Am I going to freak when I see my electric bill?

[lovemychix]

I was just wondering if running 2 250 watt heat lamps all day and night is going to cause me to drop over with a heart attack when I get my bill. I have 25 chicks that are just a little over 5 weeks old. When can I take heat away from them? It has been 40 in the day and 20's at night.

 

[Cindy in PA]

That would be 500 watts or .5 kilowatts per hour or 12 killowatts per day. If your rate is 10 cents a KWH it would be .10*12 or $1.20 a day. That adds up to $36 in a 30 day period. I would freak, but maybe that is not alot to you! Hope someone can give you an idea if you really need that amount of heat.

 

[portlandpeeps]

Check out this thread, many say no need to heat:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=97134

We heated last year, but have decided not to this year based on what others here have said. We had eggs all winter, but not one now since August. That's the price you pay!

 

[lovemychix]

I know that adult chickens don't need heat but at what age can you pull the plug on the heat lamp?

 

[Mrs MIA]

They're fully feathered at roughly 8 weeks. If you have 2 lamps on them now, back them off to one, and at 8 weeks turn it off completely. Wean them off of the heat before putting them outside. If you started at 95°F when they were born, and backed it off 5°F each week, you should be at about 70°F now. One heat lamp about 18" above them will give them plenty of warmth. Watch how they sleep under it. If they start spreading out, raise up the lamp until you can take it away completely.
I have mine in the garage which is about 50-60°F. At 6 weeks I turned off their lamp. In two more weeks, they're being tossed to the coop. Well, not literally.

Hee hee! And it's below 20°F right now.

 

[patandchickens]

I ran a 250 W heatlamp (look! me! Mrs Don't Use A Heat Lamp Unless You Really Have To!

) for about six or eight weeks a few years ago, 24/7, to warm an injured feral cat that was recuperating in one of the kennel's indoor runs (before there were chickens there).

You can see it quite clearly on the happy little graph the utility company provides of our electricity usage over time.

Boy was my husband not thrilled about THAT

(The cat got better though... better enough to jump up 4.5' and claw his way thru a windowscreen to escape. Stupid cat

Glad we could help him though, he'd'a surely died otherwise)


Pat

 

[ROC4K]

You will see it.

It's like letting your buddy park an RV outside your house and plugging it in. I rose 35 bucks in my first month. With 2 250w.

Over the summer the 28 foot camper took up $40 a month...used very little! Surely would have been cheaper to by a bag of ice to keep his beer and soda cold.

I like cold chicken...so they are getting down to 250w this week. By the end of the month Only heat on the cold days!

 

[Chicken of the Sea]

As already said, back it off to one heat lamp, that is plenty for the amount of chicks you are talking about.

 

[lovemychix]

They better get toasty tonight because tomorrow I'm pulling the plug on one lamp!!

I have just worried sick about them getting cold but they are almost 6 weeks so I think they will be ok.

 

[Mrs MIA]

They will let you know if they're too cold... they will pile up and huddle directly under the lamp. Otherwise, they'll just sort of lay around wherever.

When it gets down to -40°F I might add a heat lamp. Maybe not.