I am looking to purchase an infrared propane heater for my calving shed. Most winters i have used nothing but sometimes if it is brutally cold when i am calving heifers i would run my space heater but i hate it because i am afraid of starting a fire and it is loud. I am looking to mount an infrared from the ceiling. I am not planning on trying to keep the barn heated I just want to be able to take the edge off the worst days. My calving shed is a 24x40 Morton building. with 9' side walls and no insulation. What do you use or how many BTU's should i get?
Heater for calving shed
- Thread starter eatbeef
- Start date
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Sandhills boy
Well-known member
eatbeef said:
I would look into one of those long tube type propane heater that run the full length, just an idea, good luck Brent.
I use one of those diesel burners that plugs in to an electrical outlet. I only use it when it's real cold. I don't like to get it to warm in the calving barn and then turn the calves out in real cold weather. That's a good way to get quick pneumonia in calves. Good bedding and a good mother cow usually is good enough.
3Rancher
Active member
You could figure at least a 45,000 btu for that building if it was insulated. If you just want to take the chill out for a while that would do it, but not being insulated there is gonna be a good amount of lost heat. Those tube heaters are nice, a lil spendy tho
bllcattle
Well-known member
We have a infrared hanging heeter in the one calving shed but have it in a smaller room with 3 boxstalls in it use it a lot when calving heifers. Not , maybe, needed so much for the animal's as for the people. Don't no the BTU's but have always felt secure when useing it. One calving barn is old steel covered wood barn with haymow no heet and when 7 boxstalls are full[not very often] it is plenty warm. Use this one for special problems where we calve old commercial cow's.Really considering going back to natural spring calving. Been through winter calving here many years ago[when young and did'nt know better] and don't wish that on anyone.eatbeef said:
Kato
Well-known member
Do you have power in the building?
We use smaller infrared heaters, but they're electric. They're about 36" long, and we hang them in the corner of a box stall, with a bar across the corner that keeps the cow out and allows the calf to go under. They will go in there soaking wet, line up directly under the heater, and you will see steam rising off their backs. Smart little calves. The only heat the barn gets is what comes off the cows. Once they're a day old, if they're still in the barn, we unplug the heater. It works well, and is less expensive to operate.
We use smaller infrared heaters, but they're electric. They're about 36" long, and we hang them in the corner of a box stall, with a bar across the corner that keeps the cow out and allows the calf to go under. They will go in there soaking wet, line up directly under the heater, and you will see steam rising off their backs. Smart little calves. The only heat the barn gets is what comes off the cows. Once they're a day old, if they're still in the barn, we unplug the heater. It works well, and is less expensive to operate.
3words
Well-known member
If that barn is wood sided and not tin.Have roughly 6 cows in there and they will heat it up quite nicely.
jodywy
Well-known member
I got a couple barns we sometimes have to use calving in my metal one I got a hot box I will put a chilled calf in till it gets warm
here it is with an electric heater , a forced air 35,000 BTU propane works better.
I see picture of a old coat over a chilled calf with a hair blow drier up a coat sleeve...
If it really cold and the calf is up I have a 350,000 BTU heater (kerosene, diesel, 1 or 2 ) that I can put blowing thru the metal gate into the calf pen.... but more often then not the cow will stand between it and the calf.
here it is with an electric heater , a forced air 35,000 BTU propane works better.
I see picture of a old coat over a chilled calf with a hair blow drier up a coat sleeve...
If it really cold and the calf is up I have a 350,000 BTU heater (kerosene, diesel, 1 or 2 ) that I can put blowing thru the metal gate into the calf pen.... but more often then not the cow will stand between it and the calf.
