I agree that heater bulbs and heat mats are sources of frustration in keeping piglets warm. But there have been some really exciting developments in this since this thread was originally posted, which definitely will help anyone farrowing pigs this fall and winter. Many farmers are switching to Elstein Ceramic Infrared Radiant Heaters. They screw into your current bulb reflectors, so it's a very easy switch to make. These awesome heaters last four times longer than heater bulbs, and are made of durable moisture resistant and break resistant ceramic, NOT GLASS. They heat physical bodies with a penetrating heat that goes into the muscle tissue of the piglet, raising their core body temperature. They also heat the black mats, keeping piglets warm all the way around. What they Do Not heat is the air, which means your sow will stay cooler. So don't spend your money on expensive heating mats. They just get chewed up and wet and they only heat one side of the piglet while the rest of the animal is cold and vulnerable. Glass heater bulbs are even a bigger waste of money and dangerous to have around animals. Besides the obvious risk of glowing filaments starting barn fires, you're lucky to get three months out of them before they either burn out or break. This is why Ceramic Infrared Radiant heaters are so great. There's no filament like bulbs. Instead, they have 8 meters of coiled resistance wire embedded in ceramic for a really consistent, even heat, unlike heater bulbs that can be up to 127 degrees F in the center and only in the 80s around the outer edges. (That's why you see piglets sleeping around the center of heater looking for that "Goldilocks zone.")
Another great benefit of Elstein ceramic heaters is that they do not emit visible light. I can't speak for anyone else, but sleeping with an intense light in my eyes isn't my idea of a restful night. And Piglets aren't any different. Bright lights mess with their natural night/day rhythm which negatively effects growth and adds stress to the animal. It's why Elstein Ceramic Infrared Heaters are also used in Neonatal Incubators in hospitals, so you know it's perfectly safe for your piglets too. And because they deliver a gentle penetrating heat, they're used in therapeutic saunas as well.
Here's where you can learn more and pick up some for your farrowing crates this fall. Once you start using these, they're the only heaters your going to want to use: http://www.nexthermal.com/product/elste ... aters.aspx
heat lamp
Re: heat lamp
Those bulbs you're talking about are really heavy. They ended up pulling all my lamps apart at the porcelain where you screw the bulb in.
Re: heat lamp
Hi EMC.
Were you using the plastic reflectors? I can see this happening if you're not using the metal reflectors. You can only use the Ceramic Infrared Radiant Heaters with the metal reflectors. The round Elstein ceramic infrared heaters just weigh 4 ounces, and the manufacturer recommends only using the metal with them. I've seen a single bulb heater in operation now for two years and it hasn't failed or caused any damage, farrowing after farrowing. Saved a lot of piglets though where glass heaters always seem to fail at night when no one is around and you wake up to dead piglets. By using the metal reflectors, you get all the infrared waves reflecting downward toward your piglets. I can see the plastic reflectors softening with the heat of a ceramic infrared and the socket dislodging. One of the benefits of these ceramic heaters is that they are very durable and rugged. Yes, they are a couple ounces heavier than glass, but believe me that's a good thing when dealing with pigs. If a hot glass bulb gets droplets of water on it, you're going to be picking up broken glass. On a hot ceramic heater, it just sizzles off the surface. No problem at all. My advice is to go to farm and fleet or tractor supply and just get a metal reflector for about $5. Use an Elstein Ceramic infrared heater bulb and you won't have to worry about replacing it for at about 2 years or more. Make sure it's an Elstein heater though, not the Chinese knock offs. I have yet to hear anything but good results on Elstein.
If you're still concerned that a bulb might fall out, you'll want to check out the new single stage microenvironment farrowing heater. It has a sow shield on it to keep the sow from getting too warm, and the rectangular ceramic heater is both wired and locked into place. Here's a link to the video that shows how the farrowing heater is installed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxPtdc-_Mrs&t=6s
Were you using the plastic reflectors? I can see this happening if you're not using the metal reflectors. You can only use the Ceramic Infrared Radiant Heaters with the metal reflectors. The round Elstein ceramic infrared heaters just weigh 4 ounces, and the manufacturer recommends only using the metal with them. I've seen a single bulb heater in operation now for two years and it hasn't failed or caused any damage, farrowing after farrowing. Saved a lot of piglets though where glass heaters always seem to fail at night when no one is around and you wake up to dead piglets. By using the metal reflectors, you get all the infrared waves reflecting downward toward your piglets. I can see the plastic reflectors softening with the heat of a ceramic infrared and the socket dislodging. One of the benefits of these ceramic heaters is that they are very durable and rugged. Yes, they are a couple ounces heavier than glass, but believe me that's a good thing when dealing with pigs. If a hot glass bulb gets droplets of water on it, you're going to be picking up broken glass. On a hot ceramic heater, it just sizzles off the surface. No problem at all. My advice is to go to farm and fleet or tractor supply and just get a metal reflector for about $5. Use an Elstein Ceramic infrared heater bulb and you won't have to worry about replacing it for at about 2 years or more. Make sure it's an Elstein heater though, not the Chinese knock offs. I have yet to hear anything but good results on Elstein.
If you're still concerned that a bulb might fall out, you'll want to check out the new single stage microenvironment farrowing heater. It has a sow shield on it to keep the sow from getting too warm, and the rectangular ceramic heater is both wired and locked into place. Here's a link to the video that shows how the farrowing heater is installed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxPtdc-_Mrs&t=6s