Ok without heat lamp?

[gracejr]

Chicks are 2.5-3 weeks old. (Got them from TSC on the 13th, not sure exact DOB)

Their heat lamp bulb broke today. The glass completely separated from the metal spiral part you twist into the lamp... Paid $20 for the stinkin' thing not even 2 weeks ago!!

The brooder is in the house, open/wire grid sides. Do you think they'll be fine without a lamp for the time being? I won't be able to get in town to get a new bulb until at least Wednesday.

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

of course the will be fine, my chicks went without the heat lamp at 2-3 weeks

 

[leadwolf1]

I would keep an eye on them and make sure that they are not acting cold. If they are, I would use a regular 75 - 100 W light bulb to keep them warm. I don't know about your house, but mine is kept at 65 and that is too cold for 3 week olds.

 

[suezqz_64]

In a pinch a heating pad under the brooder may help. That's what I use for mine because our house is small and I don't like the lights on at night.

 

[cockadoodle]

Agree with some of whats already been posted. 2 things matter. 1) are they acting like they are cold? you know.. huge dog pile of chicks? 2) how cold is their brooder?? you never said how cold it is now. They will let u know if its too cold, assuming you are looking before they get TOO cold.. know what i mean? This would be an emergency at my house fwiw...

 

[Nsampsel]

I have never had a "heat light" bulb in my brooder. I just use a standard 100 watt household bulb in a heat bell. I put it fairly close to the brooder but make sure the chicks can't reach it. All have been fine, bantums & ducks included. I have chicks that are less than 2 weeks old at this point in brooders in my bedroom. I tried leaving the lamps on for the 1st week at night but got NO SLEEP WHATSOEVER. The last several nights I have turned their lights out & closed my bedroom door and turned on my small electric heater to keep just my room a bit above 70-75 degrees. Mine are doing great & will be more than ready to go out to the coop within a week or so with the temps here staying above 50 or so at night. I've been turning the heater down a bit each night til within another day or 2 it won't be on at all. I only still leave them the brooder lights during the day now because it's rather dark in my room during the day since it's in the basement.

 

[gracejr]

I had to rebuild their brooder today, so by the time they went back in their cage, it was air temperature. It has wire sides, so it doesn't hold heat as well as their first brooder did (oversized storage bin). We keep it between 65-70 in here usually.

I thought about using a regular bulb, the ones I have in my light box can throw quite a bit of heat. But wouldn't it mess up their day/night cycles with a bright light on them overnight? I did manage to find the old 50w heat bulb, so that is on them right now. The brooder is 28" high, but last I checked it seemed it had warmed up the roosting perch, though floor level still felt like it was ambient temperature.

They have been very noisy this afternoon and evening, but they've always been a bit noisy. They spent most of the evening exploring the new digs and exercising their wings with the added height, though they were all huddled together before I added the small bulb. Right now there is one sleeping on the roost while the other 5 are sleeping together on the floor underneath. (Close, but not on top of one another) I don't have a thermometer in there, so not sure the actual temp.

 

[leadwolf1]

If they are sleeping, iI would say you are good to go!

 

[Nsampsel]

Sounds like they are fine. At 2.5-3 weeks they should be remotely well feathered in anyway so don't need as warm of temps any more

 

[jak2002003]

Use the normal household light bulb. They don't care about the light and dark and will just sleep when they are tired. Its better to do that than chance that they get too cold......and then sick.