Bad Experience Brooding with Ceramic Heat Lamp

[my sunwolf]

What about a "sweeter heater"? For those who fear barn fires.
http://www.sweeterheater.com/bizweb.asp
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweeter-Heater/543772455653674
http://www.enasco.com/product/C15870N
http://www.examiner.com/review/sweeter-heater-brooder-review
https://www.strombergschickens.com/product/Sweeter-Heater-Baby-Chick-Brooder/basic-brooders
Best,
Karen

Thank you Karen, I've seen those but couldn't figure out what they were called to buy them! If I'm going to do a whole lot more winter/early spring brooding I may definitely invest.

I think that the Ohio hover is working, especially with two 250W lamps at night. I'm turning one off during the day. I've noticed the Cornish X are not too good at self-regulating as other chicks. Next time, we are delaying chicks until at least April, and looking into the Freedom Rangers.

 

[aart]

I don't think either the plate heaters and especially the CHE's are meant to be used in such a low ambient temperatures.
It's not the product but the applications that are the problem here.

I got a CHE and testing it inside in about 65 degree room it does not radiate heat as far as a light bulb does......so for a reptile it's great but for more than a few chicks, not enough.

Kind of makes sense with the CHE but Brinsea should definitely note the ambient temp on the website.

My hatch is due tomorrow!

 

[aart]

I think a hover is the best way to do a lot of chicks in a cold outside environment.

I've got 16 in lockdown, couldn't see during candle very well, especially the 6 green eggs...but I've had 3 for sure large and moving on day 18.....so we'll see what we see after another couple days. I've got mixed mutts of the lt brahma/wyandotte/cochin sorts under a dk brahma mutt roo and the 6 EE's and some other unknown mutts under the EE roo.

 

[my sunwolf]

I think a hover is the best way to do a lot of chicks in a cold outside environment.

x2!

I've got 16 in lockdown, couldn't see during candle very well, especially the 6 green eggs...but I've had 3 for sure large and moving on day 18.....so we'll see what we see after another couple days. I've got mixed mutts of the lt brahma/wyandotte/cochin sorts under a dk brahma mutt roo and the 6 EE's and some other unknown mutts under the EE roo.

Someone once told me that the reason you didn't have blue or green eggs in the grocery was because they are so hard to candle and therefore couldn't be graded for industrial markets. Incubation has always been sort of a toss-up for me. You'll have to get a thread for baby pics, I love looking at EE chicks

 

[my sunwolf]

Much better luck the last few days, I think the hover with two 250W bulbs is working!!

 

[TheChickInn]

I love my Premeir Heat lamps! Any heat lamp poses a potential fire danger- these are the safest I have found. I also use a chain to make sure they don't get knocked down accidentally.

 

[my sunwolf]

I love my Premeir Heat lamps! Any heat lamp poses a potential fire danger- these are the safest I have found. I also use a chain to make sure they don't get knocked down accidentally.

Ooh, do you mean these? They look really nice. It concerns me that the top rate wattage is 250--meaning that if I used a 250W bulb in the fixture, it might be pushing it? And don't like that a lot of the parts look plastic, I prefer metal around hot bulbs, though looks like it might be a stronger material on the interior. Very interesting.

I was also curious to see if the type of bulb made a difference, or if the red 250W heat bulbs are all just as likely to light something on fire.

Probably still not warm enough for all the chicks in all the cold, but definitely something neat for fewer chicks.

 

[Beekissed]

Yeah, this is essentially what I realized during my HUGE mistakes! I understand now how they use so little electricity...

I'm very interested in the "sweeter heater," which looks like it has much more power than the CHE or the plate (like Brinsea's), but I also like the idea of the hover brooder as I always prefer something that I can build myself. Of course, the fire hazard is still there with the application of the lights.

I also think a big difference is # of chicks. 100+ babies and cold temps, and the hanging lamp setup doesn't seem to work at all. I have done 100+ babies, and cold temps, but never both at once.

aart, what are you hatching and how many?

I'm wondering what you are using for the walls and floor of your brooder? There are ways to hold and increase the power of your heat source that can help you create a warm ambient situation even when it's 20* outside.

For instance, the last batch of meaties I did were 54 birds in an outside, open air hoop coop with one 250 heat lamp and had no issues whatsoever with piling because I had some good insulation on the floor of the brooder and the walls and then capped it off with something that would hold in the heat but could be moved to regulate airflow and heat. I had a warm end and a cool end and they made good use of both and hardened off quickly.

Here's the brooder....cheap, cheap, cheap. I placed a very thick piece of cardboard under the litter and a plywood topper on this brooder.

 

[TheChickInn]

Ooh, do you mean these? They look really nice. It concerns me that the top rate wattage is 250--meaning that if I used a 250W bulb in the fixture, it might be pushing it? And don't like that a lot of the parts look plastic, I prefer metal around hot bulbs, though looks like it might be a stronger material on the interior. Very interesting.

I was also curious to see if the type of bulb made a difference, or if the red 250W heat bulbs are all just as likely to light something on fire.

Probably still not warm enough for all the chicks in all the cold, but definitely something neat for fewer chicks.

Yes- that's it. I have used them for the past 2 years and have always used the 250 watt bulbs ( I do switch out to a 175 watt when the chicks are in the grow-out brooder). I have never had a problem with them. They are very well made as compared to the brooder lamps that can be purchased at most farm supply stores. I also buy the Premeir heat lamp bulbs- they last much longer and I have never had one become loose.

 

[Tappy4me]

Yes- that's it. I have used them for the past 2 years and have always used the 250 watt bulbs ( I do switch out to a 175 watt when the chicks are in the grow-out brooder). I have never had a problem with them. They are very well made as compared to the brooder lamps that can be purchased at most farm supply stores. I also buy the Premeir heat lamp bulbs- they last much longer and I have never had one become loose.

Wish I had browsed their site a bit more the other day! I think we will buy one of these next time, or one of their heat plates for the next go round with chicks.
I like the design of their lamp and stand much better than the farm supply store ones. They're cheap and work, but they worry me! haha