EcoGlow 20 chick brooder vs Heat Lamp

[Dinosaur Gal]

Sorry if this question has been posted before. This would be my first time raising chicks. So i wanted to know which heat source would be better? And with the EcoGlow 20 Chick Brooder can you set it at certain temperatures like you need to do with a heat lamp like have it at 90 to 95 degrees then as the chicks get older move the lamp father away so the temperature with be cooler? I hope a explained this ok sorry if anything is unclear Thanks so much!

 

[javaferret]

I have done both, this year I did the eco glow and have to say the eco glow worked out much better! Less worry about possible fire and the chicks seem to feather up quicker, and no deaths. I did have to show some of the chicks the way under before they seemed to understand it was nice and warm there, but for the most part they figured it out and did well.

The ecoglow doesn't have a temp switch to adjust for heat, rather you adjust the height of it. What I did was put it on the medium height setting and actually had one end propped up so there was a slop, the chicks could pick which end they felt more comfortable. It seemed more natural not to have the chicks sleep interrupted with bight light 24/7.

 

[Dinosaur Gal]

Do you think that a red heat lamp would work better then a regular one? I looked up the ecoglow its quite expensive :/

 

[javaferret]

Red light might be less intrusive, I have never tried one. I got my ecoglow on amazon, think there was a special for it so was a small bit cheaper (not much). There is also a thread on here about a Mama heat pad sounds like a home made ecoglow type of thing. Good luck

 

[speedy2020]

Do you think that a red heat lamp would work better then a regular one? I looked up the ecoglow its quite expensive

I used 60w0-100w incandescent light bulb without any issue. The key to keep the temperature 85-90F 1st week. I like to keep the temperature cooler than other.

 

[Ridgerunner]

People use the ecoglow, heat lamps, hovers, reptile emitter heaters, heating pads, and who knows how many other methods. Dad used a 60 watt incandescent white bulb. They all can work if they are set up right. Since they pretty much all use electricity there is some danger but if they are set up right the danger is minimized. If they are not set up right any of them can be a risk. The key is setting them up right.

I use a heat lamp and brood out of doors in my coop, winter and summer. I throw that clamp away that comes with the heat lamp and wire the lamp in place so it cannot fall. I’m very comfortable with how my coop is wired, all according to code although I’m in a rural area where I could have legally not followed code. I’m really comfortable with my set-up but I’m not going to say you have to do anything my way. There are lots of different ways that have worked for decades or, in some cases, over a century. How is best for you will depend on your unique situation. Where are you brooding, in a climate controlled area or someplace you get big temperature swings. How many chicks will you have? Your outside weather and how you raise them will affect when you can take them off of heat. Chicks fed a higher protein Starter diet will feather out faster than chicks fed a lower protein diet. Chicks exposed to colder temperatures, even just occasionally, will feather out faster than chicks kept constantly in subtropical conditions.

To me, whichever methods you use, the basics are straightforward. You do not want to overheat your chicks and you don’t want them to become too cold. While the chicks can survive in a wide range of temperatures, there is no perfect temperature for all chicks. Just like people, some chicks like it cooler or warmer than others.

To me the easiest way to achieve all this is to make your brooder big enough so you can provide heat in one area and let the rest cool down. I find that straight out of the incubator my chicks are really good at self-regulating. I’ve had chicks in my outdoor brooder with the daytime temps very hot. Even with a 75 watt heat lamp bulb raised way up it’s too hot in that area. So the chick don’t stay in that area, they go to a cooler part of the brooder. In winter I use a 250 watt bulb and keep one end toasty, but the far end might have ice in it. The chicks tend to stay in the warmer areas but after they get a little age on them they will spend a surprising amount of time in cooler temperatures, just going back to the heat when they need to warm up.

It’s easier if you brood indoors, you don’t have to deal with temperature swings. While a lot of chicks are raised indoors in fairly small aquariums, rubber tubs, and things like that, I prefer something bigger. It’s just easier, you don’t have to worry so much about overheating them. But indoors without those temperature swings you can do OK. Plenty of people do. I personally don’t like to brood indoors because of the dust, noise, and potential smell, but lots of people do.

It really doesn’t matter to me what heat source you use, as long as you keep one area warm enough in the coolest temperatures and cool enough in the warmest temperatures they will do great.

 

[Dinosaur Gal]

Wow okay Thanks so much for the advice!

 

[Dinosaur Gal]

Thanks alot for the tip! the key now i guess is to figure out how big of brooder ill need for 6 chicks lol

 

[Dinosaur Gal]

Wow thanks sp much for all the help i guess i really need to do some more research. I plan on keeping mine indoors for the first 4-5 weeks of there life the slowly intergrate them with my original flock. Im only getting 6 chicks, do you have a brooder size that you would recommend for that many chicks?

 

[lazy gardener]

Before you spend any money on any heat system, I strongly suggest that you read this article. After using this method, I'll never go back to a light bulb based brooding system again. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors


It cost a fraction of the ecoglo, and IMO is superior.