Coop Heat Thermostats?

[robisonrobert]

Hello all,

I would like to install an outdoor thermostat to control my heat lamps in the winter so I don't have to keep a constant eye on the temperature and turn on/off the lamps. I am wondering if anyone has a product that they have successfully installed and used that they could recommend? The wiring and installation I have under control, I just am hoping you all can suggest a proven t-stat for me to use.

Thanks.

 

[JackE]

Unless you are raising chicks in the winter, or have some kind of thinly feathered, exotic chickens, save yourself the effort. Chickens don't need any help from you to keep warm in the winter. All you are doing with heatlamps, is running up your electric bill, and taking a chance on burning your coop down.
Jack

 

[robisonrobert]

I'm in the hills of northwest Washington and we often get multiple days in a row where the temperature stays in the 20's. I was under the impression that the chickens will suffer in those temperatures and also won't lay eggs as well. Is this not true?

 

[JackE]

20 F, is nothing to them. My coop is unheated, and the front is open year round. I get temps down into the single digits (Not including wind chill) and the birds have no problems at all. They still come out to pick around during the day. And I still get eggs. Check out the link below. You can read (PG 24)about chickens being kept in open air coops with -40 F temps.
Another thing with a heatlamp, is that you are not allowing the birds to properly acclimate to the cold. If a bulb burns out, or you lose power, your spoiled birds will suffer, because the cold will be a shock. Forget about a heatlamp, and make sure you don't fall into the trap of shutting all the ventilation down in another misguided effort to keep them warm. Chickens need a lot of fresh air, even in winter.
Jack

http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/n7/mode/2up

 

[moetrout]

20 degress is nothing, they don't need the heat. I am in Michigan and can tell you first hand my chickens love the cold weather. They hate the snow, but cold weather is no issue. Think about it, if you had to wear a down jacket 24/7 what would you prefer? Now in the heat of summer is when I see my hens getting stressed out and panting due to the heat. You want to help them, give them a cool spot in the summer.

If you insist on it then look into thermostats for 110v electric baseboard heaters. Another way to do this is to wire a standard house thermostat to control a relay that then turns the heat lamps on and off. I was a techician for Honeywell for a number of years. I have built several t-stat control relay setups for controlling heat lamps and fans (for cooling) that were used in a petshop for exotic animals. I can provide you with a schematic if you would like to try and build one yourself. It would require a t-stat, 24v transformer, 24v relay, and outlet, some wire, and maybe a nice project box to house it all in and keep the dust away.

 

[MrsBachbach]

Hello all,

I would like to install an outdoor thermostat to control my heat lamps in the winter so I don't have to keep a constant eye on the temperature and turn on/off the lamps. I am wondering if anyone has a product that they have successfully installed and used that they could recommend? The wiring and installation I have under control, I just am hoping you all can suggest a proven t-stat for me to use.

Thanks.

Yes, Thermocubes. They provide two outlets so you plug two lamps or even more with a three way plugged into it. They "turn" the power on at 35 degrees and off at 45 degrees. They are inexpensive also, usually run arount $18 dollars. I find them very useful. Saves me from having to go out and plug and unplug heat sources every day. The only thing I wish was better was that they would turn off at maybe 40 instead of 45 degrees.

 

[aart]

I'm in the hills of northwest Washington and we often get multiple days in a row where the temperature stays in the 20's. I was under the impression that the chickens will suffer in those temperatures and also won't lay eggs as well. Is this not true?

Not laying in the winter is a function of reduction of light not low temperatures.

You might use thermocube to keep a water dish heater functioning when the temps fall below freezing to keep the water from freezing.

A simple timer can turn lights on in the coop in the early morning so you give the chooks 12-14 hours of light per day before the sun sets naturally, if you choose to keep them laying/laying better all winter in this fashion.

 

[moetrout]

My hens lay in the winter WITHOUT any supplemental lighting. They don't lay as often as they would in summer, but they do still lay eggs.

 

[wsmith]

Yes, Thermocubes. They provide two outlets so you plug two lamps or even more with a three way plugged into it. They "turn" the power on at 35 degrees and off at 45 degrees. They are inexpensive also, usually run arount $18 dollars. I find them very useful. Saves me from having to go out and plug and unplug heat sources every day. The only thing I wish was better was that they would turn off at maybe 40 instead of 45 degrees.

I use one of the thermo cube type thermostats in my main hen house to turn on and off the water heater. Thats it. We frequently get to 0* F during the winter and they do just fine without heat.

I brood my chicks outside in a small brooder coop. This coop is about 4 X 3 (floor space) and is in an 8 X 24 run, which is also covered in netting. Inside the brooder coop I have a heat lamp, that is plugged in to an adjustable thermostat. As the chicks get older I turn the temperature down gradually. I also have a remote wireless thermometer. The sending unit is inside the brooder coop and the readout unit is mounted to the outside of the brooder coop. Works slick. The heaqt lamp doesn't stay on all the time, which saves me money and the chicks get used to ambient temperature. Chicks are much more tolerant of temperatures than most give them credit for.

If you really want to heat your layer's coop, I would suggest one of the adjustable thermostats. But, like has been said previousy, they dont really need it.

Extra lighting during the shorter days is the main thing in steady winter egg production. That being said, my personal philosphy is that it is good for the hens to slow down a little in the winter, and not produce as many eggs. This allows them to use the energy to stay warm, and I believe, is part of the natural cycle for egg laying. The hens that don't get supplimental lighting can end up laying for more seasons than those who get supplimental lighting and keep on cranking out the eggs during the winter. Just my 2 cents worth. I say let them take a short break.

Some breeds also lay better in the winter than others. Even within the breed there are variances. Last winter my daily egg production slowed, and during January was about 1/2 of what it had been in November. But it picked back up in Feb and March.

 

[aart]

My hens lay in the winter WITHOUT any supplemental lighting. They don't lay as often as they would in summer, but they do still lay eggs.

Yep some do ......

......if you choose to keep them laying/laying better all winter in this fashion.

.....and why I put it like this^