Brooder heat lamp alternative and towels?

[mdees88]

I have 5 brooders. My 3 new ones have 2 150 watt bulbs that operate on a dimmer switches. I keep them around 100-105 at the end of the brooder for the first week, then I reduce the light daily until the switch is on the minimal setting.

I'm going to do a thread on these brooders. They are compact and work great...

 

[Blooie]

Better too hot than too cold. On that brooder the temp was 110 at one end and 80 at the other. You can see no quail were at the 110 degree end of the brooder. I could set it at 120 or 130 degrees and my quail would be just fine. They will stay where the brooder temp is between 95-100.... and they looked pretty comfortable to me.

No need to overthink it..... or worry about "precise" temps. Just use a big brooder and keep it hotter than they need at one end and cooler than they need at the other end.

Um, I must respectfully disagree. Too hot is not better than too cold. Neither extreme is good. If chicks, regardless of species, get chilled, they'll huddle together and share body heat until the temperature issue is corrected. If they are too warm, they have no way to cool down. Dehydration from overheating sets in fast. The fact that in your experience the chicks stay toward the cooler end of the brooder should be telling you something. Having the "cool" side of brooder at 90-100 isn't hardening them off or exposing them to cooler temps, and having it at 110+ on the heated side is, if I may be so frank, asking for trouble. It may not have happened yet, but it will. I DO agree with having temperature variations from one side to the other. A mother chicken or mother quail doesn't heat the entire space her babies are in either - she's just there and when they feel the need, they duck under her for security or a quick warmup. Then they pop right back out again, regardless of what the ambient temperatures are, and go about the busy and fun work of learning to be adults.

There's a reason that I don't like rubbermaid containers or plastic totes for chicks. There is no air circulation. Just a hot lamp, hot plastic, hot food and hot water. No air is getting in at the sides, and no humid, hot air is being replaced. When some totes get too warm they can off-gas. But I know lots of people use them and love them. I just think they are too much like an Easy Bake Oven, as one of my friends says, and offer little respite and absolutely nothing else to look at but the walls.

Quail can be, and have been, successfully raised using the Mama Heating Method, but since the OP has already ordered a brooder heating plate, that's almost as good. I prefer the heating pad because it's a steadier, gentler heat, but as far as I'm concerned any alternative to hot, bright lights 24/7 is a better option.

And now that I've made everyone mad, I'll scoot out of here.

 

[Hungarianquail]

250W heat lamp is too hot for indoors, where the temp is around 74 degrees. I used a 150W infrared lamp initially, gradually raised it as far as could, then switched to 75W. I get them at pet store under the reptile care section.

 

[le_bwah]

My experience with brooders is limited, but I'm loving my heating plate so far. The chicks are allowed to self-regulate and I think they have an easier time falling asleep in the warm and dark. They go in and out all day, taking quick naps between exploring their brooder. It never gets hot enough to burn them or their bedding.

 

[TMarie]

7 hatched so far! I just love them so much! Thank you for all the advice! I'm learning a lot. I thought I had it all figured out before now.

 

[Kiki]

7 hatched so far! I just love them so much! Thank you for all the advice! I'm learning a lot. I thought I had it all figured out before now.

CONGRATs!

 

[le_bwah]

7 hatched so far! I just love them so much! Thank you for all the advice! I'm learning a lot. I thought I had it all figured out before now.

Nice! Welcome to the world, little chicks. Make sure those babies have access to an un-spillable water source (they are so clumsy!) and be prepared to clean up SO much poop. I hope your heat source works, whatever you go with.

 

[Hungarianquail]

Nice! Welcome to the world, little chicks. Make sure those babies have access to an un-spillable water source (they are so clumsy!) and be prepared to clean up SO much poop. I hope your heat source works, whatever you go with.

Second that. SO MUCH POOP!

 

[mdees88]

Um, I must respectfully disagree. Too hot is not better than too cold. Neither extreme is good. If chicks, regardless of species, get chilled, they'll huddle together and share body heat until the temperature issue is corrected. If they are too warm, they have no way to cool down. Dehydration from overheating sets in fast. The fact that in your experience the chicks stay toward the cooler end of the brooder should be telling you something. Having the "cool" side of brooder at 90-100 isn't hardening them off or exposing them to cooler temps, and having it at 110+ on the heated side is, if I may be so frank, asking for trouble. It may not have happened yet, but it will. I DO agree with having temperature variations from one side to the other. A mother chicken or mother quail doesn't heat the entire space her babies are in either - she's just there and when they feel the need, they duck under her for security or a quick warmup. Then they pop right back out again, regardless of what the ambient temperatures are, and go about the busy and fun work of learning to be adults.

There's a reason that I don't like rubbermaid containers or plastic totes for chicks. There is no air circulation. Just a hot lamp, hot plastic, hot food and hot water. No air is getting in at the sides, and no humid, hot air is being replaced. When some totes get too warm they can off-gas. But I know lots of people use them and love them. I just think they are too much like an Easy Bake Oven, as one of my friends says, and offer little respite and absolutely nothing else to look at but the walls.

Quail can be, and have been, successfully raised using the Mama Heating Method, but since the OP has already ordered a brooder heating plate, that's almost as good. I prefer the heating pad because it's a steadier, gentler heat, but as far as I'm concerned any alternative to hot, bright lights 24/7 is a better option.

And now that I've made everyone mad, I'll scoot out of here.

Thanks for the input but it appears you have misunderstood me. Read the second second sentence you quoted me... that brooder is 110 degrees at one end and 80 at the other (not 90-100).

The quail do not stay at the cool end, as you said. They move all around the brooder and sleep near the warm end at the perfect temp they like. In this pic for instance they are 6" from the 110 heat in a 4ft long brooder....



I have 5 brooders and that one has two 75w spot bulbs at one end... (closest one). My 3 newest ones are like the one in the middle, 2 bulbs on a dimmer switch. I keep them between 100 and 105 at the warm end...

I was making the point that in her pic that heat lamp was shining in the very corner of her brooder. That will create one hot spot allowing the other end to be cool. This way her quail can move back and forth to regulate temp and stay in the sweet spot.

If you brood quail in your shop or garage your brooder will be exposed to large swings in temperature. Having it a little warmer than necessary at one end insures that the quail do not become too cold when the room temp falls....

 

[lomine]

Thanks for the input but it appears you have misunderstood me. Read the second second sentence you quoted me... that brooder is 110 degrees at one end and 80 at the other (not 90-100).

The quail do not stay at the cool end, as you said. They move all around the brooder and sleep near the warm end at the perfect temp they like. In this pic for instance they are 6" from the 110 heat in a 4ft long brooder....

View attachment 1400798

I have 5 brooders and that one has two 75w spot bulbs at one end... (closest one). My 3 newest ones are like the one in the middle, 2 bulbs on a dimmer switch. I keep them between 100 and 105 at the warm end...

View attachment 1400784

I was making the point that in her pic that heat lamp was shining in the very corner of her brooder. That will create one hot spot allowing the other end to be cool. This way her quail can move back and forth to regulate temp and stay in the sweet spot.

If you brood quail in your shop or garage your brooder will be exposed to large swings in temperature. Having it a little warmer than necessary at one end insures that the quail do not become too cold when the room temp falls....

I believe she was referring to your comment that the hot spot can be kept anywhere between 110 to 130 and "they would be fine." If we assume the temperature range would remain the same, if you set at 130 the other end would be 100. That would give the chicks nowhere to go to cool off. And lets face it, most people don't have brooders that are 4 ft long so they aren't going to have a 30 degree difference between one end and another. Beside, what's the point of setting the hottest part to higher than they need. You'd just be taking away space they could be using.