Heat lamp on while not home?

[cafarmgirl]

Does anyone know if I can bring the chicks with me? And then back?

This all depends on where you are going and how you are traveling. How will you keep them warm while you are traveling?

As far as the issue of a red lamp vs regular bulb? They don't see as much of the red light so it's thought to be less stressful for them. A plain, white bulb is a glaring light on them 24/7. This is not natural of course and it can stress them, especially if there are other stress factors already, like overcrowding.

If you decide to leave them at home and use a 35 or 45 watt bulb...test it out before you leave and make sure it's warm enough underneath it. Week old chicks need a place to go to warm up that's about 85 to 90 degrees. I don't know how close to them you'd have to place a 35 watt bulb to get the temps needed for this age of chick.

 

[ant888]

This all depends on where you are going and how you are traveling.  How will you keep them warm while you are traveling?

As far as the issue of a red lamp vs regular bulb?  They don't see as much of the red light so it's thought to be less stressful for them.   A plain, white bulb is a glaring light on them 24/7.  This is not natural of course and it can stress them, especially if there are other stress factors already, like overcrowding. 

If you decide to leave them at home and use a 35 or 45 watt bulb...test it out before you leave and make sure it's warm enough underneath it.  Week old chicks need a place to go to warm up that's about 85 to 90 degrees.  I don't know how close to them you'd have to place a 35 watt bulb to get the temps needed for this age of chick.

I will be traveling 25 minutes. How can I keep them warm?

 

[junebuggena]

I will be traveling 25 minutes. How can I keep them warm?

Just leave them where they are. Make sure the lamp is secure. And make sure that it's putting out enough heat to keep them warm. It should be fine.
If using a heat lamp or light to warm them is making you extremely worried, I suggest you use an alternative heat source, like a heating pad.

 

[kle2684]

I have a similar question...I had the 250 watt heat lamp from the farm store for my six 5-7 day old chicks. My thermometer was reading 100-110 in the brooder! They were staying towards one end if it as well. I was nervous that I was going to cook them so I traded it out for a regular 75 watt bulb. They are now running all over and acting fine but my thermometer is only reading 85 degrees.They don't act cold....but this is my first time with chicks. Any ideas???

 

[junebuggena]

I have a similar question...I had the 250 watt heat lamp from the farm store for my six 5-7 day old chicks. My thermometer was reading 100-110 in the brooder! They were staying towards one end if it as well. I was nervous that I was going to cook them so I traded it out for a regular 75 watt bulb. They are now running all over and acting fine but my thermometer is only reading 85 degrees.They don't act cold....but this is my first time with chicks. Any ideas???

Forget the 'rules'. Just go by what the chicks are telling you. If they are happy and comfortable, don't worry. They can handle slightly 'cool' temps better than they can handle too warm. They are much hardier than most people think they are.

 

[azygous]

You're confused because the heat guidelines you're trying to adhere to neglect to point out that the temperature is measured just below the heat source and does not mean the entire brooder must be that temperature.

In fact, if the temperature guide were to be truly helpful, it would point out that there are, in fact, two temperature zones every brooder must have. The warm zone to warm the chicks, and a cool zone, a good twenty degrees or more cooler where chicks can self regulate by ridding their bodies of excess heat.

The 250 watt bulb was in fact cooking your chicks within the confines of a small space, effectively turning it into a Suzie Homemaker oven. Small brooders and those wicked heat lamps kill more chicks than any other risk factor during their first week of life.

Some of my friends here on BYC and I are on a quest to change minds about brooding chicks under dangerous heat lamps, and trying to promote the concept of the heating pad system (or the more pricey heat plates) instead. This system virtually eliminates the dangers of overheating, and it has other advantages as well, such as allowing the chicks to have natural day/night rhythms which reduces stress and gives their little bodies a rest during the night when they are doing most of their cell growth.

Please consider switching.

 

[culdisaccoop]

Azygous...

We are currently using the Ecoglow 50 with one heat lamp. The reason is because our attached garage has been really chilly at night. Below 50 degrees. We now have pasty butt with 7 of the 16 chicks. Do you think it would be OK to turn the lamp off this evening? I'm just nervous

 

[junebuggena]

Azygous...

We are currently using the Ecoglow 50 with one heat lamp. The reason is because our attached garage has been really chilly at night. Below 50 degrees. We now have pasty butt with 7 of the 16 chicks. Do you think it would be OK to turn the lamp off this evening? I'm just nervous

You don't need the heat lamp with the Ecoglow. You'll overheat those chicks. They need that chilly area. It's essential for chicks to decide just how warm they want to be. They won't chill themselves. It's just like if they were with a hen. They run around, eat, and play, then go under the Ecoglow to warm up. The chronic pasty butt is an indication that they are being kept too warm.

 

[culdisaccoop]

Thanks June ! Took it off and they are using the Ecoglow just fine. Hopefully getting over the pasty butt now

 

[couloir007]

I have two 250 watt heat lamps. My 50 one day old broiler chicks arrive tomorrow. This is my first time, and here in northern VT, it has been dipping into the teens and 20s at night. My brooder is set up in the garage and ready to go, the garage got down to 34 last night. I turned the heat lamp on today to start testing it. It's hitting 95 to 100 about 18" off the ground. I have doubled tethered the lamps to 2 very solid eye hooks each I put into the rafters. I'm still not comfortable with the idea. It's an attached garage, and I don't have fireproof sheetrock on the walls. Is this a bad idea? I'd get the Sweeter Heater, but at $120, I want to make sure it can keep 50 chicks warm with ambient temps in the 30s and 40s.