Cozy Coop Heater

We really don't recommend infrared heat bulbs, and this is a safe, low-wattage alternative. Heat lamp-caused fires are all too real and common. They have happened to our own staff; tragically, a woman even died from a heat lamp fire in her home. So, if there is only one item you can afford to splurge on for your backyard flock, it should be a safe heater like this one or these other models.

This type of heater has been safely used for years as a "foot warmer", and the manufacturer has adapted it for use with livestock. It combines both radiant and convection heat to keep your chickens warm. This powerful heater is safe to use around animals while using a fraction of the electricity of a standard 1,500-watt space heater.

Key product features:

• Direct warmth only where you need it: doesn't heat the space
  
• Wide "feet" make this product very stable and impossible for chicks to tip over.
• A heat-sensitive sticker glows red when the unit is on, which can be seen from a distance.
• The Zero-clearance feature eliminates the need for a buffer zone and allows the heating unit to fit in small, tight spaces. This heater can be mounted directly on walls, wood, paneling, etc. It can also be placed on or against combustible items, such as brooder bedding, without causing a fire hazard.
• It uses around 85 watts, less than a typical 250-watt infrared heat bulb, so you'll save on electricity bills!
• Typically, it costs $16-$18/month to run if you have it on around the clock.
  
• Unlike heat bulbs, which reach 450° or more, the Cozy Coop Heater only reaches around 165° on the high setting and 155° on the low setting, by our own measurements.
  
• ETL Certified Zero-Clearance item (which means it meets safety standards in all 50 states)
• Two screw-mounting slots are located on the top rear. Just remove the legs and mount!
• Functions up to -20° F. Below that and the plastic feet, plastic housing, and on/off switch may become brittle, although the electronic components would continue to function. 
  

Dimensions and Specifications:

• Item dimensions: 19" x 12" x .63"
• Weight: 6 lbs
• Cord length: 9' 10"; in-cord switch
  
• 120 Volts, 200 watts
  
• Approximate temp on low setting: 155°
• Approximate temp on high setting: 165°
• 6 month warranty

*Baby chick brooder instructions
We recommend brooding a maximum of 8 full-size or 10 bantam birds on the Cozy Coop Heater. Any more than that, and you may have chicks "crowded out" from the source of the heat. We also suggest brooding your chicks on paper towels to avoid shavings, hay or combustible material from coming into direct contact with the hot surface. (This out of an abundance of caution; the manufacturer doesn't make this recommendation.) Use your discretion, as always, when dealing with heated products.

Winter chicken coop instructions
Like all of our safer heater choices, this unit is not designed to heat an entire room. Rather, animals may warm themselves by coming near to the heater. Therefore, if you are looking to significantly raise the ambient temperatures in your chicken coop (which we don't often recommend), this is not the right heater for you.

Related Articles:

• How to use a Brooder Heating Plate.