What is the best method of heating to use during the brooding phase, house furnaces or some type of brooder heaters?
This is a topic that is frequently discussed by growers and live production personnel. While it is possible to do a good job of brooding with furnaces, pancake brooders, and/or radiant brooding equipment, there are some distinct advantages or disadvantages to each. Using furnaces only saves the cost of the brooders, but has the disadvantage of having to heat the entire house (or partial house) to the exact air temperature needed for the birds to be comfortable. If we miss getting the right temperature, or for birds slightly ahead or behind the others who would do better at a slightly different temperature, there is nowhere for birds to go to get comfortable. Using furnaces only also means that pre-heating is even more important. Many growers are successful in brooding with furnaces only, but the consensus of most live production people is that using some type of brooders, along with furnaces for “background” heat, provides a better environment for the bird than relying only on furnaces
