When to turn off heat lamp?

[danadear]

I turned off the heat lamp when I left at 8am...left a 45 watt bulb over their brooder mainly for light as the garage is a little dark when the doors are closed. It is already 70 degrees here so I feel very confident that they are good to go. I just couldn't see leaving a 125 watt heat lamp on them when it will be 90 degrees this afternoon.

 

[Hamstery]

Thanks for the feedback. They were too hot today when the husband got home and they seem to spend most of their time as far away from the heat lamp as they can get. The youngest will be three weeks this weekend and the oldest will be five weeks on Sunday. I'm thinking since the brooder is a plastic bin with just the top open (covered with hardware cloth) and it's inside the garage if I turn the lamp off at 8 am and it's 65-70 outside the garage by the time the brooder starts cooling down the outside temps will be up. At this point I'm more concerned about roasting the poor babies because they can't escape the heat but they can huddle together if they get cold.

You have to do what you think is best. You sound like you are very aware of what they need. I am sure they will be fine.
I turned our lamp off this morning and it was chilly out in the room mine are in.....they were huddled, sleeping comfortably when I left. I agree with you that it's probably better for them to be slightly chilly and huddle, rather than be too hot.

 

[angelavl]

Do you think one of those "lamp timer" things would work? We have used them for years to turn our Christmas lights on and off at specific times of the day. I bet you could plug your lamp in to it and set the timer to 7 am and off at 12pm. Here's an example, but I'm sure you could find something similar at Home Depot.

http://www.harborfreight.com/lamp-and-appliance-timer-40148.html

 

[bigT88]

Thanks...I need to find someone to go over after lunch and turn off the heat lamp I guess. I am too far away to run home at lunch and so is my husband.

You could get a light timer and set it accordingly.

 

[danadear]

Do you think one of those "lamp timer" things would work? We have used them for years to turn our Christmas lights on and off at specific times of the day. I bet you could plug your lamp in to it and set the timer to 7 am and off at 12pm. Here's an example, but I'm sure you could find something similar at Home Depot.

http://www.harborfreight.com/lamp-and-appliance-timer-40148.html

I think I will definitely do this with my next batch of babies. We have decided to get a few more chicks since I'm sure mine are not all hens. Getting younger ones will mean I won't have the option of turning the heat off at 8 am.