I picked up this old reptile habitat from someone on Craigslist this morning for $50.00. It is 3 feet wide, 2 ft high and 2 feet deep. It is wood with glass doors and a top-to-bottom wire covered vent on the front. It was wired for a heat lamp and a fluorescent lamp.
So we went to work on it first giving it a good scrubbing. Then we drilled six round vent holes in the top and covered them with 1/2" hardware cloth. There was some soot near the heat lamp bulb so we removed the fixture and saw that it was burned out and wired wrong. I went to Lowes and replaced it with a new one that also has a plug in it so I can plug a second heat lamp in if needed. DH wired the new ceiling lamp outlet, we plugged in a 60 watt ceramic heat bulb and it is up to 80 degrees already. We're watching carefully that is doesn't overheat. The silkies can be at 80 degrees this week but the bantams are only a week old. I am going to shoot for 85 degrees. I am so hoping the ceramic bulb heats it enough. I want to get rid of that red lamp. They were partying all night! I want them to get used to the dark before we move them to the coop in a few weeks.
Anyway, here it is. I left the big snake log in it and they are having a ball climbing and roosting on it. We also put a couple of perches in for them. This is the first time the bantams and silkies have been together and they are enjoying it! It's ain't pretty but it works!
Here they are enjoying the new digs and some meal worms for the first time.
Mary
So we went to work on it first giving it a good scrubbing. Then we drilled six round vent holes in the top and covered them with 1/2" hardware cloth. There was some soot near the heat lamp bulb so we removed the fixture and saw that it was burned out and wired wrong. I went to Lowes and replaced it with a new one that also has a plug in it so I can plug a second heat lamp in if needed. DH wired the new ceiling lamp outlet, we plugged in a 60 watt ceramic heat bulb and it is up to 80 degrees already. We're watching carefully that is doesn't overheat. The silkies can be at 80 degrees this week but the bantams are only a week old. I am going to shoot for 85 degrees. I am so hoping the ceramic bulb heats it enough. I want to get rid of that red lamp. They were partying all night! I want them to get used to the dark before we move them to the coop in a few weeks.
Anyway, here it is. I left the big snake log in it and they are having a ball climbing and roosting on it. We also put a couple of perches in for them. This is the first time the bantams and silkies have been together and they are enjoying it! It's ain't pretty but it works!
Here they are enjoying the new digs and some meal worms for the first time.
Mary
