Choosing suitable poultry brooding equipment is an essential part of preparing for young poultry and game birds.
Reliable heating is an essential part of preparing for young poultry and game birds. A suitable brooding setup needs to provide warmth, access to feed and water, and enough space for birds to move towards or away from the heated area.
This guide explains what to consider when choosing brooding equipment, matching gas components and identifying replacement parts.
Choosing Your Brooding Equipment
Start with the birds and the building rather than choosing a heater by output alone.
Consider:
- The species, age and number of birds.
- The size, layout and insulation of the rearing area.
- Expected outside temperatures.
- Ventilation and potential draughts.
- The available fuel or electricity supply.
- How heating will be monitored and controlled.
- Arrangements for equipment failure or an interrupted fuel supply.
A heater’s stated capacity should be assessed against the manufacturer’s recommendations and your actual conditions. The same equipment may perform differently in buildings with different layouts or levels of insulation.
Browse our Gas Heaters & Brooders or contact Ellmor for help comparing suitable equipment.
Cerem Infraconic Gas Heaters
Cerem Infraconic heaters provide radiant warmth for poultry and game-bird rearing.
Ellmor’s Cerem range includes a 5kW, 300mbar heater supplied with a hose and regulator, alongside replacement components for compatible equipment.
When purchasing a heater, check the exact model, operating pressure and items included. When replacing an existing unit, confirm that the proposed heater is suitable for your installation.
Explore our Cerem heaters and replacement parts.
Gas Regulators, Hoses & Fittings
The regulator, hose and fittings must match the heater and gas supply. Components should never be selected simply because their connections appear to fit.
Before ordering, identify:
- The heater manufacturer and model.
- The gas type specified on its identification plate.
- The required operating pressure.
- The regulator specification and capacity.
- The hose specification and connection sizes.
- Any manufacturer requirements for fittings and installation.
A pressure stated for one heater must not be assumed to apply to another. Follow the instructions for your exact model and have installation or repairs carried out by someone competent to work on that equipment.
If identification labels are missing or unreadable, seek advice before selecting replacement gas components.
Preparing the Brooding Area
Prepare the rearing area and check equipment before the birds arrive, allowing time to resolve faults or obtain missing parts.
Clean and prepare the building, introduce suitable bedding and position feeders and drinkers so birds can reach them easily.
Install and operate the heater according to its instructions, including the specified mounting arrangement, clearances and ventilation requirements. Keep combustible materials and stored equipment outside the required clearance area.
Preheat the brooding area in line with your species-specific rearing plan. Check conditions at bird level and across the area the chicks will occupy, rather than relying on a single reading near the heater.
Ventilation remains necessary while heating is operating. Do not block ventilation openings to retain warmth.
Monitoring Warmth & Bird Behaviour
Temperature readings and observation should be used together when assessing brooding conditions.
For chicks under localised brooders:
- Crowding close to the heat source can indicate insufficient warmth.
- Consistently avoiding the heated area can indicate excessive heat.
- Gathering on one side can indicate a draught or uneven conditions.
- An even distribution, with normal feeding, drinking and resting, is generally a better sign.
These patterns are clues rather than a diagnosis. Poor air quality, health problems and difficulty reaching feed or water can also affect behaviour.
Follow a rearing programme appropriate to the species and age of your birds. Investigate persistent distress or unusual behaviour promptly, seeking veterinary advice where appropriate.
Adjusting Heating as Birds Grow
Heating requirements change as birds develop and environmental conditions change.
Review conditions regularly rather than reducing heat solely according to a fixed calendar. Follow your species-specific husbandry guidance, taking account of feather development, bird behaviour and overnight temperatures.
Changes to heating should be made through the controls and adjustments described in the equipment instructions. Do not improvise alterations to the heater or gas supply.
Identifying Cerem Replacement Parts
Before ordering spares, identify the heater model and compare the existing component with the relevant parts diagram.
Ellmor lists replacement parts for the Cerem Infraconic-Matic 5000 Game Bird 300mbar heater. Some components have old and new versions, making careful identification particularly important.
Useful information to provide includes:
- A photograph of the complete heater.
- A clear photograph of its identification plate.
- Close-up photographs of the existing component.
- The diagram reference or part number.
- Relevant measurements where requested.
Matching a diagram number alone may be insufficient when more than one version is offered.
Browse our Gas Heater Spares or contact us for help identifying the correct item.
Cleaning, Inspection & Seasonal Storage
Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning and maintenance instructions for your exact heater.
Allow equipment to cool and isolate its supply as instructed before cleaning or inspection. Use only approved cleaning methods; do not assume that washing or pressure cleaning is suitable.
Arrange for damaged hoses, fittings, controls or other components to be assessed and replaced as required. Safety devices must never be bypassed.
At the end of the season, store equipment clean and dry, following the manufacturer’s guidance. Label any faults so they can be resolved before the heater is needed again.
Common Heating & Brooding Problems
The heater will not light or repeatedly goes out
Follow the checks permitted in the user instructions. Repeated ignition failure or shutdown needs investigation; do not keep relighting faulty equipment or bypass a safety device.
Stop using the heater if the fault persists and arrange competent inspection.
The brooding area seems too cold
Check measured conditions at bird level, the distribution of warmth, draughts and whether the equipment is suitable for the building and conditions.
Do not increase gas pressure beyond the heater’s specified requirements.
Birds gather unevenly
Check temperature distribution, draughts, ventilation and access to feed and water. Consider health or other husbandry issues if the pattern continues.
You cannot identify a replacement part
Send Ellmor photographs and the heater’s model information before ordering. Similar-looking components may differ between versions.
If you smell gas or suspect a leak, stop using the equipment, avoid flames and electrical switches, and follow the gas supplier’s emergency instructions. Isolate the supply only if it is safe to do so.
Pre-Season Heating & Brooding Checklist
☐ Heater model and instructions identified
☐ Equipment suitability reviewed for the planned birds and building
☐ Installation, mounting and clearances checked
☐ Gas supply components checked against the heater specification
☐ Required inspection or servicing completed
☐ Ventilation openings clear
☐ Bedding, feeders and drinkers prepared
☐ Heating tested before birds arrive
☐ Conditions checked at bird level
☐ Essential replacement parts identified
☐ A plan prepared for heating or fuel-supply failure
Heating & Brooding Equipment from Ellmor
Ellmor supplies gas brooders, Cerem heating equipment and replacement parts for compatible installations.
Whether you are preparing a rearing area or identifying a component for an existing heater, contact us with your equipment details and requirements.
Call 01630 685 257 for help choosing products or identifying spares.
For a broader equipment overview, read our Poultry & Game Rearing Equipment Guide.
