INFRARED LAMPS FOR HEATING THE CHICKEN COOP: HOW TO CHOOSE, HOW TO INSTALL, THE PROS AND CONS

Heating of the house in the winter season can be a very topical issue, especially when it comes to northern regions. In some cases, the usual warming of windows, doors and walls (for example, mineral wool) is enough, but in others it is necessary to install heat sources capable of heating chickens in the most severe frosts. One of the modern options for such equipment are infrared lamps, which have several advantages compared to alternative heaters. Let's look at the nuances of their use more closely.

The principle of operation of the IR lamp

Few poultry farmers delve into the particular structure and working principle of infrared lamps, but this information will be useful for obtaining the desired result. The working principle of such lighting elements in many ways resembles the principle of operation of ordinary incandescent lamps with a tungsten filament inside. However, unlike the latter, the flask of the IR lamp is additionally filled with a gaseous mixture (usually argon or nitrogen), and to further increase the efficiency of its walls make the mirror. The mirror surface perfectly reflects the light fluxes and acts as a reflector, and a special coating helps to focus the heat on objects and objects in the vicinity of the lamp. The concentration of heat flux on a specific surface significantly increases the intensity of its heating.

Did you know? People learned about the existence of IR radiation as early as 1800, when the English astronomer W. Herschel was studying the characteristics of the Sun.

In total, there are three ranges of infrared radiation:

Shortwave characterized by the outgoing wavelength within 780-1400 nm (such radiation is provided by lamps with a high color temperature, more than 2000 K and an efficiency of about 90-92%).
Medium wave - the wavelength is 1400-3000 nm (the standard color temperature in this case will be within 1300 K, therefore, when heated, the IR radiation will partially go into the long wavelength range: efficiency - 60%).
Longwave - the heat wave is in the range of 3000–1000 nm, and with a decrease in temperature values, the thermal infrared source reproduces only long waves (with an efficiency of only 40%). Long-wave radiation is possible only when idle after switching on (for several minutes).

Despite the fact that the use of infrared lamps for space heating is considered a relatively new way to solve the problem of heat generation, they have already gained wide popularity, especially since neither the installation nor the further maintenance of such lamps should cause any difficulties. Moreover, all outgoing energy is maximally transformed into heat, practically not dissipating in the external environment.

Such "skills" of infrared heaters made them popular in different spheres of human activity: at industrial enterprises, in everyday life and if necessary, solving farm tasks, and in each of these cases it is possible to save up to 45% of energy.

Advantages and disadvantages of IR lamps

Any product has its own characteristics, and not always they are only positive. Consider the pros and cons of using IR lamps. Their advantages include:

ease of installation and operation;
high efficiency (heat is directed specifically to the object and does not dissipate in space);
the beneficial effect of radiation on the health of humans, animals and birds, with an increase in the protective functions of the body and the digestive capacity of the gastrointestinal tract;
possibility of installation even in rooms with a high level of humidity;
high level of environmental friendliness: infrared light bulbs do not burn air and do not emit harmful gas vapors.

Find out how best to heat a chicken coop in winter.

As for the shortcomings of IR lamps, it is worth noting among the main ones:

relatively short service life;
high cost (in comparison with the same incandescent lamps);
strong heating of the working surface of the lamp heater, which is why when installing it is better to immediately supplement it with a thermostatic device (it is able to maintain the microclimate at the proper level).

Many poultry farmers consider the drawbacks of using IR lamps as not very significant and still install them in chicken coops, so let's determine the relevance of such a solution and the specifics of the task.

Important! In any case, you should follow the instructions exactly, so if you have not encountered the use of IR lamps before, then it is better to take into account all their features of use, otherwise there is no point in discussing the disadvantages of using this heat source.

The profitability of IR lamps

When using infrared lamps for heating a chicken coop, you can safely talk about their profitability, because even in the coldest winters they are able to provide decent heating of the room with a bird. This can be explained by the high efficiency, which can be obtained through the transfer of heat directly to chickens and objects in the house, and not to the surrounding air. In such conditions, not only the egg production of laying hens, but also increases the intensity of development of young birds. If necessary, IR lamps can be used for spot heating (for example, a section of a chicken coop with small chickens), but even if you install several elements in the center of the ceiling, even here you can not worry about the uniform distribution of heat. To achieve this effect with the help of alternative heating sources, you have to spend more electricity, and therefore money.

How to place the lamp

Only one IR lamp can cope with heating an area of 12 square meters. m, but in many ways its effectiveness will depend on the quality of warming the chicken coop. On average, 250 W / h is enough to maintain a normal temperature, but if there are decent slots in the windows and doors, then this value is definitely not enough.

Infrared luminous flux differs in a clear focus of its impact, so if you need regular drying of the litter, this nuance should also be taken into account (you can fix two lights on the ceiling at a certain distance from each other).

It will be interesting to know what should be the daylight hours in the chicken coop, what kind of lighting should be in the chicken coop and how to choose an infrared lamp to heat the chickens.

The process of mounting IR lamps looks like this:

Institution in the chicken coop wiring with a suitable cross section (it must be immediately placed in a protective corrugation).
Marking of attachment points for lamp holders (at a distance of at least 1 m from each other).
Fixing cartridges in which the lamps will be screwed in later (given that infrared light sources get very hot during operation, it is advisable to use ceramic cartridges for them).
Screwing the IR lamps themselves and their inclusion.

IR lamps are always hung so that they cover as much as possible the area of the chicken coop and do not come into contact with water, which, if spotted, can damage them.

Important! If you decide to place them not on the ceiling, but in other places, you will have to create additional fencing that limits the direct contact of birds with thermal elements. For these purposes, suitable metal crates.

How to choose a lamp

In the shops of lighting equipment, you can choose the most varied options for IR lamps, both in construction design (the most popular pear-shaped or with an oblate surface), and in power characteristics. As for the last indicator, it varies between 0.3-4.2 kW, and to maintain an optimal temperature inside the chicken coop, a heater power of 0.5 kW is enough, but if you install two such lamps, it will not be worse. You can also follow the above recommendations, when the 12 square meters. m is recommended to use a single 250 watt IR lamp.

Other IR Heater Options

In addition to lamps, other types of infrared heaters can be installed in chicken coops.

All of them can be divided into three main groups:

fixtures;
spotlights;
ceiling lamps.

Infrared lamps of two main types will help to get both light and heat simultaneously: mirrored with ICZ marking (in fact, those lighting elements that resemble ordinary incandescent bulbs) and infrared mirror red, on which you can find the designation ICDS (in this case the bulb is made of red dark glass, so that most of the energy is transformed into heat, not into light).

Read also about how to choose a chicken coop, make it yourself, equip a comfortable nest, roost and make ventilation.

It is the latter that are more relevant in animal husbandry and can successfully perform their functions in poultry houses. If we are talking about linear infrared light sources, then among them there are three main types:

with a ruby-red tube (suitable for heating large rooms);
with a quartz tube made of transparent glass (they cope well with drying varnish and paint, and also help save the room from harmful microorganisms);
tube with gold plating (its use is relevant when it is necessary to heat warehouses and exhibition halls where regulation of the brightness of the luminous flux is required).

Did you know? Even the most high-quality and powerful light bulbs are not as expensive as some chandeliers sold at auctions around the world. For example, the lamp "Pink Lotus" from the company Tiffany is estimated at almost $ 3 million and was sold to private ownership in 1997.

Whichever option you choose, take care of the thermostat that maintains the "winter" temperature in the chicken coop at + 12 ° C - the most optimal value for chickens. With it, birds will always feel good even without constant monitoring.

Of course, infrared lamps or heaters are an expensive option for warming the house, but if you have already decided to install them, then be ready to do everything right by spending a certain amount of money on it. When operating, all your costs will pay off quickly.