Who uses a thermo cube?

[Cheryl]

My DH does not trust the thermo cube for our as yet used coop and flat panel heater. With about 18" of snow on the ground and 24 degrees, my soon to be 13 week old chickens will need a little heat to adjust from the basement to outside! So is there anyone out there who has used one for at least a whole winter?

 

[SeaChick]

Not a whole winter, but it's been cold here for over a month and ours is working just fine. We have it set up to turn on a waterer heater and it's working great.

Stacey

 

[Cheryl]

Since the girls are still young, I'm thinking I need the coop at least in the mid to high forties, so can I plug both a heat lamp and the flat panel heater into the same plug? Or is that too dangerous?

 

[Jillylam]

Cheryl,
I used a econoheat flat panel heater with a thermo cube last year and this year. It works great. My coop is 14'x12'x10' and it keeps it 10-15 degrees warmer than outside (I also have insulation in the ceiling so that stretches the heat). I absolutely love the heater and when the girls are really cold they snuggle up in front of it to defrost. The only thing I am thinking of doing is replacing my extension cord and thermo cube next year just for safety. My extension cord runs several hundred feet along a fenceline and I worry about it being out in the weather all year long. (Never mind that my husband is an electrician and he hasn't run a service out there yet).

 

[panner123]

Quote:
Your husband better use some of his electrical knowledge and put in a line to your coop. Not only will this lower your bill, it will prevent the fire that is waiting to happen. This fire could be your coop or your house.

 

[horsewishr]

I just googled ThermoCube. What an INGENIOUS little device. How come I've never seen it before???? Is it new? If feel so stupid.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Quote:
I'm with you. OK, I'm going to Google it. I have never heard of this device. I'm not using any heat yet in the coop.

 

[Cheryl]

I purchased a thermo cube today, on at 35 and off at 45, right now my coop is 56! I plugged in both a red heat lamp and the flat panel heater, as prior to today, I wasn't able to get the heat up with either one (separately) above 35...I don't want to cook the girls either! So I will unplug the heat lamp and see what happens!

 

[SeaChick]

There are a couple different brands. You can find one at Lowes/Home Depot in the section where they sell heat-wrap for pipes and stuff. It's a little plug-in outlet that turns the circuit on and off at certain temps.

We use ours for the water deforster we fashioned out of the element from a heated dog bowl. It has worked GREAT keeping the water unfrozen. It has been below 32 for a week or so here (down to about 9 degrees at night).

 

[Cheryl]

I've also got another question out there on the same subject, between the two I hope someone will answer! My coop is now wired for electricity (got rid of extension cord) and the flat panel (and a red heat lamp) are plugged into the ThermoCube, it is 30 outside and 36 inside, I think the differance in the temp from now to earlier is possibly where the plug is, on the ceiling? The temp guage is near the bottom of coop...will these temps be ok for my 14 week chickens or should I put the heat lamp into the outlet directly and somehow wean them down to the lower temperatures?