There are reviews and guides for the Solar Chicken Coop Heater.
Chickens don't need heat in winter.Is it worth the risk?Chickens could be kept safe when temperatures plummet with the help of a solar chicken coop heater.
When the first fall temperatures hit, new chicken owners flock my direction.The chickens are cold.Should they put heat lamps in the house?
Though the birds can survive below freezing by fluffing their feathers and huddling together, frostbite can kill tissue on feet and combs if too much humidity is present.A draft-free and well-ventilated chicken house allows heat to rise and allow chickens to escape near the roof.There is usually enough heat created by deep litter and body temperatures.Sometimes a little help is needed.
Chickens can be more comfortable with a solar heater.
I designed a mini-run with a greenhouse chamber when I expanded my flock from five to 35.A strong frame jutted from the main coop, facing the sun.Hardware cloth was used to wrap the top and front.The pop door was on the leeward side.I put a board inside the frame that the chickens would have to walk around to enter.
Hardware cloth is bare during warm weather.When the rain starts to fall, I wrap it with 6mil plastic and leave the pop door free.Air enters through the pop door but cannot blow straight in; it moves around the board in the middle.Warmed by plastic, air enters and exits through small gaps near the roof.
Wrap large runs in thick plastic and leave gaps at the bottom so fresh air can enter.Chickens are protected from rain, snow, and wind.
A genius with the sun's power is Craig Bergland, who runs the Facebook page Secret Solar Institute of Northern Nevada.He builds coffee roasters from old satellite dishes, covered in mirrors, and points at a chamber powered by a solar-powered motor.One of his simplest and most useful tools is a three-paneled cooker which folds to a notebook size and can boil rice within three hours of full sun.During times of crisis or economic hardship, Craig knows electricity or fossil fuels may run out.He hopes to distribute the cooker to the homeless.
I was intrigued by the idea of a solar chicken coop heater.When winter is cold, my birds huddle a bit more than I like.
Craig won't tell you to finance expensive solar panels.He wants to remove items from the waste stream.amber glass bottles, empty metal canisters, and used cooking or motor oil were included in his plans.
We came up with a plan to keep bottles of liquid out of the box.We would close the lid and let the bottles warm up in the sun.It works the same way as barrels of water that gardeners place in off-grid greenhouses to regulate temperatures.
I bought two sheets of insulation with mylar backing.A friend gave old motor oil and he emptied a few bottles.Craig gave me bottles of liquids to test in my freezer while I was waiting for the insulated box to be built.
Water holds heat longer than containers.We ran tests to see if the salts would keep water from freezing and breaking bottles.The answer is no.There is glass everywhere.
It takes very low temperatures to freeze and oil doesn't expand the way water does.
Craig explained that since oil only weighs 90 percent of what water does, it won't hold as much heat.He explained that oil will reach higher temperatures than water if it is taken out of the waste stream.
The largest side of the box faces the sun.He used plastic and glass bottles to fill it.I waited until the sun came up to read the temperature.
In the summer, the bottles with oil reached 180 degrees.We didn't excuse the concern that it was possible.
Craig suggested that old acetone or linseed oil cans be used for extreme temperature changes.Free containers could be found in auto parts warehouses or paint stores.They would get more heat if they were spray-painted black.The metal cans are more resistant to heat and UV light than the plastic ones.
It's easy to vent heat into the coop.It needs to escape through the side of the heating unit, travel through a short tunnel, and enter the coop low enough to push the humidity up.The tunnel can be made with aluminum cans and their bottoms duct-taped together.It can be purchased from hardware stores.
Craig says a small battery will run at night and a solar panel can power fans to circulate warm air in the daytime.
I discovered two design flaws while testing out my coop.Dust covers the mylar if the land is snowy or wet.Craig says it's not a problem.It will reflect the heat.Chickens love standing in the heat.This can be solved by covering the heating chamber with clear plastic or stretching bird nets over the unit.The cans would need to be pulled back for repairs.Through weather, opening and closing, and fowl toenails, tacking foam boards to plywood increases its lifespan.
Craig says that solar is not a problem in sunny Nevada.There are reports of someone cooking in the summer.Even though the sky is cloudy, you will still get some solar heat.Adding reflectors to your thermal mass will increase the amount of heat available to you.
Craig says to slow the rate of heat loss from containers through the night.The key to heat retention is insulation, which can be found in small mirrors, aluminum foil, and cardboard.Adding more insulation and building a wooden box around the unit are things you should do if you build a heater that cools off too soon before the sun rises.
It is possible that a simple coop heater could be adapted to provide warm temperatures for other livestock.
Craig can expand his design to include empty black feed or water barrels set within a box lined with aluminum siding.When used in reverse, it can allow cans or barrels to lose heat under the stars.The insulated top comes down before the sun can hit containers.
Craig says a solar chicken coop heater may not change the world, but it will help reduce some amount of our waste stream, may help keep our chickens a little happier on cold nights, and may give us a feeling of satisfaction from having reused available resources.
Have you tried using a solar heat source?Did you do well?Do you have any tips?You can join in the comments.