Looking for alternatives Heating/Cooling

[BenOtis]

I am interested to hear from other rodent breeders how they handle ventilation and heating and cooling their buildings. For anyone who breeds them on a medium-large scale knows that their needs to be a lot of ventilation coupled with the correct temperatures. I know people who only use ventilation on the summer with large fans (Even in climates where summer temps can be 100F during the day) and in the winter they have no ventilation and heat the building. Others use AC and put ventilation on a timer so they do not suck out all of the cold air. Please share how you try to accomplish both of these.

Does anyone use air exchangers with any luck?

To make this constructive, please tell us:
1. What kind of building you have them in Insulated/non-insulated
2. What climate you live in and the low/high temps.
3. Size of building
4. What you use to control temps and ventilation
5. How many rodents you have

[BenOtis]

No one has anything?

[D&G]

I have tested a few setups but now I have it down. My shop get over 95 in the summer, with breeders in the tub their body heat puts it well over 100. I was losing the females at an alarming rate. I found that fans just didn't help and there was no way to use A/C. What I did was use tube fans (from hydroponics store) hooked to 4 inch pvc pipe. I tried one fan but it didnt have the power need to reach the end. The pipe is one continuous loop and I put one fan at each end of the pipe. I drilled one hole at a slight angle pointing down over each of the 102 tubs. Not only did it drop the temps by 15 degrees but now I only need to change the bedding every month instead of every week! It keeps the poop dry and NO amonia at all. [IMG][/IMG]

I wish I did this years ago! My production more than doubled.

[BenOtis]

Thanks for your reply. That is an interesting setup you have there. I'm not sure that would work for me but something to think about. A month between cleaning though? I can't imagine what that looks like..

[bondo]

How big are you talking? I have a 12 x 8 insulted building that I use a small window ac unit when it is hot and an electric oil heater in the winter. I live in northern WI and it can get to -30 here sometimes and the heater keeps up with it.