Brooder Box Help

[MyNameIs86]

Tomorrow I'll be renting an incubator from a local farm here that rents out to people to hatch chicken.
Upon calling I have done a lot of research... a lot. I'm one of those people who needs a whole lot of info before doing something.
Anyway, I have a question about the brooder box. I do not have a heat lamp...I used to but I sold it. I looked up home made brooder boxes on images.google.com and it came up with this:



It is not mine since i don't have chicks, nor eggs yet. I am getting a dz eggs tomorrow.
I have everything seen here in this picture (box and the lamp thingy). how much watts do you need for this lamp to keep the chicks warm?

(The chicks are sooo cute...)

 

[cashdl]

I use a 60 watt light bulb and it works perfectly. Just keep an eye on them and if they are too cold they will noisily let you know.

Lanae

 

[MyNameIs86]

Thanks!!
Do you think a glass aquarium or plastic box will heat better?

 

[cashdl]

I use plastic totes with lids that snap on and lock in place. I cut most of the top out of the lid and glue hardware cloth on the top. Then I set the heat lamp with a 60 watt bulb on top of the hardware cloth. My chicks go outside in their brooder box after about a week which is the reason for locking lids. Animals can't get in.

Lanae

 

[cashdl]

You can kinda see the set up if you look below the chick on top. I will go up load more photos.



Lanae

 

[cashdl]

Here is the brooder box set up. The chicks stay in the house in their brooder box for the first week, then they go out side and stay in the brooder box for the first month till they feather out, then they go out to grow out pens. When they are just hatched I can put as much as 20 in these tubs. Every week I start seperating them out into different tubs, untill they are about 1 month old and I can only fit about 4 to 5 comfortably per tub. This pic was taken the day I moved them to their grow out pen.



Grow out pens.



Lanae

 

[MyNameIs86]

I don't have a heat lamp. I have more of a lamp that is in the picture (except mine is white).
Hmm. I am planning to use a plastic tub. How long after after hatching do you transport chicks from the incubator?I have read like 24-48 hrs after hatching.
Also the incubator has one of those yellow egg turner thingy inside it. Can the chicks do well if that is still in there? or do you have to take the turner out when it's day 18+?

 

[DCasper]

Tractor Supply has a chicken coop this week for 99.99. It is regularly 150.00, and if you cover the sides and use a heat lamp it makes a good brooder box. I used a plastic tub for the first week and then move them to the brooder box.

 

[cashdl]

Heat lamp is not important. What I have pictured are just the reflectors, they have regular bulbs in them. On Day 18 take out the yellow turner and set the eggs on the wire of the incubator. Once all the chicks hatch you can move them to the brooder. Chicks that hatch before the others do can stay in the incubator for 3 days with no problems.

Lanae

 

[MyNameIs86]

Whats the earliest you can take the chicks out of the incubator?