What ambient temp can I turn off the brooder lamps?

[pibb]

I brood my chicks outside in a metal shed where temps can fluctuate wildly. I have a dimmer on two 125w heat lamps that I keep an eye on and adjust accordingly, but I'm always trying to improve on it so I don't have to babysit it as much. I have a wafer thermostat that I can use to turn off the bulbs when the ambient temp gets to a certain point so I can save electricity. A metal shed in the sun does not have any problem reaching brooding temps at ~60F or more so I can benefit from this.

Anyone know what temperature chicks do not need supplemental heat or what temp I can cut off the bulbs?

 

[hysop]

I think it’s more on how old they are. Newly hatched chicks need 95 degrees. And then after that 5 degrees less every week. I have my brooder outside and I turn off my lamp when the ambient temperature gets to 75 and up, but I turn it on at night and I live in a humid area. My chicks are a mix of 1-2 week olds.

 

[PouleNoire]

Cut off the heat when the ambient temperature is at the temperature the chicks should be at for their given age. For example if the chicks are about 2 weeks old it should be around 85 degrees; if the ambient temp is 85 degrees give or take, the lamps can be off as having them on would only heat the area more and they don't need that. Good luck with your brood!

 

[pibb]

If I go by that general rule, it may be 90-95 F ambient temp and 125 F under my brooder since it is warmer under the brooder. I failed to mention that I use an ohio brooder by the way. With temps like that, there is not really a cool spot for them to go to cool off if the ambient air temp is 90-95F.

I am actually in week 4 now so this isn't an emergency situation, just something I want to improve on my next brood.

I'd like to set the thermostat for 1 week olds and just keep it because the wafer isn't something I want to have to adjust every week.

 

[PouleNoire]

I'm not super familiar with Ohio brooders, perhaps someone with more expertise could be of assistance.

 

[hysop]

If I go by that general rule, it may be 90-95 F ambient temp and 125 F under my brooder since it is warmer under the brooder. I failed to mention that I use an ohio brooder by the way. With temps like that, there is not really a cool spot for them to go to cool off if the ambient air temp is 90-95F.

I am actually in week 4 now so this isn't an emergency situation, just something I want to improve on my next brood.

I'd like to set the thermostat for 1 week olds and just keep it because the wafer isn't something I want to have to adjust every week.

Oh so what is the relationship between the ambient temperature and the brooder temperature? For my 1-2 week olds I turned off the lamp when the ambient temperature was at 80 but the brooder was still in the 90s because there was some cover that kept the heat in.

 

[pibb]

Right, the brooder holds the heat in it so it is always going to be hotter than the ambient air temp as long as the bulbs are on. Now if the bulbs are off, the brooder temp will go back down to ambient temp and when the ambient air reaches a certain point, I want the lamps to come back on.

I don't expect the bulbs the be turned off but for a couple hours per day in this season and not every day because the sun hasn't been out very much lately for me to play with adjusting the wafer. When summer gets here, the bulbs could probably be off for 4-5 hours per day saving electricity.

Last year I got tired of having to babysit the brooder and shed temps so this year I made an overly complicated electrical control box that controls 2 bathroom fans with 2 household thermostats and a timer that controls another fan. My dimmer is also wired in this box with the wafer thermostat hanging on the side that can cut the power off to the brooder. There are switches to bypass all of these thermostats if I need to do. So far this control box has helped me tremendously. I just need to dial it in.

I was thinking of turning off the bulbs in the mid to upper 80's like you said.