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Dear Neurotic,
1. My EcoGlow took only about a week to arrive.
2. I place mine near the brooder wall because you do have a cord that runs from it. I put mine in a corner so the tinies can huddle up under it against the wall, and the cord just runs up and over the top corner of the brooder to a plug. It doesn't take long before they use it a lot less than you think they would.
3. As long as your room temperature is 50 degrees F or above, you don't need anything else. I have one of my units in the barn, where temperatures have been getting into the high 30's to low 40's, and a simple light bulb of 60w is enough to raise the ambient temperature so the EcoGlow is more than adequate.
4. For lighting during the day, just use a low-wattage fluorescent bulb and let them have dark at night.
5. For #4 above, use a red fluorescent low-wattage bulb -- they're called "Party Lights" and
Walmart carries them for a few bucks.
6. Six feet is pretty big for 16 babies, so, yes, I would partition them into a much smaller space until they're a week old or so and have good enough mobility to get back to warmth easily.
7. Start out on paper for the first several days -- but not slippery paper. I use paper towels so they get traction and don't end up with spraddle-leg. Then I switch to pine shavings. I use wood pellets in my horse stalls, but seeing how they plump up when they get damp, I'd be worried about impacted crops. I've never had a problem with chicks on pine shavings, and, yes, they do peck at them.
8. Somebody suggested putting shelf liner on top and changing it periodically. I just let mine have at it, and wipe it off once in a while. It wipes clean very easily and I just disinfect in between hatches.
Hope this answers your questions! You will have a ball with your new chicks!!!
). I use pine shavings with paper towels on top for the first few days, then take off the paper towels. As for the pooping. I just clean it, but I've seen others that are trying shelf lining on top.
