Brooder Help

[shanshan51]

Ok I set up my brooder tonight in anticipation of my chicks anywhere between Wednesday and Sunday. Depending if they chose to grace me with their prescense early. I took a great dane sized dog crate. Lined the botton 1/4 with tin foil to reflect heat and keep them from escaping. Put a heat lamp with 350w red bulb. Pine shavings. And a cover over crate. It has windows with netting that can be opened or closed during day or night too. I also have a chick waterer and feed thing. Anything I am forgetting? Do they need stuff to climb on?

 

[peepblessed]

You've done a good job thinking of every thing. My only concern is about your light. I'm not familiar with 350 watt. It sounds too hot. It is critical for the chicks to be able to get away from the heat if it's too hot. Maybe you are not in the US and the watts are different! Also, if you have a cat in the house be aware that they will reach through the bars.

 

[NonnasBabies]

You need to get rid of all that foil and put some shavings in there, And 350 watts is WAY to hot. You need something alot smaller if your brooding in the house!! Good luck!

 

[nurse_turtle]

I'm not so sure about the foil, if it will allow the chicks to find a cooler spot if they need to. I think the heat light should point toward one corner so as not to heat the entire area. The 350 watt is gonna be too hot. Just a regular 100w will work fine and you can raise and lower it to provide more or less heat. I would probably remove the foil and just use the shavings. When they are about 10 days old, I place a small log or 2x4 on edge for them to perch on.

 

[shanshan51]

The tin foil was to keep them from escaping. It is a dog crate for a dog that is 150 pounds so the feed store recommended a higher bulb. The crate stands about 4 feet tall by 5 foot long and the light can hang from the top or sides. I put a thermometer directly below the light and it was about 95 max after 30 minutes. No cats to reach through! The bars are wide enough for a chick to get through so the tin foil was to stop that.

Is the bulb really going to be too hot?

 

[shanshan51]

Oh I just looked at my pic again. The bottom DOES NOT have foil. It is just shavings on the button. Only the sides have tin foil. I gave them about 2" of shavings.

 

[peepblessed]

95 degrees is too hot if they can't get away from it. Chicks will come and go from the heat.

 

[shanshan51]

Oh man now I am stressed. Gotta go adjust until the temp is right! Ill go raise it higher and set it to one corner so they can get away if needed. Right now its in the middle.

 

[AlienChick]

You're doing well to prepare ahead of time!

Just keep checking your thermometer each day throughout the day to see if the temp remains steady.

Position the heat lamp in one corner so they can get away from the heat if they need to.

Also, get rid of the foil and just use some cardboard to keep the shavings inside.

I had a similar set up as yours:

 

[peepblessed]

Quote:
That will probably work fine. You did the right thing checking. If they are too cold they will try to pile on each other, if they are too hot they will spread out and look half dead and even pant. Just keep a careful eye on them for a few hours and gradually decrease the heat as they add feathers about 5 degrees a week. Take lots of deep breaths!