Regular bulb or heat lamp bulb? $electric bill cost?

[NJbirdlover]

Hi everyone,
I am new here and preparing my brooder for my chickies coming the 1st week in April. I am using a large rubbermaid container (only getting 8 chicks) I have read on BYC that some people using a plastic brooder only used a regular 75-100 watt bulb because it was just way too hot with a heat lamp. Any help with this would be GREATLY appreciated! Also, how much extra do you see in your electric bill the month your chicks are under the lamp? I just want to be prepared for all of the little extra's

Thank you!!!

Lisa~

 

[sherrydeanne]

Mine are in a huge rubbermaid and it didn't get too hot with the lamp. Now that they're 3 weeks, I can use a regular light during the day (house is warmer with the sunlight) and a heatlamp at night. As for cost, since it's a 250 watt, that's about the equivalent of running 3 extra regular bulbs all the time, by my calculations.

 

[PortageGirl]

I'm old, and have never used anything BUT a 100 watt bulb in a chilly basement, with a ratty cardboard box.

It's all how high you adjust it and how you set it up.

 

[al6517]

Good question!! I have always used a 250 watt heat lamp bulb in the brooder, and have had the same concerns. Until I found a 125 watt heat lamp that was labeled a brooder lamp, I have been using them ever since with great results.

AL

 

[mjdtexan]

I did use the 250 watt heat lamp for our chooks when they were knee high to a short duck. I've got the chicken coop on a seperate meter and you can watch the meter spin a lot more than a regular low wattage bulb. For me the heat lamp insured they were warm but the were babies during the winter. For now, depending on where you live, the lower wattage bulb may work just as well.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

OUr 250 watt bulb cost us almost exactly 20 bucks a month extra on our electric bill.

ETA that is also running 24 hours a day every day all month

 

[1acrefarm]

Assuming your electric rate is 8 cents per kw a 250 watt bulb running constantly and measured on a 31 day month would cost 14.88. A 100 watt bulb on the same rate and time period would cost 5.95. Your rates can be lower or higher than the example depending on your area. My chicks do fine with a 100 watt bulb. I eventually taper it down to a 60.

 

[Marlinchaser]

If brooding indoors(living room/spare bedroom) that is at a constant 70 degrees, a 100 watt bulb should be sufficient, but if they are in garage/coop that may be dropping down to 40 at night, the 100 watt bulb may not be enough, the higher the watts the higher the heat output, the the higher the bill. Remember with the new energy efficient that put out the same light as a conventional that they do not put off the same amount of heat so using one of those is like using a nightlight, as far as heat is concerned.

 

[NJbirdlover]

Quote:
wow our rate is .17 cents per kw~ everything here in NJ is expensive!

thanks everyone-I want to have all of my ducks..err chicks in a row before I tell dh how much this is going to cost us!lol

 

[1acrefarm]

Wow mine is only .04 cents.