Brooder heat lamp question

[KBGChicken]

It is usually seventy or sixty eight degrees where my brooder is, (it's inside my house) my brooder wall is 17 inches, so how many inches should be from the tip top of the wall to the 250 watt heat bulb? (I have five chicks).

 

[gardengirl4288]

It's easiest to regulate with a thermometer, it all depends on what your brooder is made of and how it insulates etc. You can get a thermometer from TSC that tells you what temp at what age they need to be as you drop the temp 5 degrees per week

 

[chickencopper]

drafts and the interior of the room of the house make the decision on the temp below a lamp. You must use a thermometer under the lamp to determine constant temp.

 

[ronmauldin]

You want it 95 degrees directly beneath the lamp the first week. Lower the temp 5 degrees each week. Watch the chicks in addition to the thermometer. They are the best temp gauge. If they huddle under the lamp all the time, it's too cold. If they stay in other parts of the brooder, it's too hot.

 

[Coop de Cuse]

It is usually seventy or sixty eight degrees where my brooder is, (it's inside my house) my brooder wall is 17 inches, so how many inches should be from the tip top of the wall to the 250 watt heat bulb? (I have five chicks).

Be careful with a 250 watt bulb. I had 20 chicks in my garage with a 75 watt bulb, 18 inches high and they were fine. A 250 might be too hot for just 5 chicks.

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

Quote: x2

 

[KBGChicken]

This is my brooder, the chicks seem fine right?

 

[gardengirl4288]

Are they trying to get away from the heat? Chick behavior is also a good way to regulate temperature. Huddling under the lamp in a pile means too cold, evenly spread out under heat/going in and out of heat means good temp but trying to get away from the heat lamp means too warm you can bring the lamp higher or downgrade to a lesser wattage bulb and see if they are more evenly heated

 

[Tumbleweed Farm]

This is my brooder, the chicks seem fine right?

You'd be surprised how fast a bin this size will heat up, its best you get a thermometer. You have it pretty high but I still feel its going to overheat.

 

[Chickenheim]

I want to add two questions. I am using a tub similar to the one in KBGChicken's photo, for four chicks. My questions are:
1. This tub is going to be too small to go all the way to the point that the girls move outside, right? So I need to look for something bigger. (4 chicks will eventually need 8 sq. feet. So I would need two tubs or something at least 4ft. x 2ft.)
2. I borrowed a brooder lamp and I'm so far having to keep it about 22 inches above the level of the bedding (12 inches higher than the rim of the tub). I think I'll need to go out and buy a smaller bulb. But my question is this: Under what circumstances would a bulb as powerful as I've got EVER be useful? At any height similar to what I'm seeing in other photos of brooders, it would make the area underneath it at least 110 degrees (that's what the corner of my tub got to!).