turning heat lamp off at night?

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Quote:
It's a common knee-jerk reaction, but how much money is it really costing?

What are you using, a 100W bulb? So ten straight hours of that is 1 kilowatt...and that's what, 20 cents? Close enough to 50 cents a day then?

So $15 a month?

 

[TriciaHowe]

A 60 watt light bulb uses 60 watts of power in a period of one hour or 60 watts in one minute or 60 watts in one second or 60 watts during any period of time.
How much total energy a 60 watt light bulb "consumes", which is the amount of electricity that has to be paid-for, is measured in watt•hours (that's watts times hours). So a 60 watt bulb consumes 60 watt•hours in one hour, or 60 Wh x 24 hr/day = 1440 Wh per day.

That is the same as 1.44 kilowatt•hours (kWh), so, if you look up what your electricity supplier charges for 1 kWh you can figure out how much it would cost you in money. If 1 kWh costs you 25 cents, then leaving a 60 watt light bulb switched on for 24 hours straight would cost you 1.44 kWh x 25¢/kWh = 36 cents.

So .36 x 28 = $10 month average..... Of course this may vary depending on what you pay for electricity....

I have personally lost chicks that huddled for warmth and squashed the chicks underneath. But I agree you have to go with how your chicks are acting. My hubby knows better than to mess with my chicks if I am not home. It wouldn't even occur to him to turn my light off without permission or good reason.....

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
This is what I do as well. The chicks will tell you if they are too hot or cold by the way they are behaving.

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2902/2902-1087/2902-1087.html

.....Alan.

 

[DillardHome]

Quote:
I am actually wanting to get ducklings from my local TSC. I intend on keeping their brooder indoors in our laundry room which has a heat duct until they are ready for their outdoor residence. As far as keeping the heat lamp on all the time, should I only keep it on if the newbies are showing signs that they may be cold and then turn it back off once they seem to be happy? My hubby isn't thrilled on keeping the light on 24/7 either and to be honest I am concerned of a fire hazard if it's on while we are sleeping because you never know- accidents happen.

Thanks for your input

 

[DillardHome]

A.T. Hagan :

Quote:
This is what I do as well. The chicks will tell you if they are too hot or cold by the way they are behaving.

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2902/2902-1087/2902-1087.html
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2902/2902-1087/L_2902108702.jpg

.....Alan.

That really helps!!! Thank you Alan!!

 

[Cara]

Quote:
I am actually wanting to get ducklings from my local TSC. I intend on keeping their brooder indoors in our laundry room which has a heat duct until they are ready for their outdoor residence. As far as keeping the heat lamp on all the time, should I only keep it on if the newbies are showing signs that they may be cold and then turn it back off once they seem to be happy? My hubby isn't thrilled on keeping the light on 24/7 either and to be honest I am concerned of a fire hazard if it's on while we are sleeping because you never know- accidents happen.

Thanks for your input

Get pegs for your noses now! Ducklings absolutely stink, they smell an awful lot like pigs.

 

[DillardHome]

Quote:
I am actually wanting to get ducklings from my local TSC. I intend on keeping their brooder indoors in our laundry room which has a heat duct until they are ready for their outdoor residence. As far as keeping the heat lamp on all the time, should I only keep it on if the newbies are showing signs that they may be cold and then turn it back off once they seem to be happy? My hubby isn't thrilled on keeping the light on 24/7 either and to be honest I am concerned of a fire hazard if it's on while we are sleeping because you never know- accidents happen.

Thanks for your input

Get pegs for your noses now! Ducklings absolutely stink, they smell an awful lot like pigs.

I've not yet experienced baby chicks (or ducklings for that matter). All of my chickens are older and their coop can get smelly in no time.

Do ducklings smell worse than chicks? If so, why do you think that is??

 

[chubbydog811]

It's great seeing all the different opinions on the matter...
This is what I do:

They get is 24/7 for the first week of life. After that, I pull the lamp up a little bit each day to gradually wean them off of it. After that, I start shutting it off during the day, and letting them have it at night. Then they dont need a light by 2-3 weeks old. If they are in the house, I wouldnt worry about it too much..My house stays around 60 on a warm day, and it isnt drafty where their brooder is. Unless they are huddling so much that you are worried anyway...Mine are only 2 weeks, and they told me their 60watt bulb was too much...So I pulled it back 6 inches, now they are happy....

My opinion again - saying outright that the chicks will all die if you take the light away is a little drastic. Once they are fully feathered in, they dont need it. Last year in early march (night temps between 30-40) I had all of my month old chicks out in the barn, with out a light.
I think it mostly depends on the hardiness of the chicks, and the environment they are in...
Besides environment, best way to go is figure out when they are too hot or too cold...That illustration was a perfect example of what to look for.

 

[PeepsInc]

At that age you can set up a brooder in the coop. I use a red stage light. It looks like a red flood light,only it uses less energy. As long as they have space to get out of the light, or move closer if it's cold. They will regulate their own temp. I don't agree with dropping the heat 5 degrees or what ever is recommended. The birds do that themselves by moving away from the light. It's most important to make sure the heat source is available when they need it. They wont grow if their using all their energy to stay warm.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Quote:
I'm heavily in favor of this idea. My own peeps are out on the grass, in an open-floor brooder hut, with a 250W red lamp. It's amazing how much time a peep will spend cruising about in 48-degree weather, well away from the heat lamp, and then run back to warm up for a minute or two. This really leads to some strong, quickly developing peeps.