Brinsea Ecoglow chick brooder - one BIG flaw!

[Highlander]

Quote:
Hehe. Certified eBay junkie, hey? I almost always check eBay first but I actually went to the Brinsea site first this time because so many different people on here mentioned how Brinsea had the cheapest prices for their own stuff. Found out that was just in the US, and my faith in eBay was reaffirmed. Hope the second one arrives soon - I'm in lockdown again right now!

Where are you putting them all?

How many hatching this time round?

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
Hehe. Certified eBay junkie, hey? I almost always check eBay first but I actually went to the Brinsea site first this time because so many different people on here mentioned how Brinsea had the cheapest prices for their own stuff. Found out that was just in the US, and my faith in eBay was reaffirmed. Hope the second one arrives soon - I'm in lockdown again right now!

Where are you putting them all?

How many hatching this time round?

I have the first five in a 4'x2' plywood brooder box I built a while ago. The next three are in a big cardboard box. I have eight in lockdown but I think I'll be lucky to get 5 or 6 chicks out as some of the eggs were well over a fortnight old and they weren't stored very well. I may yet prove myself wrong though! These ones will probably be going in another cardboard box for the first week or so. I love cardboard boxes, they're easy to lift and move around and they're well insulated.

And for when everybody grows up, I just bought two more (second hand in manky ratty condition) shed-coops from a local farmer at the weekend. They're out in our yard on a flatbed trailer at the moment. They'll need a fair bit of cleaning, repair work and general sprucing up but I think I can get them back into reasonable condition in time for these chicks going outside. I'd have preferred to get second-hand garden sheds in better condition but every one I say on eBay disappeared before the auction finished. Sold privately I suppose. And any that appear on Gumtree sell within the hour.

I have lovely visions in my head of lots of identical clean new sheds sitting in tidy rows in a sunny grassy field. Unfortunately the reality is likely to continue to be tatty mismatched shacks covered in moss and dripping with rainwater, plopped down wherever we've got a bit of space for them in our muddy yard. Oh well.

So what is in your bator just now anyway?

 

[Highlander]

I had said I wasn't hatching until March, didn't I?, I couldnt help myself.

I threw in a bunch of Wellie/RSL mutts I got from a neighbour. I'm on day 5.


Quote:

 

[wsdareme]

Quote:
Leave it to you Scots to be able to find better prices than us Yanks on eBay!!!

Yes, Brinsea is the best price over here. I'd be curious to see how much it would cost if I were to buy directly from Wheatcroft and have it shipped over. Or, if any of the eBay traders will ship to the States. First I need to find a currency converter...

 

[wsdareme]

Okay, I hatched 4 BCM chicks and they are now in the brooder with my brand new EcoGlow. They sure do like it!! I have a big clear plastic tote for a brooder, and I put it on the kitchen table (DH is out of town). So I can sit and watch them under the EcoGlow. Boy, they are funny. They like to stand up tall and put their backs on it. Then they'll start to fall asleep and tip over. I think they like being able to run underneath like they would if their momma was raising them. And it sure is saving me a ton of money on electricity!!

 

[MuranoFarms]

I love mine except.....it's too big for guineas. I assume seramas and quail are out too! lol The guineas can't touch the bottom of the plate, so they can't get to the warmth. I've tried putting a small tray upside down under it, with a washcloth on top it that...to raise them up so they're closer. I still lost a few. Normal batams (like silkies) and standards do great under it though!

 

[gryeyes]

Wsdareme, could you measure the unit and tell me its dimensions? Width and length - I need to know if one will fit into a dresser unit I am transmogrifying into a brooder...

Thanks!

 

[debid]

I REALLY want one of these. But wow, $65 delivered (best price I found, please speak up if you know of a better deal!) is a whole lot more than a $10 brooder fixture and a $5 bulb. Will I really save $50 in electricity over 8 weeks? Or do I have to presume that I'll need to brood more chicks in the future and it will break even eventually? Someone help, I have to justify this to a VERY thrifty man who is already complaining about how many eggs he could buy for what we're spending on coop construction.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Yah, he could buy a whole lot of really bland, tasteless store eggs for what is spent on coop construction. Fewer if y'all are already buying local backyard chicken eggs that DO taste great.

However, hens provide more than just eggs! They are the source of the most excellent fertilizer for your garden veggies and flowers.
They are wonderful at bug reduction, especially if they range freely outside a run.

And they're absolutely wonderful to watch go about their chicken business. Each chicken has his/her own personality, they're not just a bunch of walking feathers. Time spent watching "Chicken TV" is priceless.

 

[Sassafras]

I ordered one the other day. I figure it is worth it in my worrying to eliminate fire possibility, however small that may be. Of course you could always sell it on ebay after you are done using it and recoup (ha ha) your money.