Heat source

Hi all

My first lot of chicks arrived last week. My brooder had not arrived so I borrowed a heat lamp from a commercial hatchery while I waited for it.

It arrived this morning but I am a bit worried about the heat source. It is a fireglow bulb and its very hot! I am concerned that the chicks will burn themselves on it. it isnt very high. I can raise it a bit but as the chicks grow they will be able to reach it again. how long before they dont need the lamp anymore?

Well, it you are in North America, it is summer. At 4-5 weeks, they'll usually be feathered out and no longer need any assistance beyond the warm summer weather. That's about all a broody, mother hen would ever give them.

Can you safely mount the lamp on cinder blocks to raise it up? Better yet, why not just make a quick trip to TSC, Wal-Mart or Home Depot and pick up a simple lamp holder and bulb?

It is a lamp holder and bulb screwed to side of box, but bulb is boiling. and they can touch it.

This trouble can be easily remedied. So you said its at the side of the box? Try using a clamp and some thick rope to dange it from the ceiling and putting a grate over the top so if it ever fell it wouldn't hurt the chicks. But all,keep in mind if chicks get too hot, they do a good job staying away from the heat source. It sounds like your coop is plenty warm.
Best of luck.

Sadly dangling things is not an option. I have to keep the lid on to keep them safe from the cat. Once they are bigger she wont bother them but at this size I think she might eat them.

You will have to keep the lid on the brooder after they are about a week old to keep them in unless it's very deep. You could change to a lower watt bulb. The heat lamp you are using shouldn't have to be so close they can touch it. 95 degrees on one end of their brooder is all that is required. And you are stuck with the light for 3 weeks minimum or you could purchase an ecoglo which is an alternative heat source for chicks.Maybe a pic of your setup would help us to come up with suggestions.

For the first week, your brooder should be 95 degrees at the floor level of the chicks. Second week, 90 degrees and the temp goes down by 5 degrees per week etc.until they feather out. If you provide a large enough box, the chicks can move away from the heat source to adjust their own temperature. When the chicks are cold they can move closer to the bulb... and when they are too warm they can easily move away.

If your box is not large enough, then you may want to provide a new temporary box while you are waiting for your brooder. You can purchase a large cardboard box at your local Uhaul or a storage facility. Box prices should range from $5-$15 and afterwards you can throw it away. To cover the top of the box, buy a roll of 1/4" hardware cloth from lowes, home depot etc for about $6. Bend it to fit the top of the box. The hardware cloth can be reused for your coop.

My cars love to sit on a chair and look down in on the chicks in our living room brooder. I held chicks up to each cat and our dog to let them sniff and understand that these chicks are now part of our "family" and not to be played with. So far we are on our third batch of babies and the cats, dog and chicks have been fine.
Good luck with yours! Tina