Milford chronicle., 1952-10-03
lnfrared Lamps For
BrOOding Discussed

Representatives of more than
ten organizations met recently at
Johnny's and Sammy's Restaurant
IN Salisbury to discuss infrared
brooding for poultry houses. The
meeting was arranged by w. c.
Pierce, Industrial Sales Manager
OF Eastern Shore Public Service.
Poultry growers on the Delmarva
Peninsula show an eYer-increasing
Int rest in the use of infrared lamps
for broOding both chicks and tur-
key poults," Mr.. Pierce said. There
IS a need to pool the up-to-date in
formation so that it will be avail
able whether a chicken grower
seeks help from the state univeri-
ties, county agents or electric COM
panies."
George NJ. Nelson, President of
Eastern Shore Public Service in
welcoming the sixty members of
the group, said, THE economy Of
the whole Delmarva Peninsula is
closely allied with the chicken in
dustry. Our Pubic Service Com
pany stands for progress in the
community. This meeting is for the
purpose of holding a healthy dis
cussiOn of various phases of that
industry"
"The use of infrared lamps is the
modern safe way to use heat for
special purposes in industry. Dur
ing the past year, 315 million in
frared lamps were Sold" said j. P.
Ditchman of the General Electric
Company
Mr.. Ditchman demonstrated dra-
matically how infrared heat is ap-
piled directly to an object without
being dissipated in the surround
ings. He broke an egg into pyrex
dish, set it in an infrared oven and
applied the electric current. In a
couple of minutes the egg was
cooked, but he removed the dish
from the oven with his bare hands
because it had absorbed no heat.
"lnfrared rays, like the suns rays
pass through space or the air with
no loss of heat. When the rays
strike an object such as an egg or
the body of chicken which can
absorb them, they heat that OBJ
ject," he explained.
Then he went on to point out that
chickens and other animals in cold
weather seek a sunny spot for
warmth-for the infrared rays
which work when they strike the
body. "The infrared lamp gives
out the same sort of radiant ener-
gy but does it when we want it,
where we want it," he said.
]. H. oliver of the General
Electric Company discussed the ad-
vantages of heat control with ther-
mOstats to reduce operating costs.
He advised as few as five thermos-.
tats for a 10000 capacity house and
said complete installation of this
type costs approximately 12c
chick. Costs are prOpOrtiOnaUe in
houses of 5000 to 10000 capacity.
Mr.. Oliver pointed out that in
other areas where infrared is being
used extensively, power failures are
not a serious problem as supple
mental heating equipment was
readily available on the farm. He
said that the litter re-radiates the
heat it has absorbed and keeps the
chicks warm for an hour or two in
any event
According to Mr.. divers figures,
infrared brOOding takes about one
kilowatt hour per chick.
DR.. Seeger described experiments
with infrared brooding at the
Georgetown station of the Univer-
sity of Delaware. Control tests were
run at the same time with coal
stove brOoding; final weight, NOR
tality and feed efficiency for the
chicks were the same.
r. L. Grapes from the Middle De-
partment Association of Fire I'm
derwriters answered questions re-
garding the proper wiring of poul-
try houses for infr9red hrOOdino