EcoGlow 20 Chick Brooder

Couldn't be happier that I decided to get the EcoGlow 20, my quail chicks love it and it truly is peace of mind while I am at work that it will not overheat or cause fire. I have no issues with cleaning or assembly as the instructions are easy to read and straight forward.

I do have to use a seedling heat mat for additional warmth but I still feel that I would need it regardless of the heat source I use (my house is a cold box at the moment with winter). It is also perfect size for my quail chicks, but if you had 20 chicken chicks, it may be too small and you may need to consider purchasing the EcoGlow 50.

I know that I made a pretty long con list for a three star review, but the cons are little complaints and the pros are large benefits. I got my Brinsea for about $80 dollars and it arrived with some weird glue around the heat panel. I was really worried for quality as it looked like someone had cheaply sealed the panel in with hot glue, so I carefully picked most of the glue away and everything seemed alright. I just hope that it was meant to be peeled off. The whole thing was made out of cheap plastic, so it hardly seemed worth the price. I might have payed $50 for it at maximum. I have to push the supports in on a table because it was so hard to get them on, and I have since then not been able to disassemble it. Within the first week the chicks had learned that hopping up on the brooder was fun and they started to hang out there and poop on it. The plastic is surprisingly hard to clean, and since I can' submerge the thing in water it's hard to clean! Luckily for me my chicks seem warm enough to not to go under the Brinsea during the day, but half of them sleep under it. If you live in a colder climate (my brooder is indoors and is about 70 degrees) and all of your chicks will want to be under it, it could be frustrating that you can't see them. For me since mine are out all of the time this isn't a problem for me, but I see how it could bother other people so it is a worthy con. Another thing to say is that this will absolutely not keep 20 chicks warm for more than a week. I would be surprised if this could house 10 chicks to 6 weeks let alone 20! So don't order this if you have more than 10 chicks! The Brinsea also doesn't get very hot, about 90 degrees on the surface. This makes it unsuitable for climates under freezing, I am a little surprised that it keeps my chicks warm at night when it is 50 degrees. Just be careful!

The nice things about the Brinsea are that it is a great idea overall, that it does't provide fire danger, that it collapses (with difficulty) so you can store it, and that it does not emit light allowing the chicks to sleep. It has been working for me, so I don't think that I should give it any less than 3 stars. I would recommend this item to people in warmer climates who don't mind spending a little extra for their chicks.

I got my very first chicks four weeks ago. I was a nervous wreck preparing for their arrival. I had purchaser the Eco Glow 20 a few weeks prior (fast and reasonable shipping!) and plugged it in a few hours before babies were to arrive. Chicks immediately went under it and seemed to feel very safe under it. They spent equal time under it and roaming. I loved the feeling of security with reduced risk of fire and of course saving energy is a bonus. As a first time chick owner, this product has made the experience easy and enjoyable. I have not had one incident of pasty butt or any ill birds. At four weeks I unplugged the Eco Glow but left it in place as they seem to enjoy having a good place to hide if needed. My chicks are bigger and further along in development than others from the same hatch. I think part of that is that they have never been overheated by a heat lamp. I have heard that Eco Glow chicks are often more active and I believe it!
If price is making you waiver, my sincere hope is that you splurge on this one item. Is is much safer than the alternative. If my math worked out correctly the Eco Glow will pay for itself in energy savings (compared to 150 wat heat lamp) in just two rounds of use. I also appreciate the free warranty that comes with the product when you register it. This is a great product! Highly recommended to the novice and experienced keeper alike!

First, I have LF Orpingtons, so my comment on the unit being too small for 20 chicks is based on that - my 4 chicks are about 2 weeks old and I have had to raise the height of the unit twice already; I expect they will have outgrown it completely before they are 4 weeks old, and I will need to switch to a regular brooder lamp anyway. I do not see how it would be possible to fit 20 chicks under this unit for very long.

In agreement with other reviewers, the chicks love it - it makes them feel safe and protected, which I think is a good start in life. The unit was easy to set up, after which I let it run for a day before hatching to test the temperatures, which I recommend - some people have reported faulty units, so test it before the babies arrive to avoid any crises. You do have to push the little ones under it the first time, but they're good after that. If/when the chicks get too warm they sleep near the outside of the unit, or sometimes half in, half out, so they are able to find a comfort zone.

The other advantage that I found very helpful was being able to move it easily for brooder box cleaning because the chicks would stay close to it, so I could move the chicks out of the brooder box to a play-pen kind of arrangement, put the brooder in it and the babies would stay put for the few minutes it took to clean and change the bedding - that was very handy, and less stressful for the chicks because the brooder was a familiar, safe thing.

If I had it to do over, I would still buy it, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and not everyone will be raising large breeds as I am, but I think it's fair to say that I doubt it would suit 20 chicks for the whole brooding period, it would get quite crowded before too long. I think it's an excellent beginner unit.

This brooder is overall very good. Though rather expensive, I believe that it has paid for itself by not using as much electricity as most other brooding devices. I have used it four times, with no problems. My chicks love spending time beneath it, and are very cute, darting out of it to eat and drink, and then racing back under. The height is easy to adjust as the chicks grow, and, when the chicks get older, they enjoy hopping on top of it. This can get a bit messy, but they have fun.

Purchased this item, excited to be able to use it in plastic totes for brooding, with no fear of catching my house on fire.

Plugged item in several days before I needed it, and never thought to check the temperatures.

Twelve hours after adding chicks to the brooder, I noticed ALL of them had beet red, burned backs. I flipped the unit over and grabbed my temp gun. Unit was too hot to hold onto. Over 140 degrees on the surface! It was heating the area under the unit to over 120 degrees on the ground under it as shown by the temp gun. This is a very accurate temp gun, so no chance it was an erroneous reading. Thankfully my chicks lived, but I feel so guilty that I failed to provide them with a safe place to sleep.

Won't even go into the nightmare that is Brinsea's customer service ...

All in all, it's a fantastic idea, and I'm sure I got one of the rare (hopefully) malfunctioning units. I still would not buy another, though, based on their CS.

I got the EcoGlow 20 to replace brooding under a lamp. This is easily the best chicken-related purchase I've made in a while. The ease of mind regarding fires is worth the price alone.

So far I've used the EcoGlow 20 to brood 5 Easter Egger chicks until they were 5 weeks or so, then they were feathered in enough. Then I used the EcoGlow 20 in conjunction with a Sweeter Heater to brood 40 birds (2 ducklings, 1 turkey, 37 chicks). I've since been using the EcoGlow to continue brooding the ducklings after separating them from the chicks.

20 day-old chicks could easily fit under this brooder. However, the two runner ducklings are 3.5 weeks old and I doubt a third could fit under there (but they hardly seem like they need it anymore and rather are under there because it's a safe dark place).

I'm not certain because I don't keep detailed records, but I think the chicks have feathered in faster under this brooder than under a lamp. I think this has to do with the over-all temperature of the brooder box is lower than it was when I was using the heat lamp.

I only move the heater to clean under it. I keep the water and feed far enough away from the heat that I have been able to keep an eye on the young chicks for pasty butt when they venture out.

The heater is not hot to the touch, and won't ignite bedding or burn your chicks. It is warm enough to keep chicks happy. I know I've been using it against the manufacturer's recommendation of >50F ambient room temperature. I have my brooders in an unheated shed. Many mornings when I go to the coop the water in unheated pans has ice--I know the temps have been into the low teens at night. Of course the coop is a bit warmer than outside and is draft-free. I haven't lost a single chick to cold. I'm NOT saying it will definitely work for you at temperatures lower than the manufacturer's recommendation since not all coops and chicks are created equally. I took the risk and it worked for me.

I will update this as I have time to write more.

UPDATE (Aug 5, 2015): I had to knock a star and a half off the original 5 star review.

After a few rounds of chicks, the cord attachment broke. My husband soldered it back on. It broke again after a few rounds of brooding. He soldered it back, again. I don't know how long this will last. The cord is very flimmsey--like a cell phone charger cord. It attaches sticking out the side between the legs that require being pried off with a screwdriver (per the instructions). The chicks always manage to pull/perch/whatever on the cord and it gets beat-up while adjusting the legs.

I think this brooder is excellent for somebody that occasionally broods a few chicks. I also think this brooder is excellent considering the reduced fire risk and energy use. However, I brood something on the order of 50 chicks per year, sometimes more. I use the EcoGlow in a brooder box along with a Sweeter Heater. I will replace my EcoGlow with another Sweeter Heater despite the heaftier price tag and higher energy use. The Sweeter Heater has a larger cord that attaches at the top--so no chicks tugging and perching on it.

Rec'd mine for Christmas from my DH, drove by the feed store Saturday and "miracle of miracles" the chicks were in. Bought them, brought them home, everything still in the original box. Had it set up in about 5 minutes. By the second night they are laying under it with their little heads stretched out from under it so apparently it keeps them warm enough (but I am using my craft room as a brooder & incubator room so it doesn't go below 60 at night). Gives them room to spread out or cuddle up, I have LF Orpingtons in it, 4-6 days old & set it on the middle setting, with shavings they are close enough. And I don't worry about it overheating & causing a fire like I do with the light. I am already looking at buying another as I have eggs in the incubator. The price is low enough it allows for a spare.

The brooder is a great idea since it simulates a hen's belly that the babies like to stay under and keep warm and safe.
However, I had to keep lifting up the brooder to cause them to scatter just so I can observe them and watch out for pasty butt, etc.

For some reason, now, they dont go under it anymore, so Im back to using brooder lamp

Got a good buy on this, I love it. The chicks are quiet and happy. Simulates a hen.

The EcoGlow brooders definitely provide "peace of mind" knowing that there is no issue with blown lamp bulbs. The chicks seem to enjoy running underneath the EcoGlow to feel "safe." As they get older, they will jump on top and poop, but it can be cleaned easily when you're done with it.

For chicks of varying heights the EcoGlow can be adjusted so that one side is higher than the other.

The EcoGlow should not be used outdoors or in areas where the ambient temp of the room can get too cold (a heat lamp would work better for those situations).

Check the Brinsea FaceBook page for discounts!

I love my Ecoglow 20. It's perfect to brood chicks-- they go under when they need to, just like chicks with a broody hen. I never have to worry about overheating or chicks being too cold. As the chicks grow, you just adjust the height of the heat plates. I really like that it uses so little energy and I never have to worry about fire hazard.