Have you been looking for chicken heater lamps to keep your coop nice and toasty? Look no further as I put together this immersive, information-packed list just for you.
Raising chickens can be a lot of fun but is a task at hand. Some of the hens love running around and wandering, and they get very excited by the weather or the snow.
The thick feathers on the birds act as a natural protective shield, so mostly they are good for the winter. Those who don’t have thick feathers need something to keep warm during the cold winter months.
Table of Contents:
Why do people use heat lamps for Chickens?
Most chicken owners assume that their products might feel cold and hence, figure out how to get them as comfortable as possible. This mostly means using a chicken heater lamp or two to provide added warmth and comfort during those stubborn nights.
Do chickens need a heat lamp?
We humans assume that the animals feel cold just as we do, which is truly a fault and misunderstood assumption. Chickens come with feathers, and most animals are naturally created to withstand and go through weather conditions without any added help.
Therefore, most of the time, there isn’t a need for chicken coop heat lamps at all. Sometimes, they can prove to be fire hazards, and having them around can be quite dangerous. Most chickens experts state that the average chicken breeds don’t need any additional or supplemental heating, as long as they steer clear of the wind.
Baby chicks might need these chicken heat lamps, but it is imperative to figure out how long they need them. The ideal temperature to breed chicks, seven days older or younger, is about 95 degrees.
How long do you keep a heat lamp on Chickens?
Taking care of chicks during the summer months is way easier than the winter because they are free. If the temperature range is around 75 degrees, you don’t need a chicken heat lamp longer than the fourth week. It garages and open spaces, it gets really cold, and then, chicks need additional heating until they are completely feathered, which is about six weeks or more.
Should I use a heat lamp for my Chickens?
It is not recommended to use a heat lamp for chickens during winter months unless and until the weather conditions are so extreme that they fall below freezing temperatures. Chickens are naturally built to withstand the cold, and their metabolism changes as the seasons come along. Also, they fluff up their feathers to help retain the heat in their bodies.
If you provide them supplemental heating, they lose the chance of acclimatizing to the weather conditions individually and independently. And, if you suffer from electricity cut out, it could lead to the whole flock disappearing overnight.
Can chickens sleep with a heat lamp on?
Heat lamp bulbs for chicks are needed, and they need a certain amount of temperature to warm them up. It is okay to keep the heat lamp on all night, as you need to maintain a certain temperature level. But make sure that there is enough space so that the chicks do not come close to the chicken heater lamp.
In addition to this, chickens do not need light at night. Just like humans, they need about 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night so that their immune system remains in check.
What kind of heat lamp is best for chickens?
The most common chicken heat lamps are placed above the brooder, which is a cheaper and efficient alternative. Moreover, an infrared bulb is better than a white bulb because it lets the chicks sleep in peace. Moreover, it is great to prevent pecking.
A radiant chicken coop heat lamp provides an adequate level of comfort and warmth. The produced heat helps warm the bodies of the chicks and creates a nice space for them as a shelter.
The different types of heat light for chickens are mentioned below:
- Flat Panel Heaters: These usually come looking like a flat-screen TV, and they can easily be hung on a wall. These heaters do not heat the entire coop; only the areas that are close to the heater can benefit from it. But, the heaters are extremely safe to use and easy to install as well. Moreover, these heaters are quite affordable to buy and use, as well.
- Infrared Heaters: These heaters also heat a small portion of the coop and work where they are placed. They can be installed on side mounts or hung overhead. Note that infrared heaters should not be hung close to highly inflammable materials. The great thing about these heaters is that they can easily clean and use up space quite efficiently. Moreover, the price and cost are less, and they usually come with a warranty as well.
- Oil-filled Radiator Heaters: These heaters are usually small in size and are filled with electrically heated oil. They are used in both small and large coops and help to keep the chicks warm. Oil-filled radiators are the cheapest among the lot and come with digital thermostats for regulating the temperatures. Moreover, they come with safety switches that help protect against fire. But they are a little on the expensive side.
- Brooder Plates: Brooder plates are cozy heaters designed especially for small chicks and are much safer than the heat lamps. They are built with space underneath that helps chicks cuddle in the warmth.
- Brooder Lamps: These are the least recommended options as they pose a safety hazard, especially because chickens breed near dried wood dust and straws.
Best chicken lamps to buy in 2021
The K and H Lectro-Soft outdoor heater with free cover
If you consider chickens as your pets, then K and H’s products are a perfect choice. They are quite reliable and come providing tons of warmth and safety to your chicks. This outdoor chicken lamp heater is built with an approximate area of about two square feet and is enough for a chick that uses about half of the floor space.
The smallest model from this company can hold about four chicks together, and the biggest model can accommodate about 12 babies or a maximum of 3 adolescents. To work this chicken heater lamp, you need only 60 watts of power, making it quite an energy-efficient.
Sweeter Heater Infrared Heater for Chicks
These are some of the most popular heaters available in the market today and are the go-to choice for most chicken owners. Sweeter Heater is a brand that has been around a long time and delivers some of the most high-quality products. This heater includes a mount, chains, and hooks to release excess heat.
Moreover, it is one of the safest heat light for chicks. It is quite energy-efficient and comes with a power rating of about 150 watts. This heater is quite efficient and operates evenly, distributing the air across in a consistent manner. In addition to this, the heater comes with a thermostat that helps keep the heat in check, and you can hang the heater anywhere because of its lightweight.
Cozy Products Limited Safe Chicken Heater Lamp 200 watts
Cozy products are valued for money products and are quite great in terms of their efficiency. Specifically, it is an energy-efficient product and works on the premise of radiant heat, meaning the closer the chickens are brooding to the heater, the warmer they will get. Moreover, Cozy’s products hold a zero-clearance policy, which means they are efficient circuit breakers when it comes to any fire hazards.
The Cozy Chicken heater lamp is quite an affordable product and comes with some of the best results. Along with that, it is extremely lightweight, and you can hang it anywhere to reduce the risk of any fire hazard. It comes with a power rating of 200 watts but is energy efficient at the same time.
Also, this product includes a six months warranty and doesn’t produce any noise during operation. It is a discreet device that does not disrupt the peace. The Cozy Heat lamp features cord-functionality, which makes for easy fingertip control.
K and H Products Thermo Chicken Perch
This brand holds a high reputation amongst the various other competitors. It provides amazing quality products that help keep the birds safe during freezing temperatures. The chicken coop heat lamps come with a preset temperature that helps keep your chickens warm, owing to the presence of a thermostat. These heaters are quite efficient in keeping a warm environment for your chickens.
The great thing about these chicken heater lamps is that they are tested and approved according to the USA and Canada’s MET safety standards. The K and H heaters come in two sizes and come holding a 3-year product warranty. Moreover, these products have a circulation that helps keep your birds warm during the cold weather quite easily.
250-watt red brooder heat lamp bulb chicken coop heater hen house baby chick
These products come from Rite Farm and provide many coop heaters in the market. They are the cheapest heaters and help keep the chickens warm during the cold. The Rite Farm heaters come with a power rating of 250 watts, which is considered quite high compared to the other coop heaters. But this product does help with saving on energy costs. It works through radiation and makes the environment comfortable and warm for all the chicks.
It is quite a lightweight product, and you can hang it around anywhere near your chickens. According to the manufacturer, the heating bulb lasts for about six to eight months, and poultry farmers using this heater are quite happy with this product. The features are quite efficient and satisfactory and provide top quality bulbs for the livestock, making it the go-to choice for many.
Brinsea – EcoGlow Brooder for chicks with ducklings
Eco Glow chicken heater lamp stimulates the shuffling of the chicken’s fluffy feathers and comes with a flat, rectangular plate, under which babies lie to be warm and cozy. The plate emits heat, and this heater is quite energy-efficient compared to the others in the market. It doesn’t heat the whole space and heats particular portions of the area.
This Eco Glow Brooder is much safer than the other heat bulbs and lamps because it is not a fire risk. The plate can easily accommodate about 20 chicks, and the babies grow out of it with time.
It is the best chicken heater lamp for brooders because it comes with a simple design and helps adjust the babies during the day and the night. The only drawback about this product is that it is a little more expensive than the other products in the market.
Omaykey ceramic heat lamp
This chicken heater lamp is an infrared heat lamp and strong and solid ceramic components. It comes with the perfect radiation feature and emits no light. It also includes a digital thermometer.
The Omakey Ceramic Heat Lamp is extremely easy to install, and you have to screw it into a standard porcelain socket. This lamp is one of the top coop heaters for baby chick brooders.
It almost consumes 100 power watts, but it doesn’t produce any kind of light. Because no light comes out of it, the baby chicks easily get adjusted to the day and night cycle, allowing them to sleep comfortably at night.
Continuous light is harmful to the bird’s growth because they tend to overheat, and anyone can end up touching it, which might cause the risk of getting burnt or harmed. This ceramic heat lamp is less energy efficient in comparison to other heat lamps.