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

[newchickmom]

I just decided to put my red heat light on a timer!

I should cut my usage in half that way. I didn't realize how much they use. The rest of my lights have already been replaced with the energy-saving flor. bulbs, in the hen house, the horse barn and in the house.

 

[SunAngel]

Oh am I gonna be in trouble when the electric bill gets here! I really had no clue how much electricity those lamps would use. I'm scared to see the Nov/Dec electric bill now.

*I have 5- 250w heat lamps going and a space heater.
*I have 1 heat lamp in the adult Bantam coop, mostly to keep their water from freezing and two of the younger Silkies huddle under it.
*I have 1 in a smaller brooder in the big coop on some 3-4 week olds.
*I have 1 in another section of the big coop for the 5-8 week juvies.
*I have the space heater sitting between the two brooder areas set on a low setting to go on just if it gets below 30. I am afraid if a lamp bulb blows out that it would get too cold in there, so the heater was a backup.

*I have 1 heat lamp on in a rabbit hutch brooder in the house for 11 3 week old bantams and a 3 week old pigeon baby.
*And another lamp on the newest brooder with 10 day olds, in the house.
*Not to mention the incubator that has been running for the last month too!

So I am trying to figure out how to consolidate now.

*If I go by what everyone here is saying, I can turn off the space heater, since both brooders have their own heat lamp and just hope for the best?
*I could probably turn off the heat lamp to the juvies (at least during the day), since most of them are near 6 weeks and can huddle together (its been 30-40 degrees here daily, 20s at night)? *I could move the 3-4 week old bantams that are in the rabbit hutch brooder out to the smaller coop brooder and bump the day olds to the rabbit hutch?
*And then cut the heat lamp in the adult bantam coop off at least all day, if not totally unless it gets really cold?

Ok all that sounds really confusing. I think that bumped me down to 2 full time brooder lights (necessary), no heater and 2 lamps only on during the night (for the juvies and adult bantam coop).

Note to self, no chicks next winter or only a few! Live and learn...I need to learn some self control when it comes to chicks after the end of August.

 

[lovemychix]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Quote:
Let your chickens grow their own warm coat... Your babies are NOT cold just because you are.

If I had heat lamps going 24/7 from September to May, I wouldn't be able to sleep wondering if the bulb had burnt out or if the power went out.

I will say this again... it is 9°F outside right at this moment, and there are at least 6 birds sleeping outside - all on their own free will. They do not have extra heat, and they are just fine. If you keep them too warm, they will not grow the down undercoating that they need to stay warm, and WILL freeze if the power goes out for any reason. Turn the heat off and watch them... you will know for sure when it's too cold for them, because they will be huddled into each other for warmth and won't want to leave the coop. That would probably be around -20F. I've not heard of any healthy chickens dying of the cold, but they can get sick if they're kept too warm and moist. Give them a draft-free coop, fresh water, and good nutrition (gawd, I feel/sound like a broken record!!

) and they will do just fine without the extra heat. They are not affected by windchill like we are, though they should be able to get out of the wind if they want to.

My babes are just 5 weeks and that is why I'm concerned about them. I know my larger birds are fine. Some don't look like all their feathers are in. They don't go out in the run I have them inside closed off from the others. I do have a nice dry draft free coop so I am going to wean them off the heat source like everyone says. That does make sense about doing more harm if I don't let them get used to it and then the electric goes out.​

 

[Mrs MIA]

Oh definitely give the 5 week olds heat...

They're not fully feathered until about 8 weeks, so there's probably no getting around that.

I think we're all insane for trying to brood chicks in the winter...

But what are you gonna do?

SunAngel (I love that name!) if you put brand new bulbs in your brooders you should be good for the duration and not need a space heater. You could consolidate heat lamps if you can consolidate chicks, but sometimes I know that's not an option.
If you're using 250w bulbs on the juvies, you can probably downsize that to a 40-60w bulb to help save. I rarely use the 250w bulbs anymore... just the 60-75w when they're newborns and just raise it up.
The silkies and bantams do ok too, but again you could probably use a 40-60w bulb just fine.

 

[SunAngel]

I should be able to consolidate 2 groups of chicks and get rid of at least one full time heat lamp this weekend. Anything should be a help. I will just cut back some daytime hours with the other ones, if possible.

Do you put the smaller bulbs in the same silver heat lamp base? Are those still red bulbs or just regular light bulbs? I know I have seen some smaller red ones at Lowes and Walmart, but didn't know if I could use them in the lamp bases I have from TSC.

I don't/wouldn't mind brooding a few chicks through the winter, but I failed to realize that 40-50 chicks of various ages would eventually get bigger and yet not quite big enough to go in with the big girls. I just tell the kids that one of them might have to give up their bedroom in another month so I have room for all the 2-3 month olds lol. Next year I will be a lot more knowledgable and show some self control!!

PS. Thanks about the name---it comes from the fact that I collect sun and angel stuff and have a tattoo of a sun with an angel floating beside it, on my right ankle.

 

[lovemychix]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

Oh definitely give the 5 week olds heat...

They're not fully feathered until about 8 weeks, so there's probably no getting around that.

I think we're all insane for trying to brood chicks in the winter...

But what are you gonna do?

SunAngel (I love that name!) if you put brand new bulbs in your brooders you should be good for the duration and not need a space heater. You could consolidate heat lamps if you can consolidate chicks, but sometimes I know that's not an option.
If you're using 250w bulbs on the juvies, you can probably downsize that to a 40-60w bulb to help save. I rarely use the 250w bulbs anymore... just the 60-75w when they're newborns and just raise it up.
The silkies and bantams do ok too, but again you could probably use a 40-60w bulb just fine.

The babies are the only ones I had heat on! That's why I was confused when you said no heat.

We are crazy for raising winter chicks!!

 

[Mrs MIA]

Yep, I use the same bases, just regular bulbs. The only red bulbs I can get locally are 250w or 25w, so I just use regular bulbs.

Lovemychix... I'm sorry for the confusion!

Yes, chicks, and molting birds can always use a little help.

 

[lovemychix]

I'm still decreasing their heat a bit. Just one 250w bulb. Hopefully in a couple weeks they will be feathered completely. Then I will have the task of introducing them with the 6 hens I have. A whole new set of problems and questions.

I have one polish who thinks she can take the hens on now. I have a feeling she will be a problem. I open the hen door and she charges the big hens. Dumby!!

 

[historychick]

Hi everyone, I want you to know that I actually joined this forum just because of this thread, thank you for all the wonderful advice! I put my 5 little 7 week old golden comets outside in their house with a light and was worried about them until I saw your thread! Now I feel good about it! They have food, water, nice new bedding, and a heat lamp and I think they will be just fine. I am going to start backing off with the light though but figured I would do that over the course of this week. Its about 35-40 degrees here and we spoiled them inside the house so now we need to just go one step at a time I think. Thanks again for all the advice here!

I do have to admit though that I do not think I will be raising chicks at this time of the year, this was an experiment with a few "extra" chicks that were given to us.

 

[lovemychix]

I decreased mine and they aren't that old. Mine are fine. Welcome to BYC. These peeps will really help you. I'm pretty new myself.