Infrared lamp for heating the chicken coop: instructions for use, types

In 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 house, but sometimes heat sources are required. One of them can be an infrared lamp used to heat the chicken coop. It has many advantages over other devices. The main thing is to choose the right lamp, taking into account its type, and then follow the safety precautions.

Why is it important to keep the chicken coop warm

The temperature regime greatly affects the he alth 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 get it.

Careful observance of the temperature norm is necessary for the following reasons:

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

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

Features and fundamental principles of the IR lamp

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

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

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

Due to efficient heating and economy, infrared lamps are useful in large and private households. Unlike them, red lamps are used primarily for lighting, and ultraviolet - 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. Also, this feature allows you to place heaters directly under the ceiling.

When heated by other appliances, the air is affected, which then rises, and to keep the temperature, the equipment must be placed as low as possible. But this is difficult to do in chicken coops, and besides, birds can suffer if they reach hot elements.

For lighting

Infrared lamps are not suitable for lighting, as 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 the 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 birds will be kept there.

Fixed installation

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

You can choose equipment that will provide intensity control and will automatically maintain different thermal conditions. Some of the best options are ceramic appliances. Their material accumulates heat and radiates it for a long time after being turned off. This saves energy, and even if the power goes out, the birds will not freeze.

Mobile

Such heating systems can be placed anywhere, moved from place to place, if necessary. Usually they are 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 need to mount, easy to move from place to place.
3. The high cost of the device.
4. Cannot be mounted on the ceiling.

Film

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

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

Panel

Usually looks like flat rectangular panels with heat reflective material on the back. The front wall is a heat conductor. Inside - various heating elements.

Such heating structures are of different types - ceramic, metal, glass. The latter are the most economical, but at the same time expensive. Ceramic chicken coops are best suited. Like other heaters, they are mainly 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, as the heat is directed to a specific object;
• positively affect animal he alth;
• 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:

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

Profitability

Infrared lamps are quite cost-effective, with their help you can heat the chicken coop even in winter. At the same time, heat is transferred directly to the chickens themselves, it does not dissipate in the air. The he alth of birds, even young ones, improves, egg production increases. If necessary, the lamps can be placed so that they heat a specific place (for example, a pen with chickens), or the entire room. It also saves energy.

How to choose the right infrared bulb

When choosing heaters, consider the following factors:

• 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 (a classic lamp is enough for spot lighting, panel or film lamps are better suited for a large room);
• the presence of a thermostat;
• duration of work must be at least 4 thousand hours.

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

Safety precautions

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

In order to avoid overheating, install all devices within a meter from objects in the coop (including perches).

In general, IR lamps are an effective means of heating. Compared to other devices, they allow you to transfer heat to those objects that need it. This saves energy.

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