How do you guys hang your heat lamps?

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Willow's Meadow

Willow's Meadow

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I don't know how to hang it. How high/far away should it be from the chicks? What are you supposed to clamp it to? What wattage should I get for 16 babies(don't have the chicks yet)? It looks like TSC only has 250 wattage bulbs. But that's only from there website. Please post pics of your lamps and how you hung them!
 
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It depends where they are. My chicks are in my bedroom, so they are automatically at house temps. I started my lamp when they were a day old at 18 inches, but because it's 250 watt I had to raise it higher. It's held by an L brace screwed into the wall, by strong wire, and then balanced and enforced with one wire on each side. I may be overdoing it, but better safe then sorry. I also don't use a thermometer, mostly because I don't have one. I go strictly by how the chicks are acting. So far I haven't had them panting, or huddled under the heat lamp.

When I had my first two chicks they were housed outside in a secure brooder, and the heat lamp was closer. Not sure about garages and stuff, but that's my own experience
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Hope it helped a little.

Edited to add: Will post a picture later to show what I mean
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don't have any at the moment.

Edited to add: Pictures of my brooder currently. The heat light is so high because they are 3 weeks old now
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I started it lower then that. Duct tape is added to screws to inforce the L bar.

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Brooder002.jpg


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I also hung the cord AWAY from the light.

Brooder005.jpg
 
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For how far away, it depends on where you brood them and what wattage you are using. I'd say at least 18 inches though.

I don't have pics of mine and I'm having trouble uploading photos right now, but I anchor mine with a strong hook and attach a chain to the hook, around the lamp and back up to the hook. I also reinforce with zip ties just in case.
 
I don't trust the clamp that comes with it at all. I hang it on a wire so it cannot fall or get knocked down and make sure I have a second wire as a back-up.

How far away depends on where it is, your temperatures, and how the brooder is made. It will be different for all of us. I put a thermometer in the brooder before I add chicks and adjust the height until I get temperatures around 90 to 95*F right under the lamp. The far corners of the brooder get a lot cooler so they can find their own comfort zone. Once I get the temperature right under the lamp where I want it, I take the thermometer out and let the chicks tell me if it is too hot or too cold.

The day I put them in, it was about 90 to 95*F under the lamp but 70*F at the far corner of the brooder. The first couple of days, they pretty much stayed under the lamp, but in a very few days, they were wandering all over the brooder, coming back to the lamp if they got cold.
 
I use LARGE plastic totes for brooders. I use the round "trouble" lights with a 85 watt red flood light. I cut a hole in the top of the plastic and use duct tape to secure the light and make screened, large hole at other end for ventilation . Usually keep that end of the brooder just about right. After a week or so, raise lid and light by putting slicks across top and lid on top of sticks... provides less heat and more ventilaton.
I always keep a digital thermometer down at chick level under light.

after about 10 days, babies are in large box and light is adjusted by chain.
 
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I used a 250 red to start after I realized the white one was blinding them, then went to a 150 red for reptiles. I think the bulb aboce seems to close to the wall for safety purposes IMO. I clamped mine to a floor lamp so I could raise and lower it, with a thermometer on the floor to judge the temp. BUT mine is older with a much better clamp. And I never had mine close to a wall or anything. I didn't want to come home with my house burned down...
 
The heat lamp housings in these pictures look pretty old. The newer ones have a positive clamp on them. If you use either, I would strongly suggest to tether them with a safety connection for "just in case".

You would not want to wake up to a small house fire and barbqued chicks.
 
I have mine suspended from a camera tripod secured with velcro stapping. I has a reflector with a 100watt bulb. The tripod gives me lots of adjustment option just turn knobs and sliding tubes. About 5 degrees can be added or subtracted just by moving the height two inches.
 
Quote:
this is kina what I do mine are in a shed I use a light dog chain and have it hanging down I just move the snap up or down depending on how old they are for my nursery inside I have an old drafting light fastened to a rubbermaid brooder that works good . I have been using 250 watt red bulbs with good success
 

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