Brinsea Ecoglow chick brooder - one BIG flaw!

[Ariel188]

Just an update. I managed to bring back 2 ecoglows (one in my hand luggage!) and gave one to a friend. They are fantastic, such a simple concept and so effective. Next best thing to a broody! I have 2 meat chicks and a BCM under 1 today, and love listening to the little trills coming out from under it

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Yah!! Glad to hear it!!

 

[ChuckieEgg]

I browsed through this thread last year before I bought my Ecoglow 20. I put 20 day-old chicks (10 red hybrid layers and 10 white leghorns) under it (maximum recommended) and was a bit worried that it wouldn't be big enough once they started growing. However my worries were needless. I had it in my sitting room though - so the background heat was not bad. All 20 survived and then once they were a month old I put them in a broody hen coop (ran an extension out so they still had the Ecoglow). It was really cold late March last year when they went out so I slung a couple of old duvets over the coop for extra insulation. They were absolutely fine and grew into happy healthy pullets.

This year I've got 50 day old chicks of different breeds arriving next week, so I've just ordered the Ecoglow 50. I'm figuring that they'll be pretty happy with a decent size pen - the ecoglow 50 and the ecoglow 20 in it. I'll keep them in my sitting room until they totally stink the place out, and then move them out to a hen hut. Fingers crossed!!!

 

[Texgal57]

I like it and so do the chicks. Being a first timer, I wasn't sure when to raise it up, so I just raised one end. The unexpected benefit is having it slanted keeps them off the top, one less thing to clean!

Wish they made it easier to adjust. I always feel like I'm going to break it.

 

[Skink]

Just got an Ecoglow 20 and a 50 as well, at long last! They were bigger than I thought they would be, and taller too. Which worries me a bit... right now I have a newly hatched button quail all by their lonesome under the 20 and obviously I cannot lower it enough to touch them. They have been napping beneath it before tearing around the brooder peeping so I think they are being warmed, but this is my first button quail. I have no frame of reference, this could be chilly behavior for all I know... most likely they are just lonely and I am just fretting

We've spent more than the cost of these units in bulbs in the few years I've been brooding/hatching and at LEAST twice we've had bulbs explode at random, which is terrifying and very dangerous.. we were incredibly lucky to be right there when it happened. I also use radiant heat for my reptiles and it is well worth the price, it is just a matter of coming up with the money in the moment.

 

[avocadoeggs]

I just set up the EcoGlow20 brooder for a couple of new babies I picked up. The light keeps flashing and the heating element quits. Anyone else experience this? It has power in order to make the light flash, but nothing from Brinsea mentions a flashing light and customer service hasn't been stellar. :/

 

[3riverschick]

HTTP://Www.sweeterheater.com
More SQ. Inches for the money.
See the PDF on this website about how to set up a brooder. Note this is Gail Damrow the famous poultry author who got rid of her lights and went with sweeterheaters.

Best, Karen

 

[Peaky]

One other thing I find difficult is to remove the side panels to move the brooder closer or further away from chics. I got new chics today and ended up having to raise the floor under the brooder to keep 2 day old chics close enough to heat instead of adjusting the side panels. Do u know how to remove the ends in order to life heat source up or down?

 

[Cacique500]

One other thing I find difficult is to remove the side panels to move the brooder closer or further away from chics. I got new chics today and ended up having to raise the floor under the brooder to keep 2 day old chics close enough to heat instead of adjusting the side panels. Do u know how to remove the ends in order to life heat source up or down?

I was worried about this with my first batch of chicks. I just didn't trust the plastic and was afraid I'd break it if I tried to adjust it. My solution was to raise it with small blocks of wood on each side. Worked perfectly.

 

[avocadoeggs]

I think the instructions showed you needed to use a screw driver to pop it out of the tabs in order to move it, but I have read the tabs also break easily... :/

My brooder has been totally unreliable and sometimes the heat shuts off...I am lucky to be home most of the time and the little babies chirping alerts me to it. I have contacted Brinsea but they have not verified that they are going to do anything for me, despite the supposed warranty! This is a brand new brooder purchased within the last month and only in use two days! Starting to feel like the $80 is a complete rip off for this thing.

 

[debid]

I think the instructions showed you needed to use a screw driver to pop it out of the tabs in order to move it, but I have read the tabs also break easily... :/

My brooder has been totally unreliable and sometimes the heat shuts off...I am lucky to be home most of the time and the little babies chirping alerts me to it. I have contacted Brinsea but they have not verified that they are going to do anything for me, despite the supposed warranty! This is a brand new brooder purchased within the last month and only in use two days! Starting to feel like the $80 is a complete rip off for this thing.

Some of us are building our own out of a human heating pad (either without automatic shutoff or with the choice of constant on or timed) and a wire framework. Mine cost all of $13 for a 12"x15". With a click of the switch, it's both cool enough to use in a heated house or warm enough to use for outdoor brooding in a coop.


If you're interested, there is a huge thread about the mama heating pad. So glad that I found it! Lamps are really inefficient for small groups like I get (6 this time) but there is no chance I'd brood them in my house. This is best of both worlds.