest popularity.

Combination of natural and artificial systems

To insulate a chicken coop, a combination of natural and artificial systems is used. Without insulation of the walls, ceiling and floor, the heat will go outside, the heater loses up to 50% of its efficiency. In regions with a harsh climate, sources of natural insulation are not enough to maintain the temperature at +15 ^{C indoors.}

Preparing the chicken coop for insulation

To effectively heat the birds in the winter, preparatory work is carried out in the chicken coop in the summer. First of all, the room is disinfected. As a rule, ultraviolet lamps are used in combination with whitewashing all surfaces with lime. Birds are moved to another room.

Insulation of the room

To ensure the conservation of heat inside the chicken coop, it is necessary to insulate all surfaces of the room: floor, ceiling and walls. If the old insulation has deteriorated, rotted, it must be completely removed.

Sten

The budget option for insulation material is polystyrene foam or mineral wool. With their help, sheathe the surface of the walls and ceiling. Joints between walls, floor and ceiling are caulked.

Pola

Natural insulation of the floor inside the chicken coop is a bedding made of straw, sawdust or other material. At the time of pouring the floor with concrete or cement, it is recommended to lay a layer of expanded clay - this will significantly insulate the surface.

In order to keep chickens' paws from freezing in winter, the layer of natural litter is increased to 20 centimeters. Over time, the floor becomes contaminated with chicken droppings, it must be cleaned in a timely manner, adding fresh bedding.The ideal bedding material is sphagnum, which additionally disinfects the surface due to its natural properties.

Ceiling

The ceiling is the main place in the room where heat escapes according to the laws of physics. Mineral wool is often used to insulate the roof in a chicken coop. So that it is not affected by moisture, waterproofing is laid. Hemming, as a rule, is made of wood. All cracks are covered with mounting foam.

Additional heating

The choice of heaters is quite extensive, the farmer chooses the tool according to his preferences, the need for a thermostat and the technical capabilities of the room.

Electric heaters

There are different types of electric heaters. The main advantage of these devices is the ability to set a certain temperature that must be maintained. The devices are easy to use and easy to install.

The disadvantages of such systems include the relative high cost of the necessary resources in the form of the cost of electricity.

Heater

Kind of electric heater. Often such systems are installed in poultry farms and large farms. The essence of the device is the constant circulation of warm air from the heating element with the help of fans. The room heats up quickly, warm air is evenly distributed throughout the space.

The main disadvantage of the air heater is the high price of installing the heating system, additional ventilation equipment is required, and the device is noisy. When the heater is turned off, the room cools down rapidly.

Oil heater

Electrical device that heats the room with a coolant in the form of a special oil. Such heaters are characterized by a high degree of safety, mobility, lack of noise, efficiency with low power consumption.

The disadvantage of oil systems is the slow and uneven heating of the coop.

Electric convector

The action of the device is based on air convection. An electric convector sucks in cold air from the room, while releasing warm air. This creates uninterrupted air circulation in the chicken coop. The device is easy to operate, it belongs to the class of energy-saving systems, does not dry out the air in the room, and has a low noise level.

For the smooth operation of the device, it is necessary to ensure the stable operation of the power supply. The disadvantage is that the room cools down quickly after turning off the device.

IR heater

The operation of the device is based on the action of electromagnetic infrared radiation on living organisms. The device is not complicated, it is easy to install indoors. The infrared heater works silently and safely, consumes little energy and does not dry out the air in the room.IR film can be laid on any surface in the required plane.

The disadvantages of the device are possible disruptions in the biorhythms of birds and animals, the sleep of chickens is disturbed, since the device emits light during operation, in addition, the IR heater heats the object, not the room.

Ceramic panel

Based on the principle of the IR heater. Are mounted in walls or on a ceiling in the room. Such panels are easy to use, consume little energy, and are safe for birds and animals.

Other ways without electricity

If the technical possibility in the room does not allow electricity to be supplied, then stove, water or gas heating is used.

Using a potbelly stove

Type of stove heating of the chicken coop. Potbelly stoves require the installation of a chimney. You can heat the stove with firewood, coal or fuel briquettes. All types of fuel are environmentally friendly, do not emit toxins.Servicing a potbelly stove is cheap and not difficult. But the use of stoves in the chicken coop requires compliance with all fire safety standards.

The disadvantages of stove heating include the need to constantly throw up fuel material, the release of an unpleasant odor during fuel combustion.

Heating the chicken coop with gas

One of the most practical, safe and inexpensive ways to heat. The gas heating heating system is built on two possible methods:

through water pipes;
using a convector.

Such systems are used in poultry farms and large farms. The chicken coop heats up quickly, the room temperature is maintained at a constant level, there is no unpleasant smell and noise.

Water heating

Heated water gives off its heat to the batteries. Convenient, simple and safe. The room heats up gradually and evenly. Batteries can be made from cast iron, metal, or plastic.

Which heater to choose?

Maintaining the correct temperature in the chicken coop in winter is a necessary condition for keeping chickens. When choosing a heater, it is necessary to take into account the technical capabilities of the premises, the number of chickens and the final tasks of the farmer. Some types of heating systems can be made and installed by hand. The heater is selected according to the following parameters:

technical feasibility of installing a fuel system;
cost of installation and maintenance of the device;
fire hazard;
number of square meters of space that the appliance can heat;
necessary ventilation system;
the presence of a thermostat.

It is important to remember that the effect of the heating device can be achieved only in the case of complete natural insulation of the chicken coop. Work on artificial additional insulation is carried out in conjunction with the natural insulation of the room.