I have Branca and Urro outside (they stay out there from 6am - 6pm) in a 30'x60' run with a connecting box that is 4' Wide x 8' Deep x 4' tall. It has a doggy door so no wind blows in and is under an old tractor shelter for added protection. I have this box filled with 3 bales of wheat straw for comfort and warmth.
Now... I bought a 250 watt heat lamp that I was going to cut a hole in the top of the plywood and shine into the house for added warmth. It gets down to 25-30 degrees some mornings when I first put them out there and Branca is 12 years old now, not a spring chicken anymore and I want her to be as comfortable as possible.
OK, this may seem really silly
but, any chance, at all... of the heat lamp catching the straw on fire? or is this just not possible?
Anytime you have a heat lamp and straw there is a chance of a fire.
We have a kennel set up simular to yours. their 'dens' are under the workbench in the garage. There is a wooden floor in it and we installed a electric, thermostaticly controled evetrough cable. It's for thawing out ice in the evetrough. It comes on automaticaly and shuts down when it reaches a certain temperature.
We have it nailed to the underside of the floor. So it acts like radiant heating. We have straw in there for them to fluff around in and sometimes during the day they will ask to go outside and sit in the kennels looking out over their domain. It's that comfortable and very safe.
Originally Posted By: crabbyAnytime you have a heat lamp and straw there is a chance of a fire.
We have a kennel set up simular to yours. their 'dens' are under the workbench in the garage. There is a wooden floor in it and we installed a electric, thermostaticly controled evetrough cable. It's for thawing out ice in the evetrough. It comes on automaticaly and shuts down when it reaches a certain temperature.
We have it nailed to the underside of the floor. So it acts like radiant heating. We have straw in there for them to fluff around in and sometimes during the day they will ask to go outside and sit in the kennels looking out over their domain. It's that comfortable and very safe.
hmmm...radiant floor heating in the dog kennel!! What a great idea!!
Tammy...is the kennel insulated? What are your average temps during the day? What kind of roofing is on it?
If that catches on fire, the old tractor shelter will go up as well and Branca and Urro won't be able to get away. It's been whacky weather all over but are your temps normally that low in the winter?
Oh, well maybe that is not such a good idea after all..... no heat lamp.
Our lows are normally 35ish in the dead of winter. But, some mornings are really really cold, we can get down to as low as 25, and we have even had it get as low as 20 degrees though this is pretty unusual.
The house is not insulated at all, just 1/2' thick plywood. The good thing is there is the doggy door so no wind blows in once they are inside. I wish it was smaller, my main issue. Maybe I will just add another couple of bales of straw and they should be fine.
What about during the day? If it warms up during the day the kennel might retain some heat. If you put something in there to heat it without a temperature control then it might get to warm in there for them but be to cold out of it. If it gets to 40-50 during the day, lots of straw, two dogs...I would think it wouldn't be cold for long.
You can purchase thermostat controlled heating pads that were designed for keeping animals warm and have safety features. I know a kennel owner installed them in the dog kennels but I don't know the manufacturer. Heat lamps can be very dangerous around straw.
I have several of these and it keeps a nice warm temperature that the dogs gravitate to in their kennel. It is wrapped around the cord with wire and water proof.
And heat lamps would be too hot for a dog unless they are mounted 8 feet above the floor. I like the heating pad idea. I used to see dog house plans that had a place for a regular light bulb in a compartment below the floor. Incandescent light bulb are nothing but little heaters anyway.
There are also dog house heater boxes which are a metal box with a bulb in it. IMO easy to DIY.
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