- Thread starter
- #2,601
Quote:
I would think you could save some electricity by shutting it off during the day and running it only at night---a timer would make it easy by shutting off and turning on for you at set times. A thermostatic control would do it by temperature, which is what i have in my chicken tractor. It is pre-programmed to shut off if the temp reaches 45, and turn on when it drops back to 35, so the temp fluctuates some. Last night was near zero outside according to the weather, but i don't know the exact low at my house...i can say that it was easily the coldest night we've had so far, becasue even with the two heat emitters on, there was ice forming in the water, and my max-min thermometer inside the chicken tractor read a low of 30. I think that's decent, the emitters can keep it more than 20 degrees warmer than outside, but they will shut off if it gets up to 45 in there and save some electricity. I probably don't want to see my next electric bill, lol, but i really don't have room to keep all the Seramas inside my house this winter. I'm thinking about maybe closing off a section of our attached carport, but that will likely cost more than the electricity, plus i really don't have time to take on another building project now, plus it's too cold out to be building! I do have some ideas for next year.......in the spring i plan to set up a greenhouse for plants, and then i thought about using the greenhouse to start more layer chicks, and then grow meaties in future..............oh the possibilties! (My brother and his then-fiancee raised chicks in a greenhouse, twice.)
We have 2 red heat lamps hooked up in the barn now, we turn those off and leave on the regular lights during the day, and at night we turn teh regular lights off and turn the heat lights on at night, so far so good, teh waters are not freezing, and teh birds look good.
I would think you could save some electricity by shutting it off during the day and running it only at night---a timer would make it easy by shutting off and turning on for you at set times. A thermostatic control would do it by temperature, which is what i have in my chicken tractor. It is pre-programmed to shut off if the temp reaches 45, and turn on when it drops back to 35, so the temp fluctuates some. Last night was near zero outside according to the weather, but i don't know the exact low at my house...i can say that it was easily the coldest night we've had so far, becasue even with the two heat emitters on, there was ice forming in the water, and my max-min thermometer inside the chicken tractor read a low of 30. I think that's decent, the emitters can keep it more than 20 degrees warmer than outside, but they will shut off if it gets up to 45 in there and save some electricity. I probably don't want to see my next electric bill, lol, but i really don't have room to keep all the Seramas inside my house this winter. I'm thinking about maybe closing off a section of our attached carport, but that will likely cost more than the electricity, plus i really don't have time to take on another building project now, plus it's too cold out to be building! I do have some ideas for next year.......in the spring i plan to set up a greenhouse for plants, and then i thought about using the greenhouse to start more layer chicks, and then grow meaties in future..............oh the possibilties! (My brother and his then-fiancee raised chicks in a greenhouse, twice.)
We have 2 red heat lamps hooked up in the barn now, we turn those off and leave on the regular lights during the day, and at night we turn teh regular lights off and turn the heat lights on at night, so far so good, teh waters are not freezing, and teh birds look good.
