Heat Lamp

I just set up my plastic tote brooder and did a test run with the heat lamp to see what the temperature is and I think it is going to be too hot. I only had it on for about 20 minutes and it was up to almost 100. I will be getting 4 day (or 2) olds and they will be staying in the house for at least a few weeks. Should I find a way to raise the 250 watt bulb or get a lower watt bulb? Who sells lower wattage infrared bulbs?

I am figuring if the temps stay in the 80's during the day I'll be able to put them outside on the porch in the brooder or in the coup and them bring them in at night until they are a few weeks old at least.

i would raise it an every week make it 5 degrees colder so that their feather fully grow, and if they are huddling together they are cold, if they are away from the light they are too hot and if they are spread out of just walking around they are perfect!!!!!

I have a feeling you won't need that heat lamp long. I used a 250 watt lamp for my first group of chicks and they always seemed too hot, till I had the lamp hanging about 3' above them. I put them in the garage with the light at three weeks (Texas here) and only used the light at night. They did not huddle or seem unhappy at all. If your house is 80, your chicks are likely going to spend most of their time out from under the light anyway.

I'd go with a regular 100 watt bulb...that is what I have been using for my four which are brooding in my garage right now. You avoid pasty butt by not overheating them and they will be more comfortable.

Aschenfire said:

I have a feeling you won't need that heat lamp long. I used a 250 watt lamp for my first group of chicks and they always seemed too hot, till I had the lamp hanging about 3' above them. I put them in the garage with the light at three weeks (Texas here) and only used the light at night. They did not huddle or seem unhappy at all. If your house is 80, your chicks are likely going to spend most of their time out from under the light anyway.

I'd go with a regular 100 watt bulb...that is what I have been using for my four which are brooding in my garage right now. You avoid pasty butt by not overheating them and they will be more comfortable.

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X-2 And if there to warm they don't feather out as well....cva34

Here's a question! I'm getting three chicks hopefully today and i have a plastic tote set up for them in an un-used room (has a heater) and its heated to i think 62 F or so, i also have a 125w infer-red bulb i was planning on using. Its been two years since i raised my last chicks and with them i had them in the heated room with out the heat lamp, and when i moved them outside i put a heat lamp in the coop. Now I'm not sure weather to just do it like i did or try and use the heat lamp inside? And I'm also not sure how far away the lamp should be or how warm to start out? I'm going to do some test runs before i get the chicks but i wanted to know, any advise would sure help!!

(p.s. brooder not quite finished in this picture)

I have read where you are not supposed to use newspaper in the bottom of the brooder.They can slip and get splayed leg. I just got chicks a week ago,and I am using paper towels,then after a couple days add shavings on top of the paper .

AnimalCrazed said:

Here's a question! I'm getting three chicks hopefully today and i have a plastic tote set up for them in an un-used room (has a heater) and its heated to i think 62 F or so, i also have a 125w infer-red bulb i was planning on using. Its been two years since i raised my last chicks and with them i had them in the heated room with out the heat lamp, and when i moved them outside i put a heat lamp in the coop. Now I'm not sure weather to just do it like i did or try and use the heat lamp inside? And I'm also not sure how far away the lamp should be or how warm to start out? I'm going to do some test runs before i get the chicks but i wanted to know, any advise would sure help!!

(p.s. brooder not quite finished in this picture)

Click to expand...

First few days to week you want the temperature under the lamp 95 F. Lower by 5-7 degrees by raising lamp or lowering wattage each week. They are good to go outside without heat at 4 weeks of age.

i think a 250 watt is too hot for a brooder the size of a tote. they have nowhere to escape the heat - if it's too hot they'll cook to death.
maybe use 2 bulbs of lesser and different wattage & that way you can fine tune it to suit your babies.
i used a 250 watt in a rabbit hutch size brooder. they moved away from the heat pretty quick.

i also read that newspaper was not so great. i ended up using puppy pads as the under layment & large flake pine on top. worked super well.

Egghead- Thanks i just put up my thermomater and i'll start there!

Also as i posted the brooder was unfinished in the picture since then i've changed the bottom to pine, but thanks for your consern anyway thats good to know!

This thread and all the others on heat lamps have been so helpful. I am getting my first chicks this weekend. Went shopping last night for chick supplies at my local farm supply store. They have everything you'd need to raise chicks, but they only had 250w heat bulbs. Sounded like too much wattage to me, but since that's all they sold I picked one up. Sat in front of it when I got home, about 6 feet away, holding up a thermometer and the temp got to 100 degrees in about 5 minutes. I'm gonna cook my chicken nuggets!! So am now on a quest for new bulbs. My husband read in a homesteading magazine today that the lamp should probably be between 75 and 150 watts. I'm way too nervous to use 250, even if I have it sitting on the other side of the room.

OP, hope your chickies are doing well!